|
|
|
|
Pyongyang plans fourth of July fireworks
United States officials are scrambling for a response as North Korea reportedly
plans a fireworks display to mark US Independence Day in the form of a
long-range Taepodong-2 missile test. As a military reaction could lead to
nuclear war, perhaps the Treasury Department is right to concentrate on
attacking Pyongyang's finances. - Donald Kirk
(Jul 3,'09)
China's rogue regimes play up
North Korea's willingness to export high-tech weapons and know-how to Myanmar
and other reclusive, anti-Western regimes has raised regional
security concerns and could launch a new Southeast Asian arms race. If
Pyongyang is indeed helping Myanmar achieve its nuclear and ballistic missile
ambitions, China may shut the door on its troublesome client states. - Brian
McCartan (Jul 2,'09)
SPEAKING FREELY
South Korea in a new Asia initiative
President Lee Myung-bak is pushing his ambitious "New Asia Initiative", which
aims to boost South Korea's role as a regional powerbroker. Lee will likely
face the same roadblocks and critics as the late Roh Moo-hyun, who tried to
make South Korea an honest broker between China and Japan and the United States
and China. - Zhiqun Zhu (Jun 29,'09)
A UN snub: Two regimes in a tub
Trying to fathom the mystery of the Kang Nam I, an
aging North Korean cargo vessel allegedly stacked with weapons and steaming
towards Myanmar, has become a global obsession. The ship is being shadowed by
an American destroyer for possible violations of a United Nations resolution
against Pyongyang's nuclear test, and the world is watching. The Kang Nam's
cargo might be unknown, but its mission is surely to churn the waters of
regional diplomacy. - Donald Kirk (Jun
25,'09)
Pyongyang turns back the clock
As North Korea demands excessive salary and rent hikes, companies flee
and political tensions worsen, the one-time jewel in the crown of inter-Korean
trade, the Kaesong Industrial Complex, seems doomed. Though the complex turned
a healthy profit for Pyongyang, it has been decided to put a lid on "cancerous
capitalism". - Leonid Petrov (Jun 24,'09)
A convenient North Korean distraction
The main venue for demonstrating enhanced United States-Japanese cooperation as
a viable alternative to Chinese diplomatic suzerainty over North Asia is North
Korea. In this process, Dear Leader Kim Jong-il is playing a perfect role by
provoking a security crisis the US can exploit to the full. - Peter Lee
(Jun 22,'09)
Kim Jong-il at the opera
Taking a moment to forget international pressure, Kim Jong-il decided it was
time to expose his proletariat to world culture. He picked Tchaikovsky's opera Evgeni
Onegin , the tale of a bored hero who makes bad decisions and dies
alone after a fatal duel with his best friend. Hopefully, North Korea does not
imitate art too closely. - Aidan Foster-Carter
(Jun 22,'09)
Beijing toys with tougher tactics
On the surface, China hasn't toughened its stance on North Korea, despite
Pyongyang's nuclear test. But a closer look suggests Beijing is indeed
considering hardening its line, as fears of North Korea's nuclear pursuit - and
the accompanying North Asian reactions - grow. - Willy Lam
(Jun 19,'09)
Obama lights North Korea's fuse
By signing a joint statement with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak pledging
commitment to the US "nuclear umbrella", President Barack Obama has sent the
North Koreans a loud and clear message. The US has a lot more nukes than they
do, and is willing to use them if that is what it will take to stop Pyongyang's
nonsense. North Korea's venomous response is expected soon. - Donald Kirk
(Jun 17,'09)
Doubts over US-China-Japan talks
Plans for a first-ever summit between China, Japan and the United States have
raised hopes that the framework could become a pivotal forum for East Asia.
However, with South Korea likely to view its exclusion as insulting and
threatening, any serious progress on the region's most pressing security issue,
North Korea, is unlikely. - Jian Junbo (Jun
15,'09)
Pyongyang sends a radioactive riposte
While not unexpected, North Korea's response to the United Nations Security
Council's admonishment of its nuclear test - stepping up plutonium production -
does force the hand of the United States. If the US responds by promising South
Korea a defensive "nuclear umbrella", it will again play into the hands of
Pyongyang's propagandists. - Donald Kirk (Jun
15,'09)
North Korea resolution lacks teeth
The draft resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council on North
Korea's second nuclear test is filled with unenforceable demands for the Hermit
Kingdom to drop its nuclear program and stop firing missiles. The only
difference from previous unenforceable demands is a clause that signatory
states can inspect suspicious ships in their territory and "on the high seas".
