Eyes on Korea: 2004-09-10

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 in Seoul.

Top Topics

• NKzone features two commentaries on U.S. policy and the North Korean nuclear issue that are certainly worth the read.

• This is why no one can find North Korea's uranium program -- they're looking in the wrong Korea!

• Reductions in U.S. troop levels in Korea lead, naturally enough, to changes in U.S. operational plans for the Korean Peninsula. Oddly enough, the Chosun Ilbo is surprised by this.

• Do check out U.S. military defector Charles Jenkins' his interview with FEER now that he has returned from North Korea -- it's amazing.

On Tap This Month: NK's new missiles; Moonies helping NK?; Chinese maneuvers on NK border, dispute with SK; Pizza for Kim; Insults R Us; More defectors; Engagement vs. human rights; US Troop withdrawal; USFK & Korean soldiers to Iraq; SK not an ally?; Paul Hamm; Western media doesn't 'get' Korea; Korean bloggers.

North Korea

• It appears the North Koreans are not too pleased with their brothers in the South playing around with uranium enrichment technology.

• Who needs food when you can redesign Russian sub-launched ballistic missiles?

• And were the Moonies (yes, the Washington Times Moonies) helping North Korea acquire missile technology?

• Speaking of missiles, regardless of whether you call it "evil" or not, this has got to be an axis of something.

• China might be getting sick and tired of North Korea. Maybe a little too sick and tired.

• Well, is North Korea reforming its economy or not?

• The name calling might not be nice, but it sure can be colorful.

• Pyongyang don't need none of your stinkin' food. Not when they got pizza. Oh, and ice cream -- the soft kind, too.

• Charles Jenkins wasn't the only American defector in North Korea -- there's apparently another one still up there, and he ain't planning on leaving anytime soon.

• North Korean defectors probably won't be sending any Christmas cards this year to South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young. Or to Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, for that matter. Rebecca at NKZone wonders about engagement vs. human rights.

• This story of a defector who goes back to China to interview other defectors is a must read.

Korea-U.S. relations/Korea in Iraq

• The troop withdrawal issue -- a historical overview.

• The 2nd Brigade of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division has been transfered to Iraq, and 3,500 Korean troops have already started moving to Irbil, in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq.

• Notice the huge difference in media coverage, though -- no public sendoff was given to the Koreans. Andy at Flying Yangban felt more of a public departure ceremony was called for.

• U.S. President Bush neglected to mention South Korea in his list of allies in his presidential nomination speech. Everyone -- and I do mean everyone -- seemed to have an opinion on this.

• It seems not all are happy with USFK being redeployed to their new home.

• Paul Hamm. Read away -- the links to Jeff in Pusan and the comments are what you want to look at.

South Korea

• The Sino-Korean dispute over the identity of the ancient kingdom of Koguryo has gone into serious overdrive and become a major diplomatic issue. Meanwhile, some Koreans are disputing the Sino-Korean border and laying claim to large swaths of Manchurian territory. I'm probably the best place to go on this -- click here and start reading/scrolling.

• At least one Korea blogger is, well, unhappy with Korean attitudes toward China.

• Oranckay discusses some of the issues involved in South Korea's attempts to re-investigate its colonial and dictatorial past. He also has a must read piece on the Western media's failure to comprehend what's really going on.

Korea Bloggers

• Finnish Korea blogger Antti Leppanen got himself written up in OhMyNews -- be sure to read.

• Needless to say, if you're not read Korea Life Blog, About Joel, Big Hominid and a number of other Korea bloggers, you're missing something.