Room rates for USFK hotels have gone up:

Who would pay $60 bucks for a hotel room at Camp Casey when you can get a nicer room for much cheaper in Dongducheon?  Obviously enough people for them to charge $60 bucks for a room.

This week there has been some interesting debate over at Coming Anarchy and the Marmot’s Hole over what makes someone an “expert” of a specified country.  The main point of contention is if someone should be fluent in the language of the specified country to really be considered an expert opinion.All the Korea “experts” are coming out of the woodwork yet again on the news channels over the recent North Korean threats of conducting a nuclear test.  Just like July’s missile test incident these so called experts are woefully uninformed of the situation on the Korean peninsula.   If many of these people would just read the English language sources of information available out there they would be able to make much better opinions of what’s occurring on the peninsula.  But the so called experts don’t even do that much less even learn the language of the country that they claim to be an expert of.

The best expert opinion on the Korean peninsula I find to be Dr. Andrei Lankov, yet why isn’t he on the news channels?  What does Charles Krauthammer, Keith Olbermann, or some retired Army major knows about the Korean peninsula that someone like Lankov couldn’t provide a better analysis of?  The fact is that the news isn’t looking for expert analysis they are just looking for some talking head to put on the TV to fill air time.

So I would be happy if many of the so called Korea “experts” out there would just read all the English language material out there, much less even bothering to learn the Korean language.

It is good to see that the Seoul city government is so persistent to turn Yongsan Garrison into a park once 8th Army turns over the camp:

In a win for the Seoul government, the federal government accepted a request to clearly state the Yongsan Garrison’s exact size and boundaries in the new special act.

If the city government succeeds, 661 acres would be used for the park. Any remaining sites near the base, such as Army transportation parking lots, would be sold, Kim Seon-tae, director of the Yongsan Park Building Promotion Team, said in the report.

While no official plan exists to pay for the park, Kim said proceeds from selling the lots and supplements from the national treasury could be used.

I will remain skeptical on all of this because does anyone remember a few years back when the Yongsan Golf Course was handed over to the Korean government to be made into a park?   Guess what happened to that?  The largest building in Korea, the National Musuem now sits there.

The “success” of the Sunshine Policy continues. From the Chosun Ilbo:

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that “the field of scientific research” in the North will conduct a nuclear test in the future “under conditions where safety is firmly guaranteed.” The statement was published simultaneously via Korean Central Television Station, the North’s only nationwide TV network, the official Korean Central News Agency and Korean Central Broadcasting Station at 6 p.m. The ministry said the present situation, “in which the U.S. moves to isolate and stifle” North Korea has reached a stage “beyond extremity,” with the result that the North “can no longer remain an onlooker to the developments.” The statement says the U.S.’ “extreme threat of a nuclear war and sanctions and pressure compel [the North] to conduct a nuclear test, an essential process for bolstering its nuclear deterrent, as a corresponding measure for defense.”

It will be interesting to see what excuses the South Korean government comes up with next for the North Koreans. I’m sure it will be among the lines of, “It’s all America’s fault” and “Oh, yeah Japan too!”

Well here is what the US government has to say about this:

The United States warned a North Korean nuclear test “would pose an unacceptable threat to peace and stability” and the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations raised the issue during a Security Council meeting. The council agreed to hold further discussions on Wednesday after consulting capitals.

I wonder if all the so called former Clinton officials Korea experts will come out of the woodwork again and make the ridiculous demands that the US attack North Korea like they did before July’s failed missile tests?

Here is my some what informed opinion of what to do. I look at this declaration of conducting a nuclear test as a sign of success. Why you ask? Because it is causing the North Koreans to show their hand. If the US gave into the North Korean demands before July’s missile test the US would have never known how far behind the North Koreans were in developing a ICBM that could hit the US. Now the US does know. Plus the US gained a huge political win because the world could no longer deny North Korea’s hostile intentions and a new resolution was passed that placed additional sanctions on North Korea.

The US should take the same stand on the nuclear test, let them show their hand. Worst case scenario is that the test is successful and the US gains an even stronger political advantage on the North to even further isolate the regime. A nuclear test may even be enough for the South Koreans to finally quit making excuses for the North and finally scrap the failed bribery program Sunshine Policy. The best case scenario is that the test fails and American intelligence analysts can make a good determination of how far along in nuclear weapons development the North Koreans really are. Plus the US would still gain a stronger political position because a failed nuclear test is still a sign of hostile intentions which will still lead to increased isolation of the North Korean regime.

Now what about the timing of this? It was well known for the last couple of months that North Korea has been making preparations for a nuclear test. I think the announcement of Ban Ki-moon becoming the next UN Secretary General led to the North Korean announcement just to take Ban out of the international headlines. The North Koreans have a long history of doing this; just look at recent history. Seoul gets the 1988 Olympics and North Korea bombs a South Korean airliner. Seoul hosts the 2002 World Cup, North Korea attacks and kills South Korean naval personnel in the Yellow Sea. They could also be using this to test Ban about what stance he would take with North Korea on issues such as the nuclear program and human rights once he is the Secretary General.

However, with anything concerning North Korea who the hell knows what their up to, but I know one thing appeasement or a milistary strike would be playing right into Pyongyang’s hands.

You can read more on this over at the Marmot’s Hole as well as TKL.

Here is a weird story for everyone:

A man who scaled the back fence of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s residence on Downing Street was charged on Oct. 2 with assault on a police officer and possession of a knife, authorities said.

