North Korea plays Japan tonight for a chance to play in the next World Cup. It appears North Korea will have a number of people who live in Japan rooting for them.

Lee Jae-sul was born and raised in Tokyo but like thousands of Koreans living in Japan, he’s hoping North Korea (news – web sites) will beat Japan in a World Cup soccer qualifying match on Wednesday.

Lee, 48, is one of 150,000 Korean residents of Japan with allegiance to communist North Korea.

North Korea supporters account for a quarter of all Koreans in Japan, many of whom are descendants of students and workers who came, or were forcibly brought to Japan, while Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945.

“Of course I will support the North Korean team because since my elementary school days I have received an ethnic and ideological education sympathetic to the North,” said Lee.

Like many North Korean loyalists, Lee attended a school run by a pro-Pyongyang residents’ group, where he was taught to revere the communist state and its leaders, whose portraits hang on classroom walls.

Hard to believe there are Kim Jong Il portraits hanging up in Japanese classrooms. If they revere North Korea so much then why don’t they go live there? It is probably because many of the Nork loyalists in Japan are part of the Japanese underworld and are making a lot money with the illegal activities they are conducting which is facilitated by the North Korean regime.

Interestingly enough North Korea has two Koreans living in Japan who play in the J-League on their roster.

Adding spice to Wednesday’s match for Korean residents, two J-League pros from the pro-Pyongyang community have been tapped for the North Korean side.

“To beat Japan and win a World Cup berth has been my dream. I’m really excited,” 22-year-old Sanfrecce Hiroshima midfielder Ri Han-jae told a news conference after being named to the team.

Ri will be joined by Nagoya Grampus Eight midfielder An Yong-hak, 26, who has said he was honored but a bit anxious about playing with compatriots from a country about which he knows little.

“As a player from Japan, I can’t help but feel nervous,” he said in a recent interview with the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

“I stand out from the rest of the team,” added An, whose hair has been trimmed to fit with his closely cropped team mates.

I can’t figure out why these two players would play on the North Korean team other than they couldn’t make the Japanese team so this was their best second option to get to play at an international level. Maybe they just needed a free haircut?

Andrei Lankov continues to crank out great articles. The latest article over at Asia Times is about Kim Jong Il possibly being ready to name a successor:

Now, at long last, we know what North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung, told his wife more than 60 years ago about his intentions for dynastic succession – or at least what a Korean broadcast says that he said. Korea watchers are parsing this purported political pillow-talk – or some other private conversation or fabrication – stitched together by propagandists. And it comes on the eve of current Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s 64th birthday on February 16, with no known plans for his succession.

North Korean radio cited comments that Kim Il-sung, the dynasty’s founder, allegedly made when talking to his wife in 1943 (in all probability, these comments are pure invention – like more or less the entire “history of the Great Leader” as taught in North Korea). The Great Leader reportedly told his wife: “I would obey my father’s instruction to struggle for Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule and establish the communist country … if I fail, the tasks should be carried out by my son and grandson.” This was broadcast on January 27.

So, for the first time we have Kim Il-sung’s grandsons in the picture. Or have we? After all, many analysts interpret this as yet another propaganda exercise aimed at promoting Kim Jong-il, not his sons. But the majority seem to believe that these remarks do have some hidden meaning, indicating that Pyongyang leaders finally have decided to move ahead with their succession plans.

I tend to agree with this statement here:

It is widely believed that a dynastic succession is the only way to save the regime from collapse after Kim Jong-il’s death. If a new leader came from outside the ruling family, he would have too much incentive to negotiate surrender to the prosperous and powerful South, likely sacrificing the lives and property of the current elite in exchange for his own security. He would also probably lack the legitimacy necessary to keep the country and populace under control. Frankly, this writer believes that nothing short of Chinese intervention will save the regime one way or another, but if the Pyongyang royalty does not want to go down without a fight, it makes sense to appoint a new leader from the incumbent royal family.

You can read the rest on your own. It is an interesting read.

North Korea doesn’t necessarily need to name someone from the Kim family to be the successor. Anyone with blood on their hands would be suitable. They cannot name someone with a clean record because that person would have to much incentive to broker for peace with the South which means all the perks of the communist elite in Pyongyang is gone. So it is in their interest to name someone with a shady background.

However, they would not want to name someone to despotic because that would cramp their luxurious lifestyles also if they have a Stalin like person hovering over them which they have to be afraid of. At least with Kim Jong Il he is reported to be a likeable party guy in private.

So naming his oldest son Kim Jong-nam may not be a bad choice because he seems a rather layed back guy, heck he tried to go to Tokyo Disneland, but he also has a lot of baggage because he is Kim Jong Il’s son after all. So if the elites name him the successor they need to get him quickly involved in the intelligence service and have him order some airplane bombed like Kim Jong Il reportedly did in the 80’s to make no doubt that he has no choice but to keep the North Korean system functioning. This is probably the elites best bet to stay in power. However, it is becoming obvious that their days are numbered and no North Korean leader can do anything about that.

