Comments on: Inside-the-Beltway KCNA? http://www.rjkoehler.com/2004/01/22/inside-the-beltway-kcna/ Korea... in Blog Format Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:50:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Kevin Kim http://www.rjkoehler.com/2004/01/22/inside-the-beltway-kcna/#comment-1601 Kevin Kim Sat, 24 Jan 2004 04:44:32 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=480#comment-1601 The only markets that seem to be on the rise in NK are the so-called farmer's markets, which are in many cases synonymous with black markets, given the material they're selling (e.g. hoarded food aid). Whether these markets, with their patchy and often-secretive nature, are contributing in some significant way to the larger economy of NK is, to put it mildly, debatable. As for market "reforms"... I remain highly, highly skeptical. There's little indication that projects along the lines of Shinuiju or the Najin-Sonbong Free Trade/Economic Zone have done much except act as magnets for flailing ineptitude and corruption. Rule of thumb: Pyongyang is NOT an indicator of how the country as a whole is doing. It's a Potemkin village writ large. It would be naive to view it as anything else. Just my 25 won. Kevin The only markets that seem to be on the rise in NK are the so-called farmer’s markets, which are in many cases synonymous with black markets, given the material they’re selling (e.g. hoarded food aid). Whether these markets, with their patchy and often-secretive nature, are contributing in some significant way to the larger economy of NK is, to put it mildly, debatable.

As for market “reforms”… I remain highly, highly skeptical. There’s little indication that projects along the lines of Shinuiju or the Najin-Sonbong Free Trade/Economic Zone have done much except act as magnets for flailing ineptitude and corruption.

Rule of thumb: Pyongyang is NOT an indicator of how the country as a whole is doing. It’s a Potemkin village writ large. It would be naive to view it as anything else.

Just my 25 won.

Kevin

]]> By: The Marmot http://www.rjkoehler.com/2004/01/22/inside-the-beltway-kcna/#comment-1600 The Marmot Fri, 23 Jan 2004 23:04:28 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=480#comment-1600 Haisan, my biggest problem with Pritchard is that he went to the NYT (no deadline in his case) and aired a very public critique (in the NYT!) of the Administration's North Korea policy right after a very public visit to North Korea. Frankly, I didn't like it when Rep. Weldon did the same thing -- and he's a member of the GOP. Nor did I particularly like it when Congressional Republicans were giving President Clinton a tough time while he was in the middle of negotiations with the North Koreans, even if I did agree with the comments they were making. It's difficult enough as it is negotiating with the North Koreans even without giving them potential fodder and/or reason to miscalculate. BTW, I'll be curious to see those reports on North Korea's economic recovery. Personally, I believe that North Korea's "market reforms" have been so marginal, and its economic collapse so severe, that improvements -- if, in fact, they do exist -- are simply foreign aid illusions. Still, I could be wrong -- like you said, who knows what's going on up there. Haisan, my biggest problem with Pritchard is that he went to the NYT (no deadline in his case) and aired a very public critique (in the NYT!) of the Administration’s North Korea policy right after a very public visit to North Korea. Frankly, I didn’t like it when Rep. Weldon did the same thing — and he’s a member of the GOP. Nor did I particularly like it when Congressional Republicans were giving President Clinton a tough time while he was in the middle of negotiations with the North Koreans, even if I did agree with the comments they were making. It’s difficult enough as it is negotiating with the North Koreans even without giving them potential fodder and/or reason to miscalculate.

BTW, I’ll be curious to see those reports on North Korea’s economic recovery. Personally, I believe that North Korea’s “market reforms” have been so marginal, and its economic collapse so severe, that improvements — if, in fact, they do exist — are simply foreign aid illusions. Still, I could be wrong — like you said, who knows what’s going on up there.

]]> By: haisan http://www.rjkoehler.com/2004/01/22/inside-the-beltway-kcna/#comment-1599 haisan Fri, 23 Jan 2004 08:23:30 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=480#comment-1599 I appreciate the context, Ryan, but I still think you are discounting the fact that these folks saw Pyeongyang several years ago and are seeing it now and the two are quite different. This is more than a new coat of paint. It could very well be that the North's "market reforms", however marginal, have had an effect. Then again, there have been yet another round of famine-watch calls coming from various aid groups this winter. So who knows what is going on up there. I still think you are reading too much into his story. These guys (the writers) have tight deadlines and space considerations and have to move fast... then get edited fast. I appreciate the context, Ryan, but I still think you are discounting the fact that these folks saw Pyeongyang several years ago and are seeing it now and the two are quite different. This is more than a new coat of paint. It could very well be that the North’s “market reforms”, however marginal, have had an effect.

Then again, there have been yet another round of famine-watch calls coming from various aid groups this winter. So who knows what is going on up there.

I still think you are reading too much into his story. These guys (the writers) have tight deadlines and space considerations and have to move fast… then get edited fast.

