The crisis. The Enigma. The Controversy.
The story is on CNN. The issue of the abductions were discussed as well:
More at the New York Times as well. There is no need for much commentary other than both plan to attend the opening ceremony despite the glaring defector issue. As the Olympics go forward, North Koreans are sent back.
Sphere: Related ContentTime for some Google Earthing today. Thanks to NKEconWatch’s excellent North Korea Uncovered place marks, I can spend many, many hours looking around in amazement. Looking around, I ran into a city I have not heard of or found a lot of information about: Kanggye. One of the place marks is called Inphung Pavilion. Now how NKEconWatch found this place from the very little information out there is little short of amazing to me, but in all, looking at it, I have no clue what it was until I read the obscure KCNA entry from the placemark:
Pyongyang, March 17 (KCNA) — There are a lot of cultural inheritances with long history in Kanggye city, the seat of Jagang Province in the northwestern part of Korea. Among them are inphung and mangmi pavilions and Kanggye public office. They show peculiar national character and architecture. Inphung pavilion is situated on the River Jangja in the centre of Kanggye city. The wooden pavilion was built in harmony with its mission and landscape. In old times it was regarded as one of eight beauty spots in the northwestern part of Korea and now it has turned into a cultural recreation place for the people. Mangmi pavilion on a granite cliff has ten rounded columns. At that time, the pavilion was used as a military command post. Kanggye public office has the exterior of its main building and the archery place still preserved. The building, conducive to the study of the nation’s architectural history, is now the Kanggye History Museum. In the city there are also relics of the bronze age including ruined houses and stone coffin graves. The relics offer valuable data to the study of the people’s living at that time.
Emphasis mine. According to this entry, there is not a lot to go on, just some off the wall clues. The first one obviously will cover Inphung pavilion. Looking on the Google Earth map, it appears to be some kind of ice rink? I am not very sure, but the lake (Is it natural or man-made?) appears to be frozen. Whatever the case, no other information is available on this oddity. Well, it is not really an oddity per se, but in the large scheme of things, it is.
Continue reading ‘Places in the DPRK: Kanggye’
Sphere: Related ContentI found an old backup from around January and decided to use that. The newer posts are not there, but oh well, things happen. In the meantime, it is back to posting as normal.
Have a nice day.
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Hwang Jang Yop, as you know, is a well-known staple on the DailyNK. On my usual travels to the DailyNK, I read what the guy has to say. To be honest, I sometimes do not understand his mindset. Perhaps it is because I do not understand the full nature of the DPRK while he does. A column regarding Kim Jong Il’s nuclear activities is no exception. According to this entry:
Regarding North Korea’s demolition show at the Yongbyon nuclear reactor on June 27, Hwang Jang Yop, President of the Committee for the Democratization of North Korea, said that Kim Jong Il used the already useless Yongbyon nuclear complex in his negotiations with the U.S.
Emphasis mine. I do not really understand the jist of the opening paragraph, and the only thing I can glean from this is perhaps Yongbyon is a used up card in the negotiations with the United States? I doubt it reading the article further, and I think Hwang is trying to say North Korea only uses the crappy Yongbyon complex as a front. So it appears North Korea gets to keep the nukes via HEU while getting goodies for “cooperation”. According to Hwang:
“North Korea refers to the Yongbyon nuclear complex only when it talks about freezing nuclear facilities.” He said, “The Yongbyon nuclear reactor was used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. Indeed, it has already produced enough [nuclear weapons].”
He said, “In 1996, I heard the secretary in charge of the munitions industry saying, ‘We do not need plutonium any more. We can now produce nuclear weapons with Uranium-235.’ North Korea must have subsequently produced nuclear weapons using its uranium enrichment program.”