15 North Korean defectors were detained trying to enter the US according to the Chosun.

Fifteen presumed North Korean defectors who had settled in South Korea were arrested for trying to sneak into the U.S.
The Los Angeles-based Association of People From Five Northern Provinces said on Sunday it learned that 15 North Koreans were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol as they tried to smuggle themselves into the U.S. from Tijuana, Mexico. But the association’s president Kim Ho-jeong added it remained to be confirmed whether the 15 really were defectors.

The 15, who are being held at an immigration detention center in San Diego, California, said they intended to seek political asylum in the U.S. after previously settling in South Korea. Kim Yong, the head of another defectors’ association in Los Angeles, said that under U.S. law such individuals were usually deported.

I guess it easier to escape North Korea than enter the US? It is sad to see these defectors escape from North Korea to South Korea, only to see them try and escape the prejudice in South Korea by trying to sneak into the US. With the new North Korea Human Rights Act this incident could turn into a political football. Hopefully this story will continued to be covered so we can all learn what happens to the 15 defectors.

North Korea is making new demands on South Korea by demanding 500,000 tons of fertilizer for the upcoming spring planting season.

South Korea has been agonizing over a recent request from North Korea for an “unusually” large volume of fertilizer aid, officials in Seoul said Sunday.

“Annual fertilizer aid toward the North has never exceeded 300,000 tons,” a KNRC executive told South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. “The one-time request for 500,000 tons, valued at about 140 billion won ($130 million), is seen as quite exceptional.”

I can’t imagine the South Korean government will turn down the request, but I can’t help but think, what the hell is South Korea getting out of this? Is the Mt. Kumgang tours worth being treated like somebodies lap dog? South Korea has serious leverage on the North with all the fertilizer they give to them. They should use this leverage to help the international community contain the North Korean nuclear program instead of just continually giving them free stuff with nothing in return. Pretty soon Kim Jong Il will be demanding Tiburon sports cars and LG flat screen TV’s. Where do you draw the line?

It is so ironic that a country with a nuclear program can’t afford to buy their own fertilizer. But then again why should you buy your own fertilizer when somebody is willing to give it to you for free?

North Korea is trying to get the Czech Republic to ban the recent movie Team America.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – North Korea (news – web sites)’s embassy in Prague has demanded that the film “Team America: World Police” be banned in the Czech Republic, saying the movie harms their country’s reputation, a report said Saturday.

In the film by “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, a team of marionettes rushes to keep North Korean leader Kim Jong Il from destroying the world, reducing world capitals to rubble along the way.

“It harms the image of our country,” the Lidove Noviny daily quoted a North Korean diplomat as saying. “Such behavior is not part of our country’s political culture. Therefore, we want the film to be banned.”

The Czech Foreign Ministy said the film would not be banned in the Czech Republic.

“We told them it’s an unrealistic wish,” ministry spokesman Vit Kolar was quoted as saying. “Obviously, it’s absurd to demand that in a democratic country.”

Obviously Kim Jong Il must of forgot the Czech Republic gave up Communism 15 years ago and will not be pushed around by another Communist bully. If North Korea wants to bully someone to ban Team America they should demand South Korea ban the movie. The South Korean government already gives North Korea everything it wants anyway, so banning a movie is no problem. Who cares about freedom of speech when you have North Korea to appease.

I met a really interesting KATUSA a few days ago. For those who don’t know what a KATUSA is, he is a Korean Augmentee to the United States Army. They are Republic of Korea soldiers that serve along side of American soldiers in regular US Army units but are supervised by the ROK Army. Only male soldiers are authorized to serve as a KATUSA.

Anyway, I was talking to this KATUSA about where he was from and he told me he was from Minnesota. I was a little surprised and ask if he had family there or had just visited Minnesota but he said he was born and raised there. He then told me his dad is a Korean citizen and his mom is an American thus giving him dual citizenship. He could of avoided ROK Army service by staying in America or just giving up his Korean citizenship. However, he did not want to give up his Korean citizenship and his dad was adamant about him doing his military service so he agreed to join up. This is the first American KATUSA I have ever met. I wonder how many more are out there?

The latest Asia by Blog is available over at Simon’s World, so make sure you check it out. Also the latest and greatest Ulsan Pear is out with plenty of great articles worth reading.

I’m sure no one is to shocked that Koreans are discriminated against in Japan. One Korean citizen Chong Hyang-gyun in particular has led a legal challenge to allow foreigners to take a civil service examination to allow foreigners to hold higher government positions. Here are the details from the Japan Times.

Chong Hyang Gyun has just written herself into the history books, but not for the reason she wanted.

Makoto Teranaka, secretary general of Amnesty International, Japan, says that Japan, as a signatory to the U.N. International Convention on Eliminating Racial Discrimination, has a duty to protect all residents from discrimination.

However, strangely enough Chong was not even born in Korea. Here are some details on Chong from the Japundit.