- Donald Kirk (Jun 12,'09)
South Korea sticks to business
The resilience of the South Korean economy, aided by government stimulus
packages, has helped the equity markets to shrug off harsh news of personal
tragedy and war threats alike. Wise heads, looking at the important role played
by exports, are warning against too much optimism. - R M Cutler
(Jun 11,'09)
Nuclear war is Kim Jong-il's game plan
North Korea already has a strategy for a thermonuclear struggle with the United
States and its allies, says the Hermit Kingdom's unofficial spokesman, and it's
not pretty. Nuclear detonations in outer space will "evaporate" key targets,
and underwater explosions will swamp seaboards with radioactive tsunamis. The
US won't stop acting aggressively, says the game plan, until its wiped off the
map. - Kim Myong Chol (Jun 11,'09)
China: Pyongyang just wants attention
Beijing has dismissed North Korea's saber-rattling on the Korean Peninsula as
mere brinksmanship and is reluctant to criticize Pyongyang's internal affairs.
But there are deeper layers than that. China and North Korea are still bonded
by a long-standing communist alliance, and Beijing's vital economic lifeline
remains intact. (Jun 10,'09)
Journalists may get the 'good' gulag
North Korea has yet to explain what type of life awaits two American
journalists as they begin their 12-year jail sentence of "hard labor", but few
believe they will really suffer through dawn-to-dusk days slaving in fields and
mines, beaten by guards and sometimes tortured, as routinely happens to
prisoners in North Korea. - Donald Kirk (Jun
10,'09)
US shackled by Pyongyang's ploy
The United States is caught between public demands for the release of American
journalists detained in North Korea and its tough-guy take on Pyongyang's
nuclear and missile tests. The balancing act has left Washington dithering as
North Korea's leverage grows. Meanwhile, the two female reporters are set to
begin "re-education'' in a penal system known for brutality, starvation and
torture. - Donald Kirk (Jun 9,'09)
Tokyo struggles to get its message right
The twin false alarms Japan experienced before the North Korean missile test in
April highlight some unacceptable deficiencies in its early warning systems.
Further provocations from Pyongyang will surely confirm that Japan's crisis
management system is on the blink. - Peter J Brown
(Jun 9,'09)
A sombre scoop for Pyongyang's pawns
Frantic behind-the-scenes diplomacy and plaintive appeals for mercy are
unlikely to help the two female American journalists whose trial began on
Thursday in North Korea over illegal entry and "hostile acts". Their plight, in
view of all that's going on with North Korea, might appear trivial, but it
presents unusual possibilities for the United States. - Donald Kirk
(Jun 5,'09)
The hazards of a hasty succession
If it is confirmed that the ailing North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has named
his Swiss-educated youngest son, Kim Jong-un, as his successor, any optimism
should be guarded. Untested in combat and over-privileged, the 26-year-old may
not be accepted by the million-strong military establishment, leading to either
calamitous internal strife or him taking a harder line than his father to prove
himself. - Donald Kirk (Jun 3,'09)
SINOGRAPH
Pyongyang better left to its devices
It can be assumed that North Korea timed its nuclear test in 2006 and the one
last month to provoke China, and Beijing understood it this way - not that
there was - or will be - any rash response. Major issues such as the
unification of the Korean Peninsula, US troops stationed in South Korea and a
possible refugee crisis determine that Pyongyang be left alone - apart from
cutting off the supply of finer things to its pampered leaders.
(Jun 3,'09)
This article kicks off a new weekly column by long-time Beijing resident Francesco
Sisci.
Korea: It's not the bomb, it's the
funeral
If former South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun's legacy is as
badly mishandled as his vengeful prosecution, the fallout could be as
significant for the United States' relationship with the peninsula as the
North's nuclear test. The treatment of what Roh stood for is crucial to the
health of the US alliance, as he broadly shaped what it is today.
