| THE NORTH KOREA REPORT: SEPTEMBER 9, 2002 NEWS DEAL REACHED ON NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES IN GERMAN SCHOOL IN BEIJING A deal has been reached on the fate of fifteen North Korean refugees who entered a school run by the German Embassy in Beijing (BBC, CNN). However, as of noon today, no one is willing to say what that deal is � although in the past refugees that have made it into the diplomatic property of democratic nations in the Communist China are allowed to leave for South Korea through third countries. Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans, fleeing a regime that steals international food aid from its own people, are hiding in the Communist China. Beijing usually sends any refugee it finds back to its Stalinist ally, despite the fact that repatriated refugees are routinely tortured, in many cases to death. TWENTY-ONE REFUGEES NOW IN SOUTH KOREAN EMBASSY The Washington Post reported that the number of North Korean refugees in South Korea�s Embassy in Beijing has hit twenty-one. According to the Post, �that group is awaiting approval from China to leave Beijing, first for the Philippines and then Seoul.� SOUTH KOREAN LEADER CALLS FOR MORE SUMMITS WITH KIM JONG-IL South Korean President Kim Dae-jung called for more leaders, including American Presidents, to hold summits with his Stalinist counterpart, Kim Jong-Il, saying, �Only Kim Jong Il has the authority to make critical decisions� (Washington Post). KOIZUMI WILL APOLOGIZE TO NORTH KOREA FOR COLONIZATION Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will �apologize for Japan's 36-year colonization of the Korean peninsula when he meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il� in a week�s time (Washington Times, second paragraph). The Stalinist regime has demanded reparation for the 1910-45 colonization. No mention was made of the Japanese kidnapped by North Korean in the 1970s and 1980s. JAPAN CHASES OFF POSSIBLE NORTH KOREAN SPY SHIP Despite Koizumi�s planned trip, North Korea is apparently still conducting espionage against Japan. Japan was �monitoring a suspected North Korean spy ship . . . spotted venturing towards Japanese waters on Wednesday� (BBC). The vessel was headed toward Japan, but turned back when the Japanese �sent 15 patrol boats backed by aircraft and a destroyer to chase it.� NORTH KOREA AGREES TO PERMANENT REUNION CENTER North Korea has finally agreed to establish a permanent location for reunions of families separated by the Korean War (BBC). The site will be in the North, which had, of course, made reunions all the more difficult for decades by not allowing anyone to leave. NORTH KOREA TO ALLOW FOREIGN MAJORITY OWNERSHIP OF JOINT VENTURES As part of its �reforms,� the Stalinist regime may have stumbled upon an actual reform: allowing foreigners to own a majority stake in joint ventures in the North. Of course, the move was to �encourage Japanese and South Korean businesses.� Japan has a sizeable group of ethnic Koreans; how the Stalinists might react to other, less sympathetic investors is likely to be another matter altogether. Report: BBC FIRST NORTH-SOUTH SOCCER GAME IN TEN YEARS ENDS IN 0-0 DRAW North and South Korea played to a 0-0 draw in a �Reunification Games� match that was the first between the Stalinist regime and its southern democratic neighbor in ten years (BBC 9/7 � 1). The hoopla surrounding thegame revealed nation deeply torn as its the desire for a united Korea comes face to face with the recognition of the horrific Stalinist regime that separates them (BBC 9/7 � 2). Stop the Nuclear Power Deal: The United States is still building two nuclear power plants in North Korea. Meanwhile, the Stalinist regime refuses to let us inspect their nuclear weapons program to verify that it has been stopped, as the agreement demands. Use this China e-Lobby fact sheet and tell the President to cancel the deal. COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS WASHINGTON TIMES EDITORS RIP NORTH KOREA The editors of the Washington Times whack North Korea for its refusal to honor its pledges to allow inspectors to actually inspect its supposedly frozen nuclear weapons program. They also note, with subtle lament, that the Bush Administration has stuck to policies with the Stalinist regime that are clearly softer than those toward Iran, let alone Iraq. BBC REPORTER TALKS WITH NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES HIDING IN COMMUNIST CHINA Rupert Wingfield-Hayes (BBC) visits with several North Korean refugees hiding in Communist China, for fear of being caught and sent back to the Stalinist regime. The reporter notes, painfully, that after he met with the refugees �they were caught trying to board a train for the capital. Soon they will be sent back over the border.� Sign the Boycott Petition: In reaction to the 2008 Olympic Games being awarded to Beijing, the China e-Lobby has begun a petition for an American boycott of those games. Miss an Update, Weekly Links, or a North Korea Report? Find it on our web site. Check out the latest on Communist China and the Terrorist War. There�s still time to contact the President and tell him not to appoint pro-PRC Doug Paal as de facto ambassador to Taiwan. See Follow-Up for more on Paal. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested in receiving it. Anyone who wishes to join can send his/her name and e-mail address to [email protected]. Please feel free to send any news on Communist China or North Korea you happen to find to the same address. |