le parcours coréen

Kevin at IA notes that the press isn't the best indicator of how the Korean public feels about an issue; public demonstrations are. Kevin dumps on politicians, the press... anyone within anus-range.

Speaking of politicians: another one bites the dust. (courtesy Marmot)

The Vulture is understandably pissed by the star-sympathy for traitor Robert Kim, who's being spun as a misunderstood hero by his Korean homies.

Meanwhile, Seeing Eye Blog notes another Robert Kim in the making. No, I'm kidding-- this guy might not turn traitor.

But you never know, do you!? YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!!

[ /William Shatner ]

Oranckay sometimes seems to have more love for dictionaries than for fellow humans.

Joseph the Infidel says:

...the only solution which doesn't oppress the North Korean people is a gradual economic approach punctuated with a multinational campaign against proliferation and illicit activites. The more the world considers North Korea a moral crusade, rather than as the political mistake it is, the more North Koreans will suffer.

While I was at the KDI library today, I photocopied an article out of a journal devoted to East Asian affairs. The article was written in late 2003 and suggested much the same thing. I'll be writing more extensively on this article, which proposes "a Korean solution to the US's Korean problem" and advocates a re-prioritization (on the US side) to be more in consonance with Seoul's attempts at working toward reunification. It's interesting stuff, but my gut feeling is that this won't work because Pyongyang's reunification dream brooks no compromise and is in no way synonymous with either South Korea's or the US's vision of reunification. The US is better off looking out for its own interests.

Excellent posts at Budae Chigae. Here's one re: NK commandos (part 2). And here's one re: Ip'chun (beginning of spring, something recently denied by that perfidious US marmot, Punxsutawney Phil).

Who'd'a thunk? Flying Yangban mulls over some commonalities between American Southerners and Koreans.

Jeff gets us ready for the post to end all posts re: BoA, who will save us all.

Rathbone Press looks at the Body World controversy. Owen comes away a bit nonplussed ("What is it with Germans, anyway?"). Meanwhile, Glenn is like, "If this exhibit comes to town, I am THERE." OK, that's not exactly what he said. What he said was, "I've seen some of the pics and if that exhibit ever came to Northern Cali I would be there because it looks BAD ASS."

Kirk (whom I've decided to keep on the blogroll despite his attempt to kill me with that Hello Kitty surprise attack) has several good posts up. A Korea-related one notes that Japan has given itself permission to enact sanctions against North Korea-- not that Japan has any definite intentions to do so right now. Here's another one on the issue of South Korean credit card debt, which is getting way out of hand in a country that doesn't quite get moderation. I'd agree that the US isn't exactly a paragon of moderation, but we've dealt with revolving debt a lot longer. As a result, Americans generally don't look at a large credit card bill and decide to kill themselves.

Holy Shit! Party Pooper's blog actually has something new! And it's a very cool post on the English. Maximum Leader, take note.

_