So this implies Yongbyon was past its usefulness a long time ago. That is not surprising. What I noticing in the negotiations process, North Korea shows a veneer of cooperation to get aid while at the same time doing the HEU program in secret. The thing is, the HEU program is highly suspected and of course, North Korea denies such a program. This is not a surprise either, and is not news:
Hwang said, “The North Korea nuclear problem gives the impression of having been resolved at the Six Party Talks. However, North Korea still refuses to admit that it cooperated with Pakistan to develop nuclear weapons using enriched uranium.” He stressed that North Korea must declare and destroy its HEU programs in accordance with the February 13 Agreement.
From what I have been reading, the United States is very skeptical about the declaration and feels it is incomplete. Hwang in this article does not talk about the removing North Korea from the blacklist of state sponsors of terror, but this does go to show just how much work is left to de-nuclearize the secretive state. Also, this agreement does not even cover the suspected chemical/biological weapons, human rights abuses, illicit trade, or funny money. On the other hand, the United States does want more information about possible cooperation with others such as Syria among other things. If North Korea does declare such things is another thing. As we all know, Kim Jong Il is all about stop and go. In the meantime, next comes the very difficult process of verification. In North Korea, verification is probably the most difficult in the world and is not called the most secretive state for nothing. So my question is, in the light of all of this, why does the United States remove North Korea from the blacklist when it has not cooperated fully? Perhaps for legacy, a “better than nothing” approach or heaven knows what else. All I know it is a joke in my opinion.
Hwang Jang Yop believes Kim Jong Il will not use nukes:
Hwang also said, “Kim Jong Il is a selfish coward. He would never use nuclear weapons because he knows that he would lose his life if he does.”
I do agree North Korea will not use nukes, and I also believe North Korea does not have the means to use them in an efficient manner. I am utterly convinced North Korea only uses the nukes as a card of political survival. The issue is, this card is starting to fade with all the pressures mounting on the regime such as serious economical shocks. I am also utterly convinced the entire scope of North Korea’s activities will only be known once Kim and his regime is gone. With the aid coming, this will be delayed longer. However, as I said a thousand times, it is only a matter of time before the regime does implode. I think no outside intervention is needed for that to happen. Eventually, the aid will not help and the regime will come crashing down. North Korea brought severe isolation on itself, and the extreme paranoia is starting to show signs of extreme wear.
Sphere: Related ContentHere is one of the things I missed about this blog; the propaganda. So today, we will continue with the Kim Il Sung series found on Songunblogspot.
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I would like to give a big hello once again to everybody who read this blog. A few days ago, I decided to nuke the entire blog and read more while posting no more. I guess I was wrong. After some E-mails, conversations and the like, I was convinced to bring this blog back. Granted, this is going to make me look quite silly, and I do not expect to have any blog cred left. All the same, I do not expect any more traffic here like before, and will continue to post what I learn. I am not any smarter than I was a few days ago. With that said, I am going to post some news.
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The United States is sending the first batch of food aid into the DPRK, which followed the recent incomplete declaration given to officials in China and the destruction of the ageing Yongbyon cooling tower. According to the Associated Press, the food aid has nothing to do with these developments, but I think the timing is interesting. Whatever the case, this is the first shipment of 500,000 tons of food. The New York Times does not mention the non-association, but gives some details about the shipment:
The ship’s visit and the North Korean agreement to invite an additional 50 international relief experts from the World Food Program, as well as a consortium of U.S. relief agencies, followed recent progress in six-nation talks on ending the North’s nuclear weapons programs.
Emphasis mine. If the Associated Press says it has nothing to do with the talks, then why is the NYT implying it was? Perhaps the key word is “followed” and not necessarily tied to the recent developments (if one would label it as such). Furthermore, it appears Kim Jong Il is going to allow workers more access to more counties than previously allowed in the famine of the 1990’s, and while I do not have the places they are allowed to go, I will safely assume the regime will not let them near any of the concentration camps dotted around the country:
Until now, the WFP has had access to only 50 of the North’s 200 counties, distributing its aid through nurseries, schools, hospitals and orphanages. Under the new agreement, the agency will have access to 128 counties, including the remote and traditionally deprived northeast region and some counties never before accessible to humanitarian agencies.