]]> By: usinkorea http://www.rjkoehler.com/2004/01/22/inside-the-beltway-kcna/#comment-1598 usinkorea Fri, 23 Jan 2004 08:08:41 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=480#comment-1598 I think the problem is --- nobody is willing to say nothing effective can be done. Elected officials and the State Department don't get paid to think that way, and it seems neither does the press. What is worse, the press and the people outside the administration (whether Bush or Clinton) like to pretend to people that either they have the answer to the problem or simply that the problem should be found - if the current administration would just get off its butt. Nothing is going to stop NK from getting its nuclear deterent, because there is no effective means to stop them. As long as China and South Korea and at times others are willing to keep North Korea alive, we can't force them to change or collapse, and bombing and paying them off aren't going to get things done either or come at too high a price. North Korea is thus in control of its fate to a large messure no matter what we do. All the talk in the world isn't going to change these facts.... I think the problem is — nobody is willing to say nothing effective can be done. Elected officials and the State Department don’t get paid to think that way, and it seems neither does the press. What is worse, the press and the people outside the administration (whether Bush or Clinton) like to pretend to people that either they have the answer to the problem or simply that the problem should be found - if the current administration would just get off its butt. Nothing is going to stop NK from getting its nuclear deterent, because there is no effective means to stop them. As long as China and South Korea and at times others are willing to keep North Korea alive, we can’t force them to change or collapse, and bombing and paying them off aren’t going to get things done either or come at too high a price. North Korea is thus in control of its fate to a large messure no matter what we do. All the talk in the world isn’t going to change these facts….

]]> By: Ryan http://www.rjkoehler.com/2004/01/22/inside-the-beltway-kcna/#comment-1597 Ryan Fri, 23 Jan 2004 07:35:03 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=480#comment-1597 Great piece and great site! The links to other pieces were interesting, and I'm glad to see people are actually concerned with Pritchard's and Kessler's little exercise. I think many people might think I came down hard on Kessler. I think he's been getting it pretty easy, considering. It's not that the account Kessler reported was his, or even that he was reporting something so blatantly false. The basic reporting of an account of a guided tour through Pyongyang was probably true. As in many things, it's the context. The North Koreans feel they are in a position of weakness in their negotiations with us. Right or wrong, they seem to feel we think the communist system is collapsing and they probably won't be around in a few years. So, the masters of Pyongyang call up their good buddies from the last Administration's diplomatic corps, and give him the Potemkin treatment. "Look," they say to Pritchard, "See how strong communism feeds the people and how perpetual the Party is." Pritchard dutifully gives the communists' propaganda to his own friends in the Washington press corps, and Glenn Kessler picks it up. Kessler knows the claims are laughable, and that the supplied premise that the communists are strong and we should pay them off because they're not going away is laughable. He, like everyone else, knows that the North is on edge, and that it may even be likely that they are analogous to Eastern Europe in 1989 (or not, but a possibility). Instead of providing perspective to his readers, Kessler reports the North Korean propaganda line without any qualification whatsoever. With full knowledge that it is an attempt by the North Koreans to manipulate U.S. negotiators. With full knowledge that hundreds of thousands are dying and millions more are facing the same fate if the communists stay in control. With full knowledge that what he is writing is a denial of the truth. The reason I used the Walter Duranty comparison is that Duranty's minders perfected the technique the North Koreans used on Pritchard. Duranty didn't see starvation in 1932-33 because he didn't want to question the obviously arranged scenes that were presented to him. When evidence of their falsity and the true suffering of the people of the Soviet Union was force-fed to him, he balked at reporting it. Kessler is getting off easy, any paper worth the ink used to print it would have fired him by now. P.S. By the way, "John in Tokyo" is right, Kessler falsely attributed a statement to the Adminsitration, then went on to take some "liberties" with some quotes. Powerline blog has a detailed write-up on the piece. Again, a less-entrenched reporter would be looking for work right now. Great piece and great site! The links to other pieces were interesting, and I’m glad to see people are actually concerned with Pritchard’s and Kessler’s little exercise.

I think many people might think I came down hard on Kessler. I think he’s been getting it pretty easy, considering. It’s not that the account Kessler reported was his, or even that he was reporting something so blatantly false. The basic reporting of an account of a guided tour through Pyongyang was probably true.

As in many things, it’s the context.

The North Koreans feel they are in a position of weakness in their negotiations with us. Right or wrong, they seem to feel we think the communist system is collapsing and they probably won’t be around in a few years. So, the masters of Pyongyang call up their good buddies from the last Administration’s diplomatic corps, and give him the Potemkin treatment.

“Look,” they say to Pritchard, “See how strong communism feeds the people and how perpetual the Party is.”

Pritchard dutifully gives the communists’ propaganda to his own friends in the Washington press corps, and Glenn Kessler picks it up. Kessler knows the claims are laughable, and that the supplied premise that the communists are strong and we should pay them off because they’re not going away is laughable. He, like everyone else, knows that the North is on edge, and that it may even be likely that they are analogous to Eastern Europe in 1989 (or not, but a possibility).

