I had just read Marmot’s post about the number of Hondas driving on Seoul streets when I came upon this article on Yahoo:

Imported car sales in South Korea hit a record high in November, an industry group said Tuesday, in contrast to poor performances by domestic car manufacturers.

It was the first time for monthly sales of imported cars to exceed the 3,000-unit mark. The November figure was also up from the previous high of 2,953 units in September.

Really when you look at the numbers the amount of imported cars is still miniscule. Also IMHO people buy the imported cars more as a status symbol of their affluency then for any other practical reason. Plus the nationalism of buying a Hyundai has worn off which has further eroded car sales.

US Ambassador to Korea calls North Korea, “A Criminal Regime“:

U.S. Ambassador to Korea Alexander Vershbow on Wednesday made international headlines by calling the North Korean government a “criminal regime.” Vershbow made the remark at the Kwanhun Club, a gathering of senior South Korean journalists, when the subject of North Korea’s alleged currency counterfeiting came up.
Vershbow said North Korea’s was the first regime involved in government-sponsored currency counterfeiting “since Adolf Hitler.” Candid criticism of North Korea from a U.S. diplomat here is rare in a public forum.

Let’s see, the North Koreans export heroin, counterfeit US dollars, and illicit weapons and the US shouldn’t consider them a criminal regime? Of course the South Koreans don’t think so:

Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon urged caution, saying countries involved in six-party talks on the North’s nuclear program “need to exercise restraint in the words they choose to describe each other.”

At the meeting, Vershbow’s position diverged widely from Seoul’s on such issues as international recognition of the North Korean regime, human rights and counterfeiting.

Finally the US is executing some foreign policy against the North Koreans that has teeth instead of empty words. The US is definitely doing something right judging by how much the North and South Koreans are squeeling right now.

This is a special edition of Korea Finder. To go with my current Japan theme I have decided to have a Japan Finder this week. The Tori gate in this picture should be quite obvious to those familiar with Tokyo. So where is this Tori located?

As much as I don’t like pro-North Korean sympathisers, I do have to say that this is taking things to far:

About 10 former South Korean commandos used sledgehammers on Monday to smash up the tombstones of political prisoners buried in the South, who they said were North Korean sympathisers.

The former soldiers, who were trained to infiltrate the communist North, were eventually removed by police from the cemetery, but some took away a few earthenware jars containing the cremated remains of political prisoners.

No matter what you political leanings maybe, it is just not acceptable to desecrate someone’s grave. Especially running off with the dead guy’s cremated remains. This is just weird and hopefully the South Korean legal system delivers harsh punishment on these people, but I have my doubts they will.

Some Korean students in China are learning that you have to actually study to graduate college outside of Korea:

But this year, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and others started requiring Korean students to take separate entrance exams in English, math and general humanities or science, because so many of them have fallen behind in class or taken to absenteeism. Some schools now reportedly organize separate classes and exams for Korean students.

China will be hugely important in the 21st century, and it is therefore good that more of our youngsters study there. But we have a problem if a large number of them drop out because they lack motivation or the sense of a clear goal. Because China’s renowned universities attract the brightest Chinese students, about half of the Korean students there reportedly fail to graduate because they lead an undisciplined campus life and mingle only with other Korean students. That is a waste of youth and foreign exchange.

This story reminded me of the Korean students that attended my university years ago. I experienced two kinds of Korean students. There was the super smart students who studied all the time and did well in school or there was the ones who led a party life style. Plus the comment about the Koreans only mingling with other Koreans is very true. However, I can understand Koreans socializing together in a foreign country because I’m sure other nationalities are that way while over seas as well. Just look at Itaewon.

However, if Korea wants the majority of students going over seas to improve their study habits, the country will need to first improve the university system in their own country, where universities in Korea are looked at as being party zones. So why should people be surprised when that attitude is exported?

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has sided with North Korea over the US’s move to include North Korea’s counterfeiting activities into the six way talks:

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday, “Non-nuclear complaints by the United States against North Korea should be solved by bilateral talks between the two parties. As the six-party talks focus on resolving the nuclear issue, other matters should be kept separate from the six-party issue.”

Chung told a forum during a breakfast hour lecture at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul, “Major non-nuclear complaints fall into six categories, the most important of which is the North’s missile program, others include biochemical and conventional weapons and human rights abuses, as well as its alleged involvement in drug trafficking and currency counterfeiting.”