(Jun 2,'09)
Pyongyang shakes up pacifist Japan
The Japanese government, prompted by this week's nuclear and missile tests by
North Korea, is finalizing plans that would enable the military to carry out
pre-emptive strikes as part of a new defense plan to be presented by the end of
the year. The era of Japan's strong pacifism, as enshrined in the United
Stated-imposed "peace constitution", may be coming to an end. - Kosuke Takahashi
(May 29,'09)
A test of Washington's resolve
United States and South Korean forces have gone on "high alert" after North
Korea's nuclear test, but beyond that sensational term Washington has little
response but to plaintively search for allies to scold Pyongyang. China and
Russia are unlikely to step beyond verbal condemnation, and the US's commitment
to a much-vaunted plan to blockade the Hermit Kingdom is still in doubt. - Donald
Kirk (May 28,'09)
Size matters for North Korea's nukes
Seismographic estimates of North Korea's nuclear test on May 25 place the
device's payload as roughly the size of the Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki in
1945. Experts maintain that simply detonating a bomb does not mean Kim Jong-il
has the power to decimate Seoul or Tokyo by the press of a button. Still, the
North's scientists are getting better, and the bombs bigger. - Matthew Rusling
(May 28,'09)
Beijing weighs its options
North Korea's latest nuclear test again puts China on the spot. The issue,
though, is not whether Beijing has the leverage and is willing to use it
against Pyongyang; it is the calculation of what impacts on what specific goals
such pressure would generate, given that China's overriding and vital concern
is stability on the Korean Peninsula. - Jing-dong Yuan
(May 27,'09)
Kim Jong-il tests US-China cooperation
The complex dynamics which for centuries have marked relations between the
political entities on the current Korean Peninsula - and their gigantic Western
neighbor - show that Korean national pride refuses, despite China's unavoidable
presence - or precisely because of it - subordination. The influence of Beijing
- given its relationship with the United States - on Pyongyang, should not be
overestimated. - David Gosset (May 27,'09)
Renewed drive for sanctions
The United States is seeking strong international sanctions by the United
Nations Security Council on North Korea for its testing of a nuclear device.
Washington is also preparing to re-impose financial sanctions against banks and
companies suspected of conducting illicit transactions on behalf of Pyongyang.
- Jim Lobe (May 26,'09)
World powerless to stop North Korea
Despite widespread condemnation of North Korea's nuclear test by the world's
major powers, there is nothing they can do to stop Pyongyang's nuclear weapons
program. The bigger question is whether South Korea and Japan will decide to go
nuclear - a move that would undermine the influence of the United States and
China in Northeast Asia. - Santaro Rey (May
26,'09)
Yes, North Korea is a nuclear power
With Monday's test by North Korea, the United States can no longer pretend that
the country is not a nuclear power. It is from this position of power that Dear
Leader Kim Jong-il is sending a message that he wants to negotiate with the US
one-on-one. At the same time, he's looking after his own succession. - Donald
Kirk (May 25,'09)
SPEAKING FREELY
The last gambling chip
North Korea's double display of nuclear and missile capability shows that its
leaders believe they still have chips with which to bargain. Given its weak
alternatives, Pyongyang cannot be expected to change its tack until given
better alternatives. United States President Barack Obama's willingness to
pursue meaningful disarmament may now be tested. - Anna Konopatskya
(May 25,'09)
BOOK REVIEW
The dragon's shadow
China's Rise and the Two Koreas by Scott Snyder
China's economic influence may not have fully transformed the Korean
Peninsula's security policies, but it has challenged the primacy of the United
States. Though this book is pro-American for endorsing Washington's military
footprint in the region, it offers an intelligent appraisal of how Beijing's
reach is lengthening over East Asia - and why it needs to keep North Korea in
its orbit. - Sreeram Chaulia (May 22,'09)
Kim Jong-il shifts to plan B
Frustrated and feeling the Barack Obama administration has continued the
"hostile" policies of its predecessors, Pyongyang's latest threats are signs of
its shift to "plan B". Abandoning hopes of peace through rapprochement, this
envisions a military-first policy that will lead the nation to might and
prosperity by 2012. - Kim Myong Chol (May
20,'09)
Pyongyang chokes on sweet capitalism
The greatest threat to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il doesn't come from the
United States or power-hungry generals in Pyongyang. It comes in the form of a
South Korean snack called Choco Pie, which North Korean workers in the Kaesong
Industrial Complex are salivating over. - Donald Kirk
(May 20,'09)
North Korea enjoys the attention
Pyongyang was pleased with the international outrage following its non-issue
"satellite launch" in April. Frustrated with the multilateral diplomatic
process, North Korea needed to boost the sagging spirits of the population by
finding an external enemy to rile and give it a reason to tighten the screws.
