North Korea has apparently modified its legal code to make it more “market friendly” while at the same time strengthening social controls. Read the entire Korea Times piece if you will, or just look at the nifty little graphic they provided, which I have shamelessly ripped off and posted below:
Personally, I was more excited when I heard the new Turkish eatery near my house did falafel than I was when I heard the North Koreans had changed their criminal code. Or, to borrow the words of Professor Ryoo Kihl-jae of the Graduate School of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University:
“I don’t think the criminal law is important in North Korea,” Ryoo said in another telephone interview. “They can punish whoever they want by using other means. Pyongyang is using the revision as a showcase to make the world aware of the reforms of its legal system.”
Much more interesting was news that film director Park Chan-wook of JSA and Oldboy fame, singer Kang San-e (who did a really great cover of one of my favorite Kim Gwang-seok songs, Neomu apeun sarang-eun, sarang-i ani-eosseum-eul) and some other arts and culture folk would issue a declaration Thursday calling for the legalization of marijuana in Korea. They also intend to support actress Kim Bu-seon’s legal petition calling for a judgment on the constitutionally of Korea’s drug law, something that was covered quite well by Hamel on this very blog. Korea’s “netizens” have already started debating the issue — no real need to translate, as the arguments are pretty much what you’ve seen in other countries discussing pot legalization.
Now, unlike Hamel, I’m very much in favor of pot legalization, and view this as a positive development. Besides, with the North Koreans trying to boost their hemp production, perhaps pot legalization in the South could pave the way for some real “intra-Korean economic cooperation.” Would beat the hell out of North Korea exporting chickens and ducks, that’s for sure.
10 Comments
Legalise Tae Ma Cho dammit.
Which place has falafel? You’re near Yongsan, no?
Asia by Blog
Asia by Blog is a twice weekly feature, usually posted on Monday and Thursday, providing links to Asian blogs and their views on the news in this fascinating region. Previous editions can be found here. This edition contains China-Japan tensions, the f…
It would really be refreshing if the Norks’s purported “market opening reforms” were afforded the same dismissive treatment as window dressing by the pollyannas of appeasement in the ROK, (blue) USA and elsewhere
North Korea: Recent developments
Since initial reports about official portraits of Dear Leader Kim Jong Il disappearing from customary public places (see here and here), not much news has come out about what, specifically, is going on in the inner circle of government. Yesterday, NBC …
diet pills total lean side affects
In your free time, check out some information in the field of diet diet pills
Txs hldm sttgy
You are invited to take a look at the pages on txs hldm bt
no download
You are invited to check out some relevant information about gamble online
fahrenheit diet pill
Please visit some helpful info about stecker 2 diet pills
gnr dnr rl prtls wb
Take your time to visit some relevant information on jg nstntn pgn ntrnt