Instead of providing perspective to his readers, Kessler reports the North Korean propaganda line without any qualification whatsoever. With full knowledge that it is an attempt by the North Koreans to manipulate U.S. negotiators. With full knowledge that hundreds of thousands are dying and millions more are facing the same fate if the communists stay in control. With full knowledge that what he is writing is a denial of the truth.

The reason I used the Walter Duranty comparison is that Duranty’s minders perfected the technique the North Koreans used on Pritchard. Duranty didn’t see starvation in 1932-33 because he didn’t want to question the obviously arranged scenes that were presented to him. When evidence of their falsity and the true suffering of the people of the Soviet Union was force-fed to him, he balked at reporting it.

Kessler is getting off easy, any paper worth the ink used to print it would have fired him by now.

P.S. By the way, “John in Tokyo” is right, Kessler falsely attributed a statement to the Adminsitration, then went on to take some “liberties” with some quotes. Powerline blog has a detailed write-up on the piece. Again, a less-entrenched reporter would be looking for work right now.

]]> By: haisan http://www.rjkoehler.com/2004/01/22/inside-the-beltway-kcna/#comment-1596 haisan Fri, 23 Jan 2004 06:56:40 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=480#comment-1596 their there... spelling screw-ups galore. their there… spelling screw-ups galore.

]]> By: haisan http://www.rjkoehler.com/2004/01/22/inside-the-beltway-kcna/#comment-1595 haisan Fri, 23 Jan 2004 06:54:11 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=480#comment-1595 Why the hell get mad at Kessler or Pritchard? I don't see anything inflamatory in his article. Pritchard has been to Pyeongyang before, but this time he (and the other delegates) saw a lot of changes -- the power was on, the stores had a lot of goods on the shelves. So either North Korea is less of an economic basket case than it was a few years ago (as many have asserted in recent discussions around here) or else they have gotten better at keeping up appearances (possible, but unlikely in my wimpy opinion). From their, it seems the point of Kessler and Pritchard was that North Korea is developing nukes and it needs to be dealt with firmly and swiftly... hardly a lefty, pro-communist position. I think some "conservatives" around here getting carried away their press bias paranoia. Why the hell get mad at Kessler or Pritchard? I don’t see anything inflamatory in his article. Pritchard has been to Pyeongyang before, but this time he (and the other delegates) saw a lot of changes — the power was on, the stores had a lot of goods on the shelves. So either North Korea is less of an economic basket case than it was a few years ago (as many have asserted in recent discussions around here) or else they have gotten better at keeping up appearances (possible, but unlikely in my wimpy opinion).

From their, it seems the point of Kessler and Pritchard was that North Korea is developing nukes and it needs to be dealt with firmly and swiftly… hardly a lefty, pro-communist position.

I think some “conservatives” around here getting carried away their press bias paranoia.

]]> By: The Marmot http://www.rjkoehler.com/2004/01/22/inside-the-beltway-kcna/#comment-1594 The Marmot Fri, 23 Jan 2004 02:38:14 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=480#comment-1594 Personally, I'm not going to come down too hard on Kessler -- he was, after all, only summarizing what Pritchard had said. My disgust is with Pritchard himself -- aside from the fact that I highly disagree with his comments on Bush's North Korea policy, the way in which he went about voicing said comments was very unhelpful. I just took a look at the Chosun Ilbo's Korean-language report on the NYT piece, so if the North Koreans haven't picked up on this yet, they will now. Personally, I’m not going to come down too hard on Kessler — he was, after all, only summarizing what Pritchard had said. My disgust is with Pritchard himself — aside from the fact that I highly disagree with his comments on Bush’s North Korea policy, the way in which he went about voicing said comments was very unhelpful. I just took a look at the Chosun Ilbo’s Korean-language report on the NYT piece, so if the North Koreans haven’t picked up on this yet, they will now.

]]> By: John in Tokyo http://www.rjkoehler.com/2004/01/22/inside-the-beltway-kcna/#comment-1593 John in Tokyo Fri, 23 Jan 2004 01:35:41 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=480#comment-1593 Isn't Kessler the one who wrote the other day claiming the Bush had labeled Iraq and "imminent" threat? I usually don't go for over the top rhetoric and likening him to Duranty is over the top. Duranty was a Commie sympathizer but I doubt that this guy is a Juche adherant. I don't think one can simply blame him for having different opinions about N. Korea policy. But on reading your post, I think it actaully is not that far off the mark afterall. Isn’t Kessler the one who wrote the other day claiming the Bush had labeled Iraq and “imminent” threat? I usually don’t go for over the top rhetoric and likening him to Duranty is over the top. Duranty was a Commie sympathizer but I doubt that this guy is a Juche adherant. I don’t think one can simply blame him for having different opinions about N. Korea policy. But on reading your post, I think it actaully is not that far off the mark afterall.

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