“We will have a much greater degree of randomness to our monitoring visits,” said Tony Banbury, the WFP Asia regional director, in a telephone interview. “If the agreement is successfully implemented, as I expect it will be, we will indeed have the strongest assurances we have achieved that food aid is going to the intended beneficiaries,” Mr. Banbury said.
While I agree this is better than before, it still does not allow access to 72 counties. Why is that? I can venture a guess. I am sure you can as well. The regime is not opening up, which says to me they are still in a paranoid stance as they should be if in fact they are not allowing outsiders to see what is really going on in the DPRK. Also, another interesting tidbit is the type of food donated:
On Monday, it began unloading half of its cargo of 37,000 tons of U.S.-grown wheat, Risley said. The ship will discharge the other half of its cargo at Hungnam and Chongjin, ports on the North’s eastern coast.
Hmm, not rice. Interesting. Perhaps they took some advice from Marcus Noland. As you know, the elites like rice, and perhaps wheat will make things a little more unattractive. I do not have a rundown of all the foodstuffs sent or will be sent, but this part caught my eye.
As for the ROK, they offered corn, but North Korea did not want it. Maybe this is because of the more hawkish stance by Lee, but at this stage of the game, North Korea would be wise to get whatever it can because if I recall correctly, shipments of fertilizer were not sent. According to National Post, the fertilizer was indeed not sent. So that tells me crops should be in a very tough situation for a while. Therefore, it tells me until the next season starts, North Korea is going to rely almost entirely on aid. Not that it matters; it has been on the aid wagon for quite some time, only right now, it is spiralling directly into crisis mode. Just how serious it is remains unclear because of conflicting reports, but common sense tells me after the floods in August things must be very tough.
South Korea usually sends about 400,000 tonnes of rice and a hefty amount of fertilizer a year to North Korea but has not sent the aid this year as ties soured between the two when President Lee Myung-bak took office in February and promised a tough line toward Pyongyang.
With North Korea getting closer to the de-listing of state sponsors of terror, easing of sanctions and the like, one thing is very clear; the regime will not go away any time soon. what else happens remains to be seen.
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A bittersweet story of one of the most powerful underground railroad activists I have seen Yoo Sang-joon. ROK Drop has the documentary posted.
[...]
“Yoo Sang-joon is now safely in South Korea after spending the last four months in a prison located in northern China, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW),” said Vu. “He is said to have endured extreme cold during his imprisonment and was believed he would die while being confined in China.
[...]
“I am grateful from the depths of my heart to CSW and CSW supporters for all the deep concern, prayer and advocacy on my behalf while I was in prison,” said Yoo, according to CSW.
Vu went on to say, “Yoo, a North Korean survivor, was arrested near the Chinese-Mongolian border while trying to rescue other North Koreans from danger in China. He had lost his wife and youngest son in the North Korean famine. He realized the same fate awaited him and his remaining son if they remained in the country, and decided to flee to China.
“But unable to travel together, his 10-year-old son, Chul Min, attempted to cross the Mongolian border by himself. Unfamiliar with the inhospitable terrain, he wandered 26 hours and – suffering from dehydration and weakened from the famine – died before crossing the border.
“Yoo himself was able to reach South Korea and is a citizen, but he continues to be haunted by the loss of his family. As a result, he has dedicated his life to helping North Korean refugees in China, especially children, at the risk of his own safety.”
[...]
“North Korea is one of the most repressive regimes in the world and is ranked by the watchdog Open Doors as the world’s worst persecutor of Christians. Citizens of the communist state are forced to adhere to a personality cult that revolves around worshipping current dictator Kim Jong Il and his deceased father, Kim Il Sung,” said Vu in her story.
“In the face of these grave consequences, Yoo’s punishment is considered light.”
“The fact that Yoo Sang-joon was released after only four months, in contrast to other activists who have served up to and surpassing four years, is surely a testament to your prayers, network and fervent advocacy,” said a CSW contact on the ground in Asia (location cannot be identified for security reason). “We thank you all so very much !”