Some aspects of Chong’s story raise a few questions. She was born in Iwate Prefecture to a Korean father and Japanese mother. I have not seen detailed information on her background, but it is probably safe to assume that she has spent most, if not all, of her life in Japan. She is obviously a native speaker of Japanese. Most important, she is not being denied Japanese citizenship; her South Korean citizenship is an option she chose. Indeed, her brother took Japanese citizenship and works as a university lecturer. She could have followed her brother’s example and taken the promotion exam a decade ago.

In other words, she chose to become a citizen of a country she wasn’t born in and doesn’t live in because of something that happened to other people before she was born. So for Chong, it’s not about getting a promotion. It’s about being a crusader and drawing attention to her cause.

Apparently there is more to this story also. It appears possibly that the main reason the Japanese are denying her the ability to take the civil service examination may be due to national security reasons. Also from the Japundit.

Not all zainichi kankokujin are harmless women who just want to advance their career and boost their income. The largest and most powerful organization of Korean residents in Japan is Chongryun, or Chosen Soren in Japanese. There are an estimated 670,000 zainichi kankokujin in Japan, and of these about 150,000 are thought to be affiliated with the group, its schools, or its businesses.

While there is no potential danger in a public health nurse rising to a supervisory rank, it would be a different story if the Foreign Ministry or Self-Defense Forces were obligated by the Supreme Court to hire and promote someone loyal to North Korea.

If national security concerns are the real reasons than I can kind of understand the ruling but it seems they should just be choosy about what positions can or cannot take a the civil service examination. A nurse getting promoted is not a national security issue. However, getting promoted to a high level SDF position is a security issue. For example in the US, a foreigner cannot be the President but foreigners can hold other government positions. It seems like an arrangement like this would be a suitable compromise unless it is just simple racism at work.

Does anyone know if foreigners can hold government positions in Korea?

Time Magazine had an article about the kidnapping by North Korean agents of South Korean preacher Kim Dong Sik.

Friends and family members have long insisted that he was kidnapped by North Korea, but couldn’t prove their claims. South Korean prosecutors may have solved the mystery–and also created a diplomatic headache for Seoul. Earlier this month, they indicted a suspected North Korean agent for alleged involvement in a kidnapping ring that is suspected of seizing at least 16 people in China, including Rev. Kim. According to a copy of the indictment obtained by TIME, the suspected abductors operated under instructions from a senior North Korean state-security official tasked with “kidnapping defectors and others working against the interest of the North Korean state and the Party.”

According to prosecutors, the captured agent told how he and five other men were waiting for Kim when he left the restaurant after lunch. When the pastor got in the front seat of a taxi, two of them allegedly jumped in the back and forced the cabbie to drive off. “Who are you guys? Where are you taking me?” the pastor demanded to know. That night, they are believed to have taken him to North Korea.

What is the Korean government doing about this? Well not much.
Last week, under pressure from opposition lawmakers, Seoul asked Beijing to reopen Rev. Kim’s case. Kim Mun Soo, a lawmaker from the opposition Grand National Party who visited Yanji earlier this month, says China has information about the pastor’s disappearance that it hasn’t shared with South Korea. Kim said Seoul should also get tough with Pyongyang, which still holds an estimated 468 kidnapped South Koreans. Says Kim: “It is the fundamental duty of a state to protect its citizens. South Korea has been terrible at this.” Friends of Rev. Kim are losing hope that he is still alive after five years. “He may have become a martyr,” says his brother-in-law, Chung Se Gook. “But the government should officially confirm whether he’s dead or not.” Either way, the evidence strongly suggests that Pyongyang hasn’t kicked its kidnapping habit.

South Korea should be embarrassed for taking such a weak position on trying to discover the status of the preacher. I doubt the North Koreans would ever try to kidnap another Japanese national again due to the hard line the Japanese government is taking against the North Korean kidnappings by possibly leveling sanctions on the impoverished country. Seoul needs to take a similar hard line approach or South Korean citizens will just continue to get kidnapped whenever the North Koreans want too. Is appeasing the North more important than protecting Korean citizens?

USFK and Korean officials are meeting today to define the future USFK role in Korea.

South Korean and U.S. officials will hold the first Security Policy Initiative meeting today at the Defense Ministry aimed at refining the alliance and the future role of U.S. military forces. South Korea is also forming a task force to study a possible regional role of the U.S. military’s forces stationed here, according to officials. South Korea is reportedly concerned that it could be unwillingly sucked into a conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan.

This is a very sensitive issue since it deals with whether we allow the Korean Peninsula to become a strategic global military base for U.S. forces,” said a government official. “It is closely linked to the future strategic situation of the Korean Peninsula and the alliance with the United States.”

The official added the government was considering allowing a regional role for U.S. forces here except in a conflict between China and Taiwan. Now, however, the government is studying all possible conflicts and what role it would play if the United States wanted to dispatch troops based here.  Another government official warned the United States could drastically reduce its forces if South Korea doesn’t approve a regional role for them.