The 32-year-old man, who was arrested Oct. 1 night, struggled briefly with police before he was pinned and handcuffed, said a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

Police said Byung Jin Lee tried to lunge at an officer but was not wielding the large kitchen knife found in his possession. The man, who has no fixed address, was to appear in court in central London on Tuesday morning.

“The incident will prompt a review of security, as is routine,” a police spokesman said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

The intruder was arrested before he could climb another wall into the gardens of the home, police said, adding that the prime minister was at home at the time but was not at risk.

Just goes to show that nut cases come in all shapes and sizes.

HT: Reader

For those who don’t know yet, Jeff the long time K-blogger at Ruminations in Korea was injured recently due to a motorcycle accident. He sure knows how to keep a good attitude about things even though he sustained some pretty serious injuries. If you haven’t already, stop by his site and wish him a speedy recovery.

ose who have served a tour in Korea usually return home with at least one good “slicky boy” story to tell. A “slicky boy”, for those who don’t know, is the GI lingo describing the Korean thieves that look to steal just about any US military property that isn’t properly secured, especially during training exercises in the field. The level of organization, planning, and cunning of the slicky boys is truly amazing in some instances and that is why slicky boys have remained part of GI lore in Korea.

Most villes outside of US military bases in Korea have what is known as a “TA-50 Alley” where just about any item of US military property can be found for sale. This is where the slicky boys make their money from stealing US military property. These TA-50 Alleys have provided a source of revenue for petty thieves from the time of the Korean War until present day.

I bring up this subject because I recently discovered a Korean veterans site that collects and chronicles the various slicky boy stories. So I have decided to do weekly postings highlighting one of the slicky boy stories a week from the site.

As you will see in this first slicky boy story that no USFK property is safe from the clutches of the slicky boys, not even a piano.

Slicky Boy Stories: The PianoAt One of The Officers Clubs, Location Unknown, It Was
Discovered One Morning That The Club Piano Was Missing. A Check At
The Guard Shack At The Main Gate Revealed That No Vehicles Had Enter
or Left The Compound That Night.
However, Some Enlisted Men Did Remember Hearing Muffled Sounds
Coming From An Area of The Perimeter Fence. A Further Check Revealed
That The Barbed Wire Had Been Cut And Removed From The Top of The
Fence, Thus Fueling Speculation That The Piano Had Been Lifted OVER
THE FENCE And Removed From The Area……!!!!! Imagine That !!

Submitted by: 1Lt Ken Leighty
A Co 2/72 Armor
1967 – 1968

The talk of the town in 61/62 was about the Slicky Boys that
Took The Piano From The Officers Club in `C` Troop 1/9th Cav and
Hauled It Across The Imjin On An “A” Frame!
THEY WERE GOOD !!

Submitted by: Sp4 Richard Taival
`B` Troop, 1/9th Cav

I was in Korea 1958-9, with the 1st Cav. I spent most of my
tour with the 1st Recon Sqdn, 9th Cav, just north of Freedom Bridge, TDY
from 15th Medical Bn (located at Pob Won Ni).

The story of the Slicky Boys and the Piano, I was told, happened in the
winter of 1958-9. I did not see it, but the way it was related was that slicky
boys got a piano and a safe from the 1st of the 9th officers’ club,
manhandled it down the bluff and onto the Imjin River, which was iced over.
A guard spotted the group on the ice a good distance out, and shot at
them. The slicky boys took off. There were supposed to be 3-4 of them.
Story is it took about a platoon of GIs to get the piano and safe back
across the river.

Submitted by: Curtis A. Pendergraft
15th Medical Bn
1st Cav Div!!

This slicky boy story was from Korea, A Tour of Duty.

If you have your own slicky boy story to share e-mail me your story at gikoreaonline@yahoo.com and I will be happy to post it.

If you need a t-shirt to display your anti-Americanism, than a Canadian in Itaewon has one for you:

Alleyway T-shirt vendors in the Itaewon district have a new competitor. The new must-have shirts read I’m not migook on the front, and on the back in Korean, “I am not an American.” Since the shirts first turned up at a shop in front of the neighborhood Starbucks in the middle of last month, more than 100 of the shirts have been sold every five days. The man who brought the thoughtful product into the world is a 31-year-old named Michael Kenny who would like to make it clear that he is Canadian.

However, Mr. Kenny claims this is all in good fun and he is not anti-American:

Worry no. 2 is that people tend to associate the shirts with anti-Americanism. He says quite a few people have challenged him about the message. But his response is: Oh, there’s nothing to it. It’s all just good fun. American whites are Caucasians, but that doesn’t mean all Caucasians are Americans. Now, wouldn’t it be nice if Koreans knew that too?

Now would he sell t-shirts to people of black skin color saying that they are not Nigerians?  Or better yet maybe he should start selling t-shirts that say “I’m not a Low Quality English Teacher”.  What’s the difference between this hate speech and bashing Americans?

Korea’s profile in global sports is about to raise:

Korea is to host its own Formula One Grand Prix from 2010.

Formula One Management President Bernie Ecclestone, South Jeolla Province Governor Park Joon-yung, and Chung Yung-cho, the president of Korea Auto Valley Operation, which will be organizing the event, unveiled plans for the 2010 F1 World Championship Korean Grand Prix on Monday.

The Korean Grand Prix will take place in South Jeolla Province for seven years starting from 2010. The 5.45 km track will be built on a 4.95 million sq.m site and will be the nation’s largest race car and motorcycle track. Construction will start in 2007 and be completed by 2009.