Author Archive for DarkSoju

NK Defectors Headed for Japan

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DarkSoju
on October 25, 2008
in Human Interest, Humanitarian and Refugees
. 0 Comments

This article in Asahi Shinbum is a fascinating glimpse into North Korean Defectors in China seeking asylum in Japan (or, other third-party countries).

The Japanese Embassy in Beijing and the consulate-general in Shenyang have been forced to take in dozens of defectors who have barged through gates and scaled walls seeking refuge.

The existence of the bento, prepared at a Japanese restaurant, is known to few aside from people working in the diplomatic facility.  The food is for “guests” who, as far as the Japanese government is concerned, are not welcome.

The guests are defectors from North Korea who have sought refuge inside the compound.

According to the article, records show that more than 93,000 people went to North Korea between 1959 and 1984 under a repatriation program conducted by the Japanese and North Korean Red Cross societies.  The figure includes 6,600 spouses and children of Japanese nationality.

Both Tokyo and Beijing have bitter memories of an ill-fated attempt by five North Korean defectors to seek refuge at the Shenyang Consulate-General in 2002, an incident which drew an international outcry.

Japanese officials watched impotently as Chinese security officials hauled the defectors from the gates of the compound and took them into custody, provoking criticism of not only the Chinese authorities but also the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Following the incident, Tokyo and Beijing appear to have agreed to “quietly handle” the repatriation of defectors to Japan and third countries and prevent incidents from catching the public eye.

North Korea: Access Denied

Published
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DarkSoju
on October 18, 2008
in Pyongyang and Travel
. 1 Comment

We are getting word from multiple sources that non-essential access to North Korea seems to be shutting down.  My own visa application for a visit in late October was denied a few days ago.

Starting from November until the end of the year, very few visitors will be allowed according to sources involved with my visa processing.

Another source reports that during a visit last week, Pyongyang appeared devoid of any visitors

Something seems to be stirring inside the DPRK.  Whether this is some sort of power struggle or something less dramatic is hard to tell at this point.  However, there are some signs of upcoming news to come:

North Korea has ordered its diplomats overseas to get ready for an “important announcement” that may be related to the health of its reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il, a Japanese newspaper (Yomiuri Shimbun) said Saturday.  - AFP article

North Korean Piano Recital

Published
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DarkSoju
on October 7, 2008
in Music
. 0 Comments

A North Korean pianist living in South Korea, recently gave a recital in Washington DC.  Cheol Woong Kim, a former first pianist of the DPRK State Symphony Orchestra, performed selections such as “Arirang” and “Amazing Grace” in the State Department’s ornate Benjamin Franklin room to standing ovations.

“Seeing as how I am performing at the State Department today, I think that my next performance could be in space,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.

South Korea and Russia Sign $90B Gas Agreement

Published
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DarkSoju
on October 1, 2008
in Energy
. 1 Comment
Sakhalin Pipeline

Sakhalin Pipeline

South Korea’s state-run Korea Gas Corp signed a preliminary agreement with Russia’s OAO Gazprom to import 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas over 30 years starting from 2015.

The plan involves the Russians working with the North Koreans to build a transport pipeline from the Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, through the DPRK, down to South Korea.  If the pipeline plan proves too difficult, a “Plan B” may involve shipping the gas via an ocean route using Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) transport vessels.

The final agreement that details the route and delivery plans will be signed in 2010.

Last year, South Korea imported 25.5 million tons of gas and all of it arrived in a liquefied form by sea. Qatar, Indonesia, Oman and Malaysia accounted for 93 percent of its LNG shipments. The cost of gas delivered via pipelines was $410 a ton in the global market last year, while LNG was $499 a ton, according to the ministry.

It’s interesting the irony of North Korea being witness to a tangible sign of South Korea literally by-passing the North to gain access to and partnership with Russia, a former steward and benefactor of North Korea.

My bet is that the North won’t agree to the pipeline.  But, even if they do, it will be too tempting for them to use the pipeline as an object of actual or implied threats.

2008 Pyongyang Film Festival

Published
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DarkSoju
on September 22, 2008
in Movies and Pyongyang
. 0 Comments
On location: North Korean film set

On location: North Korean film set

Lost amid all the hype surrounding the health of it’s commander-in-chief, North Korea opened it’s biennial Pyongyang International Film Festival this week.

Far from avant garde, the North Korean film industry cranks out glorious and prolific tear jerkers - usually about the trials faced during the war of independence from Japan.

However, on one visit, I was able to screen a martial arts action film called “Pyeongyang Nalparam“.

<sarcasm>This movie was quite a bit different, because it involved fighting the Japanese in the early 1900’s instead of the mid-1900’s.  And of course, martial arts, instead of guns.</sarcasm>

The editing left a lot to be desired and I found new appreciation for the movies that make it into theaters in the west - no matter what their review/ratings.

Editorial: The Incredible Diminishing US

Published
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DarkSoju
on September 22, 2008
in Financial and Politics
. 1 Comment

North Korea just stuck it’s thumb in the eyes of the US by re-assembling it’s nukes, disregarding the terrorism blacklist, testing missile engines and George Bush’s response - nothing.

Russia kicked sand in America’s face and marched into the sovereign country of Georgia and NATO’s response - nada.

US tried to clean up Al-Qaeda that Pakistan seemed unable to do and Pakistan’s response - get the heck out of our land and don’t let the front door of the Marriott hit your ass on the way out…  What is it with these people?  Aren’t we fighting the same bad guys?

On the US home front: Wall Street greed and greedy home owners all consorted to conjure up the worst set of toxic debt ever and US government’s response - bail out the schmucks, reward their promiscuity and save their golden parachutes.

