let's take a look at the communist side of Korea, a part of Korea that was unfortunate enough to be under the mandate of the USSR after Korea was freed from the Japanese. If only the north part of the country too had been under the mandate of the USA like the south, or if the mandate was given to the UK after WW II instead of to the communist ally, we might not have had an aggressive regime that is North Korea of today.
Here here and here are some great pics of both the Koreas and snippets of history to go with them. I for one, had no idea that the USS Pueblo was hijacked by NK in 1968 and it's crew of nearly 100 were held captive for almost a year.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
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I recommend "This is Paradise" by Hyok Kang for a first hand look at everyday life in North Korea.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/world/asia/26korea.html?ref=world
ReplyDeleteFP magazine article on the N-S Korea conflict. Apparently the two Countries share an industrial park that provides several thousand jobs to both sides,and haven't closed it yet, and appear unlikely to.
It seems they may posture a lot, but doesn't look like anyone's going to start shooting.
Kim is preparing his son Kim-Jong-Un to take a more serious role in running the Nation in preparation for the sad day the Dear Leader shuffles off to Heaven. The US and SK can hunker down and hope the new Kim is more reasonable than Dad, and delay doing anything rash based on that premise. The US needs to send an emissary to North Korea to negotiate a peace settlement,complete with an apology for the "error" that led to the sinking of that S.Korean warship.
I feel certain this approach will defuse the situation and I anticipate the emissary's return and speech at the U.N in New York,"I have in my hand,an agreement signed by Mr.Kim,guaranteeing peace in our time".........
N.Korea apparently now has eight nuclear warheads,and Kim Sr. figures he has a deterrent capability with those weapons. He's probably right.
Don't remember the "Pueblo" eh? You must be young. Wish I was ,too. ;-)
DMOrris
I hope NK will change their ways and make way for the kind of prosperity enjoyed by SK. I have neighbours from South Korea who migrated here about 10 years ago because they wanted their kids to get a "Western" education. Their one fear is that that NK might take over the South and that would spell doom for South Korea whose economy is booming and whose people are happy and contented.
ReplyDeleteWhen they came to Canada, and I know them since then, none of them could string a proper sentence in English. Now, they can talk for hours on any topic under the sun and their eldest kid is an honors student winning countless scholarships and making his parents proud.
As for me, I get to sample their divine Korean cooking. :} :}