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We have repeatedly written about what we believe are misguided concerns expressed by some members of the House of Representatives about activities at the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement. (To be sure, we have our doubts about KIC, but not for the reasons expressed by the House members.) Now the South [...]
Telling truth from fiction is sometimes difficult on the Korean peninsula. Caveat emptor! AP: From the “with friends like these, who needs enemies department.” Having just sent out a press release touting an agreement to open a bureau in Pyongyang, AP had to withdraw an apparently doctored photo that it had sent out reputedly depicting [...]
There has been a lot of excitement about recent developments with respect to the Six Party Talks: a quick review of events is in order. The source of the changed mood is a two-hour meeting between South Korean chief nuclear negotiator Wi Sung-lac and his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho on the sidelines of the [...]
Several weeks ago we were approached by Jean Lee of Associated Press about a story on North Korea. Lee had a chance to visit two showcase farms near Pyongyang, but was curious about how an ostrich farm “fit into the larger picture of farming in North Korea.” Um, no kidding! Ostriches are a versatile bird, [...]
Thanks to our friend Curtis Melvin at the always-useful North Korea Economy Watch, we learned that Marcus Noland has finally hit the big time. Although it did not hit the operatic intensity of say, “human scum,” last Friday KCNA picked up on his talk on our new monograph on engagement and sanctions. The story is worth [...]
While in Seoul, I provided an outline of our research in Witness to Transformation for the East Asia Institute, one of the leading think-tanks in Seoul. The ten-minute interview covers our findings with respect to the refugees in China and marketization but also talks about the current state of play in both China-DPRK and North-South [...]
A number of prominent proponents of deeper engagement have recently published critical assessments of strategic patience. They deserve a read. Yonsei University Professor Chung-in Moon was an early supporter of engagement when the rest of the international relations professoriate in South Korea was mired in stale realpolitik. He went on to advise both the DJ [...]
Looking to get out of Seoul, I rented a car and ran up to Imjingak. About 7 kilometers from the DMZ, the park has become a popular tourist attraction because it doesn’t require the more substantial commitment required to visit the tunnels, closer observation points or the Joint Security Area at Panmunjon itself; in effect, [...]
In case you missed it, The Onion (a satirical newspaper) has broke the story that North Korea has destroyed all of Asia. We’re awaiting further details, but we’re definitely glad to know that the issue will be brought up when the UN security council meets next month. Destroying all of Asia surely warrants new sanctions [...]
We now have a bit more information on the European decision to provide food assistance to the DPRK; a .pdf of the decision can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/funding/decisions/2011/dprk_01000_en.pdf I learned in Seoul from a European colleague that the €10 million Euro figure was not entirely related to the perceived level of need. Rather, that amount [...]
