By SHELTON BUMGARNER
Marmot’s Hole Guest Blogger
It’s Kang Chol Hwan’s world now, we just live in it.
Early in the week, Kang met for almost an hour with U.S. President George W. Bush, along with his top security advisors.
On Monday, Mr. Kang, 37, received the ultimate book endorsement when he was ushered into the Oval Office for a 40-minute meeting with Mr. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and the national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley. On June 10, Mr. Bush had allotted only a few more minutes for a meeting with South Korea’s president, Roh Moo Hyun.
Is it possible that it will be human rights, not A-bombs that will cause the Bush Adminstration to lurch towards some sort of military action against the DPRK?
Now a celebrity in the defector community, Mr. Kang said he hoped he could get the United States to put more pressure on North Korea over the human rights issue.
Mr. Kang wrote of the power of listening to foreign radio programs in a country where state-supplied radios received only the official station. “If the U.S. can persuade people that concentration camps are destroying families,” he said, “it could work against Kim Jong Il much more quickly than the nuclear issue.”
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A bit later in the week, another meeting of potential great signifiance for the ultimate fate of the Korean peninsula was occurring in the same city where Kang used to tend tropical fish as a boy — Pyongyang.
The meeting between representatives of the ROK and the DPRK was part of the overall celebrations marking the 5th anniversary of the landmark meeting between the two nations in 2000.
A flurry of significant events surrounding the meeting occured suddenly after, well, someone from the DPRK stopped ROK Unification Mister Chung Dong Young while he was jogging around Pyongyang.
This behavior on the part of The Dear Leader, led the Chosun Ilbo to write in a house editorial:
The discussions aside, the time has come for us to think about Kim Jong-il’s way of treating South Korean leaders. That Kim behaves like some potentate granting an audience at the last moment and without giving any advance notice whether he will meet senior South Korean officials does not conform to our traditional etiquette, to say nothing of international diplomatic protocol. They present a pitiful sight, our leaders, hankering after an audience with Kim Jong-il and waiting upon the pleasure of the great man. It is difficult to see how they could under these circumstances have gone into the meeting thoroughly prepared and with a steady heart.
Before too long, Kim Jong-Il had not only granted an audience to Chung, he was coyly suggesting Americans could get everything they want simply by whispering diplomatic sweet nothings.
The week ended with the revelation that Charles Robert Jenkins, the U.S. G.I deserter who returned to the U.S.A during the week to visit his 91-year-old mother for the first time in 40 years, was at one point the Brad Pitt of the DPRK.
This week’s, “Korea, Assignment of Choice” moment is provided by the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, who told us via email:
Unfortunately the Embassy does not have any July 4th events that are
open to the public. We suggest that you check with the American Chamber
of Commerce.
16 Comments
This week?€™s, ?€œKorea, Assignment of Choice?€? moment is provided by the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, who told us via email…What is the purpose/idea/motivation behind this recurrent “Korea, Assignment of Choice” moment?
He’s conflated the concepts of voluntarily coming to Korea to teach English and getting dispatched here against his will by the US Army. And therefore, he feels cheated out of the Embassy Fourth of July Party (it’s no great shakes, trust me) since it’s not open to the public but is invitation-only.
BREAKING NEWS!
S. Korean Soldier Opens Fire, Kills Eight
Oops. Here’s the link…
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.....0106190153
You’re link doesn’t work, but this one does.
This week?€™s, ?€œKorea, Assignment of Choice?€? moment is provided by the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, who told us via email?€?
Well, I think that the week’s up, isn’t it?
Thanks Kushibo
By the way, did you notice that Ahn Jung-hwan is doing a little moonlighting (news photography) between soccer matches?
I think the base is open on July 4 to people with U.S. passports. I’ve been to festivities on South Post before. Does anyone know for sure about this year?
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