How will the US pay for this bailout?  By printing more money and selling more US government bonds.  Who will buy them?  You guessed it - most likely foreign investors.  What affect will this have on US foreign policy?  Unknown, but I’m sure the US will have to take all this into account before starting any new wars.  The picture of an America tip-toeing around the world seems sad…

Let’s face it, the US is turning into a land of irrelevance.

I caught the CNN interview of 5 former secretaries of state and their recommendations for the next president.  The diminished standing, power and influence of the US was palpable.  The strong, silent confidence of America seemed hard to find -many of the recommendations seemingly centered around “collaboration” and “co-operation” with other nations.

With credibility in the world diminished from the War in Iraq, the US is now having to reap what it sowed.

Obama or McCain - it doesn’t matter which one - you have some serious diminishment to deal with…

Pyongyang Restaurants Proliferate

Published
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DarkSoju
on September 22, 2008
in Food, Pyongyang and Restaurants
. 0 Comments
Okryu-Gwan

Okryu-Gwan

North Korean run “Pyongyang” style restaurants are a common sight in north east China.  Especially in cities like Shenyang, Yanji, Dandong and even Beijing.  But, how about Phnom Penh?

Yes, Cambodia has been one of the few friends of North Korea since the early 70’s, but these restaurants are a recent addition to the Cambodian restaurant scene.  Why the recent interest in Cambodia?

In short, the answer is: “South Koreans”.  With the willingness of Cambodia and Vietnam to open up to business development, more and more South Koreans are traveling to these distant and remote places.  And with them, a steady stream of customers for North Korean food.

The same menu of dancing and singing waitresses with beautiful, but melancholy, smiles can be seen in Siem Reap, Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City,   You can even find the famous Pyongyang cold noodles in Mongolia and Nepal.

From the DPRK’s perspective, these countries have had favorable diplomatic and business relationships with North Korea for a while and they feel the risk is manageable.  They certainly don’t mind making money off the traveling South Koreans - singing of reunification, hawking DPRK products and soju, while sending a lion’s share of the profits back to their motherland.

Although, the business arrangements differ depending on the particular restaurant, most are licensed and approved by Pyongyang before any “real” North Korean employees are sent out.  In fact, you have to beware of many “fake” North Korean style restaurants in China where the workers are reallying Chinese-Koreans and the food is not authentic.

An unexpected side effect, however, is that many of these “non-aligned” nations who used to be favorable to DPRK’s stance against the west are now being swayed by the wealth and influence of South Koreans.

“Both the people and the government of South Korea are richer,” Cheam Yiep, a Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker who heads the National Assembly’s committee on finance and banking, said. “Now South Korean tourist visits are No. 1, leading other countries.”

“In general, we count both North and South Korea equally,” he said. “But the difference is that South Korea invests a lot more than North Korea. It is as simple as that.”

Western countries have always viewed South Korea as the rightful steward of the Korean peninsula, should DPRK collapse.  But, how long before the few “friends” North Korean has, start to feel the same way as the west?

Korean American Perspective

Published
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DarkSoju
on September 18, 2008
in Human Interest and Pyongyang
. 0 Comments

Here is a recent interview with Christine Ahn, a Korean American who recently visited DPRK.  Many of her views reflect other Korean Americans that have visited North Korea.

Although, I share the many of her views as well, the interview comes across, at times, as being a bit flowery with flattery mixed in.  It’s natural, though.  When visiting North Korea, one gets into a habit of trying to find something - anything - nice to say about the place to the guides and any locals you happen to meet.

And sometimes, this carries on even after returning from North Korea.  To be sure, that is exactly the outcome that the North Koreans would like to have on visiting overseas ethnic Koreans.  They would like nothing better than to have the Korean “diaspora”, who are living in the west, to cast DPRK in favorable light.  Their expectations are that these overseas Koreans should help the motherland - whatever “help” may mean…  In this regard, the Korean-Japanese (Chongryon) are astounding in their loyalty to the DPRK “motherland” - even though they are very much exposed to the modern world.

I’m of the opinion that if North Korea really was so concerned about being in positive light, that they would take solid steps to opening up and making fundamental changes in their country.  Reliance on the words, actions and pocketbooks of overseas Koreans are a poor substitute.

Missile Testing at Newly Revealed Base

Published
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DarkSoju
on September 17, 2008
in Military and Missile
. 0 Comments

More news is trickling out about the recently made public Tongch’ang-dong missile base near Pongdong-ni, North Korea.

Some of the feature upgrades over their older Musudan-ni facility includes a movable launch pad, a 10-story tall tower , a new rocket motor test pad for better reliability testing and more hills for better privacy.

According to AP reports, engine testing occurred several months ago.

According to U.S. government officials, U.S. intelligence has known about this new base for some years.  But, it took a report from Jane’s Defense Weekly to publicly reveal the details of the capabilities of the new base.

The timing is curious as it comes at a time of heightened speculation about the leadership in the DPRK and amid a stall in the six-party nuclear disarmament talks.

In what appears to be a response to the North Korean missile threats, Korea Times reports that advanced Patriot missile defence systems from Germany has been deployed at unidentified locations throughout South Korea.

Defector Gains Permanent U.S. Residency

Published
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DarkSoju
on September 17, 2008
in Refugees
. 0 Comments

Kim Mi Ja (pseudonym) is the first North Korean defector to be granted permanent U.S. residency under the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004.  The details of this legislation can be found here (PDF) and on Wikipedia.

A reported 63 North Korean defectors are currently living in the U.S.  Most of them have reportedly applied for permanent residency.

Some North Korean refugees living both in China and South Korea quietly prefer a U.S. residency over South Korea and have placed hopes in this legislature.  However, as we reported before, those refugees who have already made it to South Korea, will find it difficult to seek residency elsewhere in the west.