| Home page To receive this publication via e-mail, click here. THE NORTH KOREA REPORT: AUGUST 23, 2004 Dragon in the Dark: How and Why Communist China Helps Our Enemies in the War on Terror is now available: here, at Amazon, or at 1-888-280-7715. Our statement on why northern Korea must be liberated can be found here. TOP STORY: NORTH KOREA STILL OUT OF NUCLEAR TALKS U.S. �HOSTILE STANCE� BLAMED FOR PULLOUT, BUSH COMPARED TO HITLER North Korea insisted �that it could not now take part in working-level talks ahead of six-party discussions on its nuclear programme (UK sp) scheduled to take place by the end of September� (BBC 8/23). The regime blasted President Bush as �a tyrant that puts Hitler into the shade,� and accused him (again) of �pursuing its hostile policy� towards the North. North Korea, which announced its pullout from the talks a week ago (see last NKR), was clearly unmoved by Australian FM Alexander Downer, who promised �great opportunities for the North Korean people� (BBC 8/17) if the regime ended its nuclear ambitions. Downer seems to believe the Stalinists actually give a whit about the people under their thumb. Three previous rounds of talks on North Korea�s nuclear weapons program involving North and South Korea, the U.S., Russia, Japan, and longtime NK ally Communist China have led to nothing but U.S. concessions; to which the North has responded by repeatedly moving the goalposts (see 12/08/03, 12/22/03 and 6/28 NKRs). Also reporting: Cybercast News WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION NEWS AUSTRALIA OFFERS TRADE TO NORTH KOREA IF IT GIVES UP NUCLEAR WEAPONS Just one day after the Stalinist regime said it was pulling out of the six-way talks on ending its nuclear weapons program (see last NKR), it heard promise �great opportunities for the North Korean people if they abandon their nuclear programmes (UK sp)� (BBC). Stop the North Korean Nuclear Power Plants: Are the plants dead or aren�t they? You can make sure they don�t come back! Use this China e-Lobby fact sheet and tell the President to kill the power plants from the 1994 agreement that North Korea broke. OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS KERRY RIPS BUSH TROOP CUT IN SOUTH KOREA; HOSTS HOPING TO DELAY THE MOVE Senator John Kerry blasted President Bush�s planned re-alignment of American military forces, including previously announced plans to reduce troop levels in South Korea (see 6/1, 6/7, and 6/14 NKRs). Kerry cited the reality of nuclear North Korea, and called the move �the wrong signal to send at the wrong time� (Cybercast News). It should be noted that Kerry supported a possible troop reduction as part of a grand deal with North Korea, a reflection of a policy on the regime in general that is more dovish than the President�s policy (see 6/7 NKR). Still, on this narrow issue, he has a point. Meanwhile, South Korea wants to delay the planned reduction, in order to have �adequate time to prepare for the U.S. draw down� (Voice of America via Epoch Times). JENKINS READY TO TALK TO MILITARY ABOUT A DEAL Sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins, �is willing to appear before the U.S. military in Japan for a plea bargain� (CNN), a move which indicates he really did defect to North Korea in 1965 (see 10/28/02, 12/19/02, 7/19, 7/27, and 8/10 NKRs). Then again, Japan hasn�t let Jenkins� American relatives see him; they insist he was kidnapped. Jenkins is married to Hitomi Soga, one of the five Japanese kidnapped by North Korea and now back in Japan. The Stalinists insist � without any evidence � that eight others are dead. Many Japanese suspect dozens more were taken (see 9/23/02, 9/30/02, 10/7/02, 10/14/02, 10/21/02, 10/28/02, 11/18/02, 5/24, 7/19, and 7/27 NKRs). OTHER NEWS ON COMMUNIST CHINA�S ROLE FIFTEEN MORE REFUGEES ENTER SOUTH KOREAN CONSULATE IN BEIJING South Korea�s consulate in Beijing took in 15 more North Korean refugees who made it into the consulate to request asylum. Over 100 refugees are now on South Korean diplomatic territory in Beijing. Communist China sends back any North Korean refugee it finds; many suffer brutal treatment upon repatriation (Washington Post: second item). SOUTH KOREA INFURIATED OVER PRC�S CLAIM TO KOGURYO Communist China�s historical-ethnic claim to the ancient kingdom of Koguryo has infuriated South Koreans. Koguryo consisted of parts of the PRC�s northeast and almost all territory in Stalinist North Korea. Meaning Communist China could make a future claim to northern Korea if Kim Jong-il falls. Report: London Daily Telegraph via Washington Times As Yonsei University Professor Kim Woo-jun explicitly noted, �If Koguryo is incorrectly interpreted by China as China's old kingdom, the North Korean region becomes China's historical territory. And this can serve as justification for future Chinese intervention.� South Korea �has protested the actions formally, even sending a special envoy to Beijing.� Perhaps this will remind South Korea that Communist China is a far more sinister regime than many recognize, particularly Uri Party members (see 1/26, 6/1, and last NKRs). SOUTH KOREAN ECONOMY SURGES, BUT BECOMES MORE PRC-DEPENDENT The economy of South Korea �was up 5.5% on a year earlier and 0.6% from the previous three months� (BBC), which was �faster than expected�. The numbers were for the second quarter of this year (April-June). Here�s the bad news: �Growth continues to be driven by strong exports to nearby China, but is still constrained by weak domestic spending.� Uh oh. HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNAL NEWS �REFORMS� SEND FOOD PRICES SPIRALING AS SALARIES ARE �STATIC� North Korea�s �reforms� (see 7/22/02, 7/29/02, and 1/28/03 NKRs) have worsened the plight of its people. Richard Ragan, director for the World Food Program in Pyongyang, noted �that prices of food around the country are going up, and salaries are staying pretty static� (BBC). Translation: fewer can afford to buy food, thus more are starving. OTHER SOUTH KOREA NEWS URI PARTY BOSS QUITS, DUE TO FATHER�S WORK WITH JAPANESE DURING OCCUPATION Shin Ki-nam resigned his post as leader of dovish President Roh Moo-hyun�s Uri Party after discovering �his father worked for Japan's military during the 1910-45 occupation� (BBC). Roh himself has called for a full investigation into Koreans who collaborated with Japan �or with the military government that succeeded it in the 1960s.� The pro-American opposition Grand National Party is more than a little suspicious of Roh�s push; their leader, Park Keun-hye, is the daughter of Park Chung-hee, former South Korean President � and Japanese military officer. Shin�s resignation could � and probably will � be used by the Uri Party to cast Ms. Park in a negative light. COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA Donald MacIntyre, Time Asia, examines the potential diplomatic repercussions of a rise in U.S. concern for the plight of the people of northern Korea suffering under the Stalinists. ON SENATOR KERRY AND NORTH KOREA The editors of the Washington Times examine Senator Kerry�s position on North Korea and found it wanting (although President Bush doesn�t exactly get a gold star from them). Sadly, the editors don�t even mention liberation explicitly as an option. ON THE POSSIBLE TROOP REDUCTION IN SOUTH KOREA Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, has some harsh words for critics of the American troop reduction in South Korea. However, his point on the positioning of U.S. troops at the demilitarized zone is undermined by the fact that U.S. troops are already planning to redeploy elsewhere in South Korea without the reduction. Check out the Communist China and the Terrorist War page. Sign the petition for an American boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Miss an Update, Week's Links, or a North Korea Report? Find it via our home page. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be interested in receiving it. Anyone who wishes to join (or unsubscribe or change their address) can send his/her name to [email protected]. Please feel free to send any news on Communist China or North Korea that you find to the same address. |