The international community could do with a change in strategy. - Georgy
Toloraya (May 14,'09)
Confucianist corruption in South Korea
Tales of high-level graft are so commonplace in South Korea that most people
have lost track of investigations into claims that former president Roh
Moo-hyun took multi-million dollar bribes from a shoemaker. Scholars say the
culture of corruption can be traced to several thousand years of dynastic rule,
tempered by Confucianism. - Donald Kirk (May
13,'09)
Surviving North Korea's house of the dead
While helping the survivor of a six-year stint in North Korea's most notorious
labor camp document his ordeal, the horrors his co-author saw through his
eyes shed light on an area rarely documented, as few escape both prison and
country alive. What's clear from his story, she says, is that North Korea has
regressed to the point where cannibalism and torture are part of everyday life.
- David Wilson (May 11,'09)
And then there were five
The United States is twisting arms to arrange five-party talks that would
exclude North Korea and hopefully forge a joint approach to drawing Pyongyang
back to the stalled six-party pow-wow. If the North is listening, it's not
letting on, perhaps being too busy preparing for another nuclear test. - Donald
Kirk (May 8,'09)
An unlikely apology for Pyongyang
The chances of the United Nations saying sorry for its admonishment of North
Korea's rocket launch are as unlikely as this actually persuading the North to
rescind its nuclear threats and return to the six-party talks. In this great
diplomatic game, all the rhetoric suggests the standoff will get a lot worse
before it gets better. - Donald Kirk (May
1,'09)
China tires of Pyongyang's antics
Despite their close ties, China can only take so much of North Korea's
"reckless and provocative" acts before seriously reviewing the relationship.
Beijing has broader, more pressing issues to deal with and Pyongyang is
unlikely to grow in strategic importance. The first step China may take is
"proactively" using its economic leverage with the Hermit Kingdom. - Shen Dingli
(Apr 27,'09)
Parental love versus Kim Jong-il
Faded snapshots and a turtle-shell comb are all Shigeru and
Sakie Yokota have to remind them of their daughter, Megumi, who as a
13-year-old 
schoolgirl was among 17 Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korean agents in
the 1970s and 1980s. The parents' crusade against the North since has taken a
heavy emotional toll. - Kosuke Takahashi (Apr
27,'09)
North Korea has ransom on its mind
The detention of two American journalists and a South Korean
engineer in North Korea are part of a ploy to draw the United States into
dialogue and extract billions more dollars in aid. Another target is to respond
to Seoul's plans to join a US-backed cabal that would block nuclear shipments.
Supported by China, the North is feeling bullish. - Donald Kirk
(Apr 24,'09)
Why Pyongyang clings to its weapons
Often portrayed as deranged zealots, North Korea's leaders are
actually cold-minded Machiavellians. They successfully used a rocket launch as
a sideshow to regain the international spotlight and remind the world of the
real threat: their nuclear weapons. And these are not going to go away any time
soon. - Andrei Lankov (Apr 23,'09)
Spy versus spy in Iran, North Korea
The conviction in Iran of American freelance journalist Roxana Saberi on
charges of spying for the Un ited States and the detention in North Korea of
two female US broadcast journalists goes to the larger issue of the nuclear
programs of Tehran and Pyongyang - and their cooperation with each other. The
three women could well become pawns in this greater game, but in the case of
the captives in the North, there are chilling differences. - Donald Kirk
(Apr 20,'09)
Seoul strikes back at Pyongyang
South Korea has responded to the North's provocative decision to resume
fabricating nuclear weapons by joining the international initiative to stop
nations from dealing in weapons of mass destruction. This gives Seoul the right
to interdict North Korean vessels on the high seas - a move that would
inevitably provoke a flare-up. - Donald Kirk (Apr
15,'09)
Kim Jong-il opts for continuity
Last week's long-awaited meeting of North Korea's parliament saw only minor
changes to state posts, suggesting that Kim Jong-il is opting for continuity
rather than change. Significantly, there is still no clear sign of who will
succeed Kim. - Santaro Rey (Apr 15,'09)
Dear Leader is back with a bang
Defying those "propagandists" who would consign him to the grave, North
Korea's Kim Jong-il has come roaring back to win a third re-election at the
helm of the Hermit Kingdom. A public appearance, purportedly attending the
recent "satellite" launch, showed him mottled and saggy - yet defiant. The
message is that the Dear Leader is not ill, was never ill, and is fit to lead
the country forever. - Donald Kirk (Apr
9,'09)
The missile fizzles of April
Japan is relieved it didn't have to follow through on its tough talk against
North Korea's ballyhooed missile launch. The Taepodong-2 flew over Japan
without incident, letting Prime Minister Taro Aso off the hook after his crisis
management skills were undercut by a series of blunders by his military. - Todd
Crowell (Apr 7,'09)
A missile launch for dummies
North Korea on Sunday demonstrated its ability to deliver a warhead to a
distant target, though its "satellite" - possibly a dummy to cover up for a
test of the Taepodong-2 - crashed and burned. In response, the United Nations
Security Council did nothing, South Korea got a bit angry and Washington
appears too wrapped up in its economic woes to care. - Donald Kirk
(Apr 6,'09)
Launch? What launch?
