korean unification studies

Kenneth Quinones, former US State Department North Korea specialist, has a very interesting piece comparing the ‘freeze’ on North Korean nuclear facilities that the Clinton administration sought and the ‘disablement’ on North Korean nuclear facilities that the Bush administration is seeking. Here is a taste: In November 1994, I accompanied the first U.S. delegation to visit [...]

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The draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup preliminary competition was held in Durban over the weekend. And in an announcement that drew gasps from the crowd, both North and South Korea were drawn to compete against each other in Asia’s Group 3, with Jordan and Turkmenistan. Watching how this plays out could be extremely [...]

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OK… Away from the serious stuff for a while. I once heard that Kim Jong Il was once heard to say that he thought another dynastic succession would make the DPRK the laughing stock of the world… well… it’s too late to stop that now… Sphere: Related Content

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Before I go into all of my Japanese tabloid theories on the successor to Kim Jong-Il, I’ll let you guys read it yourself. From Reuters: TOKYO (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has named his second eldest son to a major post, making him the top candidate to eventually take over as head of [...]

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I reckon this extract from a Reuters report on the re-establishment of rail links says a lot about what drives South Korean unification policy: Cargo trains will cross the heavily fortified border dividing North and South Korea every day from next month, restoring a link severed for more than half a century, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said [...]

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South Korea abstained from a vote to adopt a draft resolution at the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee, which condemned human rights abuses in North Korea. A draft resolution entitled Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (document n0760137.pdf) would have the Assembly express its very serious concern at continuing reports of systematic, widespread and [...]

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I can’t wait to read this new magazine! According to AFP, Asia Press has sent North Koreans trained in journalism in China back to North Korea to report undercover in the country. The result, a Korean language magazine called “Rimjingang“. From AFP: A North Korean defector Tuesday announced the launch of a magazine carrying undercover reporting [...]

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What does this long list of South Korean ministers responsible for unification tell you? Has there ever been a period in which the civil service has been led by a minister for unification for more than a few years? Or does it say more about the position of ‘unification minister’ and the fact that policy [...]

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