No words can express the work of somebody like this who endured such unspeakable tragedies in his own life and risked his life to help others in search of freedom from the iron grip of Kim Jong Il. For me personally, it is so much easier to sit in my comfortable house in the United States and want freedom for North Koreans, when in reality would be much harder to act on it, unlike like this man and other people who risk everything to help others. So I tip my hat, and I wish him all the luck, happiness and health. Not only to him, but to others who help in this regard.
I do not know if he will continue to do anymore underground railroad work, but even if he does not, he is a testament to ultimate bravery. Also, I would like to take the time to thank others in the cause for helping defectors, getting the word out about the real state of North Korea, and at least making the effort to let the world know even if a blind eye is cast aside.
Sphere: Related ContentHere is an interesting video with what I consider some pretty rare footage (If there is more, please let me know). When the footage was taken is not known to me, but it looks like after the Korean War and what seems to be when they started rebuilding. Anyway, it is still worth the watch:
Sphere: Related ContentI have been really engaged on the Beyond Belief series, but I think this blog needs something Korea related today. It has been a pretty slow news cycle, and while the DPRK balks, all the rest can do is wait to see what happens. However, it does not mean the negotiations are not going on, and right now, it seems despite the hard-line placed on the agreed framework, it was absolutely no surprise North Korea would not deliver, and it was also not a surprise despite the hard talking from the other sides of the table, they are now willing to wait. How long are they willing to wait? The Korea Times seems to have more:
The plan calls for North Korea to disable its key nuclear facilities no later than March and disclose details of its nuclear programs, according to the sources.
Seoul wants to draw up a timetable for the full dismantlement of the North’s nuclear programs and initiate negotiations on building a peace mechanism on the peninsula in the first half of the year, they said.
“We expect the disablement of North Korea’s nuclear plants including the removal of nuclear fuel rods to be completed by March,” a ministry official told reporters, asking not to be named. ``Pyongyang should provide a full list of its nuclear programs by that time.”
(Emphasis mine) Timetables are great and wonderful, but from what I see, where are the consequences if the DPRK does not hold its end of the deal? A sulk? That’s what it looks like to me. The U.S. wants one sooner, but I am sure all sides agree sooner is better. Whatever the case may be, it is in North Korea’s court, and Kim Jong Il is holding the ball.
U.S. chief nuclear envoy Christopher Hill urged the North to declare the list before the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak government Feb. 25.
“There is no reason why we cannot finish the job in 2008,” he told reporters in Seoul after a meeting with President-elect Lee.
Nope, there was also no reason why the North could not give the list at the end of December, but it was not delivered, right? It is understandable removing of fuel rods is dangerous and takes time, but it does not mean a piece of paper cannot be delivered in the meantime. Of course, the North claims the declaration was given in November, but somehow got lost en route. I wish I could do that with my bills without consequence. Furthermore, the North is slowing down the process until it gets more goodies on top of it.
This part of the article does not make much sense:
Seoul has been trying to initiate talks over establishing a peace regime on the peninsula, replacing the current armistice signed by the United States, China and North Korea at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
The war ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war. South Korea wants to issue a joint declaration with parties to the truce for putting an end to the war, which it sees as a preliminary step to a permanent peace treaty.
However, the U.S. government is skeptical about a war-ending declaration before Pyongyang’s full denuclearization.
Seoul calls for a peace treaty in 2010. So does this imply the U.S. is willing to wait until 2010? I’ll ponder over this one for a while.
(Big hat tip to pleb from Worth1000) Here is a must see conference on the controversial topic of religion and science called Beyond Belief. This is a whopping ten part series that span around 16 hours+. This has absolutely nothing to do with North Korea, but this series was so good in my opinion, I am sure readers may be interested in this debate.
You are free to watch it on the official site or here. I have embedded these videos for your viewing pleasure:
Part 1
Part 2
Continue reading ‘A must see: Beyond Belief’
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