The moment of truth has finally arrived - the four-day window during which
North Korea says it will launch a satellite into space, but which most other
countries say is a missile. Threats of United Nations Security Council action
against Pyongyang count for little. The best option would be for the world to
simply look the other way. - Donald Kirk (Apr
3,'09)
Missile debris may include the yen
The Japanese currency, already falling as Japan's "safe-haven" status loses its
luster, may take a further hit if a North Korean missile launch heightens local
security concerns. - Kosuke Takahashi (Apr
3,'09)
'Run-DMZ' and the axis of vaudeville
As South Korean pop culture grows ever-more provocative, it can't help but poke
fun at the mysterious, closed world of the North, with breakdancing sessions at
the 38th parallel giving border tensions a b-boy twist, and movies exploring
the hilarities of North-South love match-ups. Despite the devilry, the
treatment of the North as endearingly quirky rather than inhuman reveals a
deeper longing for unification. - Stephen Epstein
(Apr 3,'09)
 READY,
AIM, FIRE ...
Japan on Friday began readying its costly ballistic missile shield, saying it
would not hesitate to destroy any ballistic missile fired from North Korea if
it - or its debris - looked like hitting the country. Similarly, South Korea
has mobilized its premier warship equipped with the Aegis counter-missile
guidance system. If Pyongyang does indeed let loose a Taepodong-2, the best
thing that can happen in this tense situation is that the Japanese and South
Koreans are way off target. (Mar 27,'09)
South Korea on alert - Donald Kirk
Japan takes aim - Kosuke Takahashi
|
China unruffled over North Korean launch
North Korean Premier Kim Yong-ll returned from his visit to China at the
weekend confident that Beijing remains the North's staunchest ally and will not
pressurize it to abandon its rocket launch. China avoided strong words as it
feels the whole affair is merely a smokescreen to provoke the United States
into concessions. (Mar 23,'09)
Dangerous deadlines in North Korea
Negotiators are furiously working to free a pair of American
journalists from North Korean custody while still worrying about North Korea's
plan to launch a missile-cum-satellite some time between April 4 and April 8.
For Pyongyang, the episode may prove the perfect way to grab the attention of a
world grown weary of saber-rattling rhetoric. - Donald Kirk
(Mar 20,'09)
High five: Messages from North Korea
North Korea's April launch is a communications
satellite, a spectacular "firework" that will celebrate the re-election of Dear
Leader Kim Jong-il and herald Pyongyang's ascension to the world's elite of
nuclear and space powers, writes "unofficial" spokesman for the North Kim Myong
Chol. The launch also carries other equally important messages, such as
the country being Asia's next tiger economy. (Mar
18,'09)
Pentagon tempted by North Korean launch
As North Korea prepares to launch its satellite-bearing missile in early April,
military hawks in the United States are chomping at the bit to show off their
counter-missile capabilities in the form of heat-seeking Tomahawks. But a US
misfire would be incredibly embarrassing, never mind the consequences of
inflaming regional tensions. - Donald Kirk (Mar
13,'09)
North Korea fills the air with threats
Pyongyang has been "distinctly unhelpful" lately, according to
Washington, and a new threat to fire on South Korean civilian passenger flights
in its airspace may land North Korea back on the US's terror list. The North's
audacious warning, and its preparations to launch a missile into orbit, have
shifted focus from "six-party talks" to what North Korea will dream up next to
create fear and consternation. - Donald Kirk (Mar
6,'09)
NORTH KOREA AIMS HIGH, Part 2
Iran eases Pyongyang's launch
North Korea knows that launching a satellite - no matter how small - means it
is not a ballistic missile test. Iran has already demonstrated that this is a
very sound approach. - Peter J Brown (Mar
4,'09)
This is the concluding article of a two-part report.
