Eyes on Korea: 2003-12-09

Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. Today's Regional Briefing focuses on Korea, courtesy of Robert Koehler of The Marmot's Hole.

Top Topics

• In case you haven't read through them yet, Andy of Flying Yangban has a brilliant four part series analyzing Korean reunification models and the reunification policies of the last two South Korean administrations - they really are must reads.

  Part 1: Intro and overview
  Part 2: German and Vietnamese models and Korea
  Part 3: China and Hong Kong, Yemeni models and Korea
  Part 4: Lessons to be learned, Bibliography
  

• The Korean-language Internet news provider OhMyNews ran a very interesting piece (translated by me) on the removal of the American "tripwire" from the inter-Korean DMZ and the regional implications of the planned transformations of American forces in South Korea.

ALSO ON TAP TODAY: South Koreans killed in Iraq; Redeploying USFK; China & Korea fight over ancient history; Josh Marshall on Korean diplomacy; Riots; Bruce Cumings attacks; Hunger strikes; North Korea & racial purity; anti-Americanism on South Korean campuses; the LG credit card crisis and much, MUCH MORE.

In Appreciation

• JK: Robert's Regional Briefings consistently "go to 11," in Spinal Tap parlance, and are a tremendous asset to this blog. He, and other members of our team, are why this blog is receiving accolades and nominations for awards. Thank you for a consistently outstanding job! (UPDATE: Alright, that tears it. Behind MEtafilter, with stuff like this? I hadn't done this before, but... please follow this link and vote!)

North Korea

• Kevin at IA links to a couple of recent pieces on the never ending soap opera that is North Korea, including one about an apparently completed nuke proposal thats currently on its way to Pyongyang via China.

• Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo enters the ugly world of Korea punditry. The Marmot, Junkyard Blog, The Gweilo and Brainysmurf respond.

• North Korea's official news agency, KCNA, hands America the bill for "human and material damage caused by the U.S. imperialists to the south Korean people since it occupied south Korea on September 8, 1945," and in so doing does its best impression of the Third Reich.

• Renowned Korea scholar Bruce Cumings ripped the Bush Administration's North Korea policy in this column in the London Review of Books. I have linked to a number of outstanding responses over at the Marmot's Hole. I also posted an extremely brief response here, although the comments are probably more worth reading.

• Curious about the work of NGOs in North Korea? Read Kirk's review of the book Paved with Good Intentions over at "It Makes A Difference to the Sheep." Yes, it does.

• Mike over at Seeing Eye Blog takes time off from posting pics of hot half-Korean babes and discussing Korean political cartoons to rip apart North Korea expert Aidan Foster-Carter for this piece in the Asia Times.

• Are North Koreans getting Internet savvy? Check out this piece in Wired as well.

• In case you were thinking of taking a tour of North Korea's scenic Diamond Mountains, you may wish to read this post by the Big Ho first.

• I shouldn't have to mention this still, but Free North Korea! is chock full of information and analysis concerning events north of the DMZ.

The Neighborhood

• Chinese and Korean scholars fight about ancient history, with possible geopolitical implications in the future.

• American forces in South Korea will redeploy to positions south of the Han River, with the huge Yongsan Garrison in downtown Seoul being moved out of the capital to the Osan-P'yongtaek area. The Korean press reports that talks concerning troop reductions have been put off until the end of next year.

• Richard Halloran reported in the Washington Times that troops from Korea may be sent to Iraq and/or Afghanistan, a report vigorously denied by USFK headquarters in Korea, even as reports surface that USFK will become a regional expeditionary force. This is a highly confusing issue, and those who reside in South Korea are forced to endure an endless stream of contradictory reports on USFK redeployments/reductions.

• Japan to Rumsfeld - Don't be a wimp.

South Korea and Iraq/War on Terror

• Two South Korea civilian engineers were killed by gunmen in Tikrit, Iraq. You can read the Korean press and political reactions here. In response to the attack, there is now talk of dispatching ROK special forces units to Iraq - their fearsome reputation is well-deserved.

• A fact-finding team sent by South Korea's National Assembly came back from Iraq and reported that the security situation was better than they thought (this despite residing in the Baghdad hotel targeted by a rocket attack on November 21), and counseled sending a "unified force" composed of combat and non-combat troops.

• Over at the Marmot's Hole, I take guest columnist Jeon Hyeon-jun to task for a column in the left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun.

• A bomb threat forces South Korea to evacuate its Kabul, Afghanistan embassy.

South Korea

• David Scofield discusses whether Seoul is an ally or an arbiter in the Asia Times.

• Donny Rumsfeld paid the southern half of the peninsula a visit - check out Oranckay's weblog for some commentary and links (he has a couple of posts on this, and you're best off typing "Rumsfeld" into his search section).

• In case you were wondering what the bar girls of Seoul's Itaewon entertainment district thought of Rummy's visit, check out this column in the Joongang Ilbo on the subject by Seeing Eye Blog's Mike Ferrin.

• Speaking of bar girls, former President Bill Clinton paid South Korea a visit, too. The Oriental Redneck didn't like what he had to say.

• RIOT!!! Group mayhem seems to have become somewhat of a national pastime in South Korea - check out Jeff in Pusan's excellent posts on the fun - with pics! ("South Korean Demonstrations Spiral Further out of Control", "Buan Riots Out Of Control") And while your at it, take a look at Kevin of IA's post on the same topic ("Buan Residents Laugh at Roh's Get-tough Policy").

• Cathy Hong of the Village Voice contributed a piece on anti-Americanism on South Korean university campuses. Personally, I didn't like it too much (Jeff in Pusan thought it full of fluff, too), but the comments are far more interesting.

• Read all about South Korea's credit card crisis over at Goldbrick in Seoul.

• Jeff in Pusan criticizes the lack of understanding in South Korea concerning the benefits of economic liberalization.

• Kevin at IA tries his best to convey just how messed up things in South Korea can appear with this State of the Union post. And yes, that's Choe Byeong-nyeol, head of the conservative Grand National Party, on a hunger strike.

• Brendon Carr, an American attorney in Seoul, gives his readers much food for thought over at his blog Goldbrick in Seoul. This post on the concept (or lack thereof) of "law" in Korean society, is one that should be read by all.

• For a little insight into the way in which Koreans relate to the rest of the world, check out "The Politics of Uri" over at Cathartidae.

• Norman Bates, welcome to South Korea.

• Yes, she was a he...

• The Big Hominid, in his quest to win the title of Asia's best essayist, has kindly linked to a number of essays of which he is rightfully proud. No blogger in Korea covers religious and cultural issues quite like he does.

• Kimchee GI enters the world of blogging - check out Budaechigae for views on events on the Peninsula from the perspective of an "American-Korean exploring the homeland courtesy of the US Army."

Korean baseball off-season news

• Samsung Lions 1st baseman Lee Seung-yeop, who set the Asian single season record for homers last year with 56 dingers, is getting less attention in the States than he would like. Read Kevin's other posts (1, 2) on this, too.