I notice a lot of my entries are very poorly written, so I need to go back and fix the errors to the best of my ability and streamline them some. It will be far from perfect, but hey, give the non-English major a break…
Sphere: Related ContentMonthly Archive for August, 2007
Thanks to a reader for showing me this interesting slideshow. It gives some nice photos. Take a gander.
This is an excellent entry about the talks with North Korea and the plans for the next one in Geneva. The video is a must see, and make sure to read the commentary too. It has some excellent insight as usual.
Sphere: Related Content
Sorry for the delay in the posting. I’ll remember not to make fixed dates on postings.
In the last part of the series, I looked at the “When North Korea Falls” article. I read some reactions to the article I did not read before (See comments in the last article of the series), and gave some extra insight into this complex and highly speculative series. In this part of the series, we look further into what else could happen in a former North Korea and the challenges it could face in the country and in the region. Only this time, I would like to make this more on a further tangent into the speculative. I find this stuff very interesting, and will probably go elsewhere too as I research this thing.
But first, I will look into the argument made in the comments:
That’s the money shot. The problem is that a lot of people would die in a short time (months, a couple of years) and governments would feel responsible. As it stands, probably even more have been dying over a much longer period of time. Six in one, half dozen in the other.
That presents a very good argument, and as said in the last part of the series, reunification is going to be a painful process no matter how it is done, and the way things are handled now are too Utopian. As always with this, I present the following disclaimer:
Please be aware this is an ongoing research project, and information contained in this post may have glaring factual or missing information that I may not be aware of. If anybody has any insight that will make me better understand it, please say so in the comments and I will love to take your views into consideration and learn something. That is the whole goal of this blog.
Continue reading ‘The Path to Succession: The Path to Collapse Part 2′
Sphere: Related ContentThe KFA has this nicely made video spot for folks dying to see the games, the monuments, government minders, bugged rooms, and having the honor of hanging with Alejandro Cao de Benos de Les y Pérez. Yes, a fun time is had by one and all. Just leave your criticisms at the gate along with your cell phone and imperialist media.
Sphere: Related ContentLooks like hopeful Fred Thompson is finally going to make his bid for the race. I wish the best of luck to all candidates.
Sphere: Related ContentCheck this post out. This covers the North Koreans vs. the Americans on no other than Sept. 11th.
Sphere: Related ContentI am brand new on learning the Korean language (I am learning the alphabet, yes, you are free to laugh), and I even bought this Rosetta Stone program (although it is not working very well for me yet). Looking around on the Internet, I notice there are different dialects. So I ask fellow readers: What are the differences? Is it because of the division after the Korean War, or has it always been like that?
Thank you for your time on this matter.
Sphere: Related ContentThis is some odd news for today. It seems South Korea is going to pay millions for North Korean footage? Why? Story here.
Sphere: Related ContentIn case you care, I activated the widgets. It looks pretty nice. Thought you would like to know. Have a great day, and thank you for visiting DPRK Forum.
Sphere: Related ContentLooks like an interesting news day today.
Energy starved North Korea is looking to Nigeria for an oil investment?
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria will send a high-level delegation to North Korea to discuss attracting investment in Nigerian energy and natural gas, President Umaru Yar’Adua has said.
Nigeria is the fifth largest oil supplier to the United States and an ally of Washington, but it also maintains warm relations with the secretive Stalinist state as a fellow member of the Non-Aligned Movement.
That’s so sweet, but then there is a tidbit I never heard of:
In 2004 North Korea, which tested a nuclear device for the first time in October 2006, offered to share missile technology with Nigeria as part of a wide-ranging military cooperation agreement. It is unclear if it went ahead after Washington opposed it.
All of this globetrotting is making my head hurt, but the summit seems to be on the top of the agenda. Human rights activists want Roh to talk to Kim about the human rights issue:
The groups appealed to the government at least to put pressure on North Korea to cease public executions and punishment of repatriated North Korean defectors. They also called for the abolition of North Korean concentration camps for political prisoners, the repatriation of South Korean prisoners of war and South Koreans abducted by North Korea in the 1960s, and religious freedom for North Koreans. Kim Sang-chul, the chairman of Save North Korea, said if the South Korean government declines to accept the groups’ demands, they will continue to fight “by legal and appropriate means.”
The question is, will it happen? Only time will tell, but I have my doubts. In Japan, after a long embargo with aid to the North are considering aid for the flood. This is an unusual move:
TOKYO, August 29 (RIA Novosti) - Japan is debating whether to lift a three-year embargo on humanitarian aid to North Korea, Tokyo financial newspaper Nikkei quoted the new foreign minister as saying Wednesday.
“The UN and other humanitarian organizations have called for help,” Nobutaka Machimura said. “In view of the distress caused by the recent natural disaster, surely we should not to tie everything to the problem of the abductees.”
…
Pyongyang has acknowledged that it kidnapped at least 13 Japanese nationals. Five were eventually repatriated, while the remaining eight reportedly died in the interim. The released abductees said they had been forced to train North Koreans to spy against Japan.
Japan has not accepted North Korean assertions that the matter is now closed, insisting that many more of its citizens remain unaccounted for.
The topic will be among the main items on the agenda at bilateral working group talks between Tokyo and Pyongyang September 5-6 in the Mongolian capital, Ulan Bator, as part of the six-party negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear disarmament.
But North Korea wants billions for the occupation of Korea, so this is a very touchy issue. Again, time will tell if the issue will be resolved, but in my opinion will be a long time.
Also check out this story on DPRK Studies regarding the investment issue with China and North Korea.
Sphere: Related ContentAnother very good possibility in the North Korea saga is the eventual collapse of the regime instead of the continuation of the Kim dynasty. This possibility has been speculated for the last fifteen years or so, and with all the huge events that took place that could have very well have led to collapse, the regime survived. For over 65 years, North Korea has held firm control over everything, and appears to still be in control. However, in my mind, it is not a question of if the DPRK will collapse, it is a matter of when. Today, I explore the possible scenarios on how North Korea could dissolve and what the possible outcomes could be. There are many theories and very few options. However, in my opinion, the regime will fade regardless of when the region is ready, and like many other things in life, it comes when it is least expected and the least convenient. If Eastern Europe and Russia are any indicators of how North Korea will fall apart, then it could very well be unexpected yet expected fate. On the other hand, Korea is way different from the way other Communist regimes were (and are) run.
Please be aware this is an ongoing research project, and information contained in this post may have glaring factual or missing information that I may not be aware of. If anybody has any insight that will make me better understand it, please say so in the comments and I will love to take your views into consideration and learn something. That is the whole goal of this blog.
Continue reading ‘The Path to Succession: The Path to Collapse (update)’
Sphere: Related Content
This six part series on the history of communism is very good and I highly recommend it:
Communism - the extraordinary social experiment promising equality and freedom swept from Russia around the world. In the early days hopes were high, but in the end the story of Communism is one of grim realities. Listen as people from behind the Iron Curtain tell how their lives were affected by this new world order, from the storming of the Winter Palace in Tzarist Russia in 1917 to the swift implosion of communist regimes around the world in the 1980s. Includes: Red Flag, Brave New World, Fallout, Great Leap, Guerrilla Wars, and People Power.
It is not very expensive and is about six hours long. Enjoy!
Sphere: Related ContentThat’s right folks. Kim Jong Il has decided to issue new currency, and is holding nothing back. Yes, he shows his best side for the portrait too. His dad would be so proud.
Full Size here just for laughs.
Sphere: Related ContentHere is a Flickr page filled with excellent photos of North Korea. It is worth the look. Check it out. From Are you NKay blog.
Sphere: Related Content
Recent Comments