Does Chung have a cell phone with a direct line to Kim Jong Il to tell him what to do? This guy wastes no time jumping to North Korea’s defense. Chung is really a useful idiot for the Norks. First he cares little about North Korean defectors or human rights and now he thinks that North Korea’s illegal activities should be overlooked in the name of the six way talks that are accomplishing absolutely nothing.

I am continuing to believe that the US has finally hit the North Koreans where it hurts by sanctioning the Macau bank. I have never seen them whine this bad and get Chung to jump to their defense this quick. Hopefully the US will keep the pressure on them.

If the South Korean government has it’s way; the urban sprawl that USFK is trying to escape from by relocating units from 2ID and Yongsan, will be coming to Pyeongtaek soon as well:

The government said yesterday it will invest more than 18.8 trillion won ($18.1 billion) by 2020 to develop Pyeongtaek, southern Gyeonggi province, where the U.S. Forces Korea will build a consolidated base by 2008.

The ministry said nearly 1.5 trillion won will be spent to improve farms, build industrial complexes and develop tourist facilities near Pyeongtaek Lake.
The Defense Ministry also said it will invest nearly 1.4 trillion won on roads, parks and noise-proof facilities for residents. The ministry will also construct housing for relocated residents.
More than 16 trillion won will be invested to develop harbors in the region along with other industrial development projects.

Nomad has more on this topic, but I can’t help but think why the Korean government feels this need to surround the USFK base with urban sprawl. This same urban sprawl that currently plagues US bases will only continue to lead to traffic accidents and problems.

Former Korean President Kim Dae Jung is preparing to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize he was awarded after the June 2000 summit with North Korea:

Attaching more significance to the “fifth’’ anniversary, a group of dignitaries who served as Cabinet ministers under the Kim administration from 1998 to 2003 has formed a committee this year to prepare for a grand convention which will highlight the commemoration week.

High-profile officials from the incumbent Roh Moo-hyun administration as well as political leaders from the ruling and opposition camps, including potential candidates for the 2007 presidential election, are expected to attend the congratulatory event.

Only in Korea would you celebrate someone who bought a Nobel Peace Prize.

There is now more competition in the Korea Blogosphere from these three women. These women may seem pretty hot, but don’t be fooled. They are actually the transgendered South Korean pop band, Lady. Lady made headlines earlier this year and now they even have their own Blog. So for all you trangendered fans out their you to can post and ask for dates with Lady as apparently many fans on the site have already done.

Hat Tip: Asiapundit

The US is really increasing the pressure on Pyongyang during the latest six party talks. First the US stopped all food aid to the Stalinist country and now the US placed sanctions on a Macao based bank that was allegedly being used to funnel counterfeit US dollars printed in North Korea:

Washington last week declined to negotiate on the sanctions it imposed on the bank and on North Korean firms, mainly fueled by suspicions that the North counterfeited U.S. currency. North Korea in response called off a visit by its deputy foreign minister, Kim Kye-gwan, to New York.

On Friday night, North Korea’s foreign ministry said the U.S. must unfreeze the companies’ assets and lift the ban on transactions with the bank before the six-party talks can make progress. The official Rodong Sinmun newspaper the same day called the U.S. “the world’s worst human rights abuser.” It also slammed as a “fabrication” footage of a public execution in North Korea broadcast by cable channel CNN, according to the North’s official KCNA news agency.

The North Koreans are masters of nasty rhetoric, but something seems different this time. It seems like the US has finally struck a nerve with the North Koreans. This is good because it is increasing the bargaining position of the US.

The North Koreans have been getting away with counterfeiting US currency for to long. Have you ever wondered why the US $20 bill seems to change every year? It is because of the skilled North Korean counterfeiters. The next thing that can be done to further increase the pressure on the North Koreans is if the Japanese stop boat traffic between the two countries that is used to bring in hard currency to North Korea through the drug trade and other underworld activities. Finally the US is taking the kid gloves off, but there is still a lot more to do.

I like what US negotiator Christopher Hill had to say about this issue:

A few hours after the statements, the U.S. chief negotiator at the talks Christopher Hill told AP, “We can’t just sit there stalemated session after stalemated session.” He added, “I don’t want to threaten walkouts, but I do want to see progress.”

I’m sure Hill realizes this, but most of the countries involved in the talks want to keep things at a stalemate becauses the status quo is more acceptable to their own interests, that is why the US has to break the status quo and shake things up if the US hopes to see any progress.