PART 1: Beijing frets over Pyongyang's
launch
North Korea warned of missile fall-out
South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak on Sunday warned North
Korea that if it launches a missile it will simply harm its own interests. Lee
stressed that engagement would serve Pyongyang's interests better than nuclear
brinkmanship, but the North has heard it all before.
(Mar 2,'09)
Pyongyang plays the puppet master
The puppet image is one that North Korea loves, both in
referring to other countries by that name or by pulling imaginary strings to
make world leaders jump. Should Pyongyang's Taepodong-2 missile blast off as
promised, there will be some serious jerking around the world. Yet the Barack
Obama administration appears not to believe it is being played. - Donald Kirk
(Feb 27,'09)
New US tone, same old issues
Though United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's
Asian tour did assure regional powerhouses of Washington's commitment to
changing its foreign policy tone, its actual approach to the issues remains the
same. The US is still figuring out how to convince North Korea to return to the
negotiation table, while also taking a pragmatic approach to a rising China. - Jing-dong
Yuan (Feb 26,'09)
South Korea frets over US support
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emphasized
support for Seoul on the issue of denuclearization of North Korea, while
chiding Pyongyang for being "insulting" and "provocative". Yet fears remain in
the South that its leaders may be sidelined and that the US could chase a
bilateral deal with the Hermit Kingdom. - Donald Kirk
(Feb 20,'09)
Clinton confronts Japan's abduction issue
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kicked off her Asian tour by
backing Japan on the highly emotional issue of the kidnapping of Japanese
citizens by North Korea. This could make the six-nation talks aimed at
containing Pyongyang's nuclear program more difficult, but Clinton seems up for
the challenge. - Kosuke Takahashi (Feb
18,'09)
Dear Leader's party will be a blast
The celebrations to mark the 67th birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il
will echo across the country. The festivities could be augmented by the launch
of a long-range missile. Amid all fun, the top ranks of the military are being
streamlining for a possible face-off with South Korea. - Donald Kirk
(Feb 13,'09)
COMMENT
A roadmap to peace with North Korea
The latest crisis on the Korean Peninsula illustrates that decades of swinging
from appeasement to hardline containment towards North Korea has achieved
virtually nothing. To break the stalemate, the international community needs to
either develop a coherent strategy, pushing China to take the issue more
seriously, or play a shrewd waiting game until the Dear Leader's demise. - Kosuke
Takahashi (Feb 12,'09)
A new tone as Clinton comes
calling
By selecting East Asia as Hillary Clinton's first overseas trip as United
States secretary of state, a significant message has been sent about where US
foreign policy is headed under President Barack Obama. With stops in Indonesia,
Japan, South Korea and China, Clinton's trip will go a long way in showing
whether or not the new administration can deliver on its message of change. - Nehginpao
Kipgen (Feb 11,'09)
God, Kim Jong-il and his son
The ethnic Korean people in the Chinese city of Tumen, just across the river
from North Korea, believe they have the inside track on who will succeed Dear
Leader Kim Jong-il. They assert it will be the third son, Jong-un. What these
prophets overlook is that in North Korea, Kim Jong-il is "god", and anything
can happen. - Sunny Lee (Feb 9,'09)
Pyongyang's heat-seeking threats
What better way for North Korea to grab the attention of the new US president
and show its Dear Leader is recovering from his mysterious ailment than to
wheel a fearsome Taepodong-2 to the launch site and talk of a few smaller
missiles being fired across the Yellow Sea. A more imminent fear for Seoul is
of rampaging activists ahead of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit.
- Donald Kirk (Feb 6,'09)
Japan caught in abductions trap
Japan's obsession with the 17 Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korean
agents in the 1970s and 1980s obscures where its national interests really lie
- in getting North Korea's nuclear weapons program under control. If progress
is to be made in that regard, the United States has some sweet talking to do in
Tokyo.(Feb 5,'09)
|
|
|
ATol Specials
|
 |
|
Kim Comes Out
North Korea's nukes and what they mean
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
All material on this
website is copyright and may not be republished in any form without written
permission.
Copyright 1999 - 2009 Asia Times Online
(Holdings), Ltd.
|
|
Head
Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
Central, Hong Kong
Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
|
|
|
|
