Timely insights from respected Korea-watchers.
Some pieces appear in current publications, others have been made available to HHK/Catacombs for dissemination.
The first food revolutions of our Malthusian era have exposed the weak grip of authoritarian regimes in poor countries that import grain, whether in North Africa today or parts of Asia tomorrow.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10163270903087147 Abstract It is often argued that the North Korean regime, if faced with the right combination of pressure and concessions, will surrender its nuclear program. This article is critical of this viewpoint. Pyongyang’s decision to go nuclear reflects long-term strategic concerns, and no amount of aid and payments will compensate for the loss of …
(AFP) – 16 hours ago VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI prayed for God to punish the world’s “oppressors” and bring about “true brotherhood” between peoples in his traditional Christmas message in Saint Peter’s basilica. “Lord make your promise come finally true. Break the rods of the oppressors. Burn the tramping boots. Let the time …
Pope condemns ‘oppressors’ in Christmas message–AFP Read More »
Is China Enabling or Reining in North Korea? State Councillor Dai Bingguo meets with North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il in the wake of N.Korea’s artillery barrage of Yeonpyong Island, So. Korea.
Bryan Kay 28 Nov 2010 It is a scene of utter destruction: the lives of a tiny community of fishermen and farmers shattered in a hail of artillery fire. Their tight-knit community – homes, stores and public buildings – has become a scene of war, with structures burned, flattened and destroyed. Those left standing are …
THE YEONPYEONG ISLAND INCIDENT: WHY IT HAPPENED, WHY NOTHING CAN BE DONE, AND WHAT TO EXPECT: SOME THOUGHTS. by Andrei Lankov So North Korea did it again. In late March a North Korean submarine sunk a South Korean warship. This time North Korean policy planners decided to try something new. On the afternoon of the …
