All the News You Can Use

The Long Road for NK Refugees
The Korean government is right about one thing when they talk about the NK refugee situation: they take in the vast majority of refugees (almost 1400 last year). This is to the shame of the US State Department who still drags its feet on the refugee issue and has yet to set up a system to begin facilitating the acceptance of NK refugees. However, beyond the US and the Koreans, other nations are beginning to join in. The Norwegians (sorry, no link) allowed in a small number and just recently a group of defectors were allowed into Belgium. An unfortunate truth about the NK refugee situation is that reaching safe haven is not always a garauntee that things will be all sunshine and flowers. It is very hard for NKers to assimilate into a rather exclusivist S. Korean society, and on top of that NKers understandably carry a lot of baggage. The success stories are more anamolies than they are the norm. Luckily, there are compassionate groups that help out, educating, befriending and providing for NKers in an effort to afford them a brighter future.

Looks Like I Should be an Analyst
It seems that i was not the only one to recognize the link between Hu Jintao's message to Kim Jong-Il and Kim's visit to China's economic centers. After KJI returned to NK, there has been a flurry of guess work as to what the meetings will bring about. A return to the six-party talks? An admission to the money laundering charges? Or, what some analysts are predicting, a shift in NK policy to start following that of the "China Way" of reform. Now, we should all not jump to conclusions, but the possibility is there, and i would heartily welcome it.

NKHR On and Off the Agenda in SK
After earlier talk from within Korea about the need to change tactics on NKHR and recognizing the existence of abuses in NK, there has been a flurry of statements in the last week. It began with a S. Korean panel deciding to not make any judgment of NK human rights issues. This was followed Seoul Mayor and presidential hopeful Lee myung Bak making a few political statements, one of which called out the government for not doing anything about NKHR. Then, Chosun Ilbo came out with an editorial critcizing the way that Roh Moo Hyun's administration has "maneuvered to the sidelines" of the issue. This, as i take it, is not only refering to the actual move to not address NKHR as much as it is refering to the growing irrelevance on S. Korea in regards to the NKHR issue. The question is, will Roh do anything to save face on this issue in the international community (where he simply has none).

Crime Doesn't Pay
After China and Japan both confirmed the culpability of NK in the "Super Bill" scandal, the US Treasury Dept. sent officials to S. Korea to brief them on the situation (read: try to get them to stop being stoopid). Apparently, the briefing worked...to some extent. However, when the US asked that SK take measures to deal with the problem, it ended up causing a stir (note: the Chosun Ilbo's titles for both of those articles are simply rediculous. They are so one sided it is unbelievable.) Apparently, S. Korea doesn't like "meddling".

Links Galore

• Getting involved (and a big LiNK shoutout)
  
• That isn't quite minimum wage


• And the Silver Medal goes to KJI