Update: The restricted area where Park was shot is not even marked on this tourist map of the beach area, which gives the impression that the entire area is part of the resort. A Hankyoreh story recounts the experience of an early morning jogger who was detained by two soldiers after passing a guard post near the second Geumgang Bridge within the resort complex.
The Chosun Ilbo has drawn a map of the area where Park Wang-ja was shot. A green metal fence extends across much of the beach, stopping at a sandbar that is passable at low tide. A close-up photo of the right side of the fence and the sandbar can be seen here. The Hankyoreh has a better map showing the approximate location of the South Korean witness to the shooting and the photo of the tiny “Do not enter” sign on the far left of the green fence. A number of tourists have crossed into the forbidden area, including a group six people who joined Ms. Park on the same tour, according to the Hankyoreh. Last year a minister was detained and released with a warning.
Unification Ministry Spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun questions whether the North’s version of the shooting is possible:
“If the North Korean allegation were to be true, Ms. Park should have walked a total distance of 3 to 3.3 km (at a speed of 9 to 10 km per hour) — 706m from her hotel to the beach entrance, 428m to the military fence, 1,200m beyond the fence, and 1,000m back toward the fence.”
Kim said, “But there was only a 20-minute difference between the time of her departure from the hotel as recorded on the hotel’s CCTV system (4:30 a.m. on Friday) and the North Korean side’s allegation of Park’s time of death (4:50 a.m. the same day). We can hardly understand the North Korean side’s explanation, considering that Park, a woman in her 50s who must have walked wearing a skirt, had walked on a sandy beach.”
I don’t know if Ms. Park was wearing a skirt, but it would take a very fit person to move 9-10 km (6 miles) per hour on sand, considering that the average person walks 5 km (3-3.5 miles) per hour on a flat surface.
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She might have been jogging. In any case, by shooting on a tourist North Korea and not allowing an investigation it broke a treaty that it has signed with South Korea.
The professional candle light protesters along with their parties are blaming Lee Myung Bak and GNP for not having a close communication with North Korea, and for having inadequate safety programs for the tourists. They also blame the GNP for the worsening relationship with North Korea, and question Lee’s leadership on North Korea policy.
Sickening but not surprised.
sand jogging?
She went out to watch the sun rise. Her friend also went one day prior and told her about it. She wanted to experience the same. Mt.Geumgang is a spiritual place for Koreans. It’s not unusual for South Korean tourists to rise early to watch the sun rise.
Jogging? No.
Lee Myung Bak nor his polices did not shoot the woman in the back, North Korean soldiers did. For any South Korean to make such a remark is dishonest, low and mean.
Koreans in North and South are authoritarians. And deep down, the South Koreans have a respect for people who don’t mess around. They’d rather blame one of their own for what happened.
#3,
Ironically, weren’t these safety measures set up during the Roh and Kim governments?
#3,
Never saw ‘Chariots of Fire’?
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=.....re=related
At #7,
Was replying to #2.
I doubt there will be much public outcry over this, simply due to protest fatigue. After two months of storming city hall I suspect it will take a lot for the public to get charged up about anything for at least six months.
I hope Lee pulls all the plugs on North Korea. Sunshine was a good idea but it didn’t work. The North has only given a few “shows” after getting a crap load of money from the South. All any support for the North does is prolong the suffering of those under its thrall. I say pull all economic ties and aid that is being used primarily to bolster the DPNK. A few people may starve to death faster in the short term, but I think less will die and be abused overall in the long term. Once the army and inner party members start to go hungry it will be the end.
Sadly I think that the South Korean government, in its heart of hearts, no longer wants the North to fall. The day it does the South will be constitutionally required to absorb it. As when the Germanies re-united it will cause a massive, (larger as the north is poorer,) economic hit on the South. I think many of the powers that be would rather avoid endangering the Souths economy than deal with rebuilding the North.
“Lee Myung Bak nor his polices did not shoot the woman in the back, North Korean soldiers did. For any South Korean to make such a remark is dishonest, low and mean.”
Tell that to one of the UDP spokesman in today’s MBN interview. He blamed it all on Lee’s fucked up North Korea isolation policy. Not one word nor criticism of North Korea’s uncooperative attitude and their heavy handedness. Instead, he defended the NK soldiers as doing what they were trained to do.
This will be used to attack politically by progressive forces. Lee just can’t get any break. It’s one crisis after another and his administration is barely 4 months old.
Wouldn’t it have been wise to put a “Do not enter” sign at the end of the gate where the sandbar starts?
I know they have to think of the tide, but they could have put up a warning sign saying something like “Do not pass over the sandbar; your entering into the North Korea.” (In Korean and in English)
If they don’t do something like that NOW something is really wrong.
# 11 Will you please stop referring to these fascists as progressives, socialists, communists, leftists, whatever! They are nothing of the kind. They are xenophobic enthnocentrists, nothing more, nothing less.
12. Dung by any other name should smell just as foul.
Although I disagree with the North’s official explanation, I’ve also learned that older Koreans are far more fit than the “average” person. Just head down to your local park’s workout area at 7am and count the number of adjummas and adjosshis doing the hip-twist or leg-press.
I’m a runner and 10km is my warmup and cool down speed. On a beach that would take some effort for 20 min, not including getting around the fence.
UDP? Ah, you mean the infamous “United Dung Party”!
How much light is there at that time of the morning in those parts? Would the soldiers have been able to clearly identify her?
Also, in the map, it seems that she is moving towards the border to go south. Wouldn’t it be perfectly normal to shoot someone trying to escape?
According to the North, she was moving south. However, their version of events does not seem probable with the 20-minute time frame. The Korean media is reporting that a CCTV camera was installed at the fence and should have been able to capture images of Ms. Park in the area and possibly the shooting. The North Koreans are refusing to allow the South to investigate the area of the shooting, and as long as they do, their account shouldn’t be taken at face value. The sun rises a little after 5 AM, and Ms. Park was shot at 4:50. Twenty minutes before sunrise would have been adequate light to see who she was.
“Wouldn’t it be perfectly normal to shoot someone trying to escape?”
Escape to where? A hotel complex which also happens to have North Korean authorities? The Geumgang facility is in North Korea too.
Hyundai Asan has requested from North Korea, a CCTV video which probably recorded what happened at that time. Don’t bet on North Korea cooperating.
Asked a small group of five ladies about who was at fault for the incident — the woman or the North Koreans? Three stated the North was at fault, one said the woman and one said “I don’t know about the incident.” (In Korean-speak, “I don’t know” means “no comment.”)
Thus my unofficial survey says 60 percent of Koreans find the North at fault, 20 percent find the woman causing the incident and 20 percent having no opinion. (Margin of error: off the charts)
What bothered me is that lady that blamed the woman — when subjected to questioning of her belief — was found to be parroting the old misinformation she had read in the newspapers or seen on the internet — and had not seen the latest photos of the well-lighted site at 5 am with low 1-3 foot mounds that were called “sand dunes” in the media. She actually believed the woman had scaled the fence. How many more of these folks are out there now?
#12 “Wouldn’t it have been wise to put a “Do not enter” sign at the end of the gate where the sandbar starts?”
Yes, but that would have involved some pre-planning. Also, an underling would not have taken the initiative to do it. Also, it’s best not to disturb one’s senior with any ideas for improvement.
So it didn’t get done.
“Koreans in North and South are authoritarians.”
yeah.. please tell that to the candlelight people.
you know, it took about 3 days for Hyundai Asan to finally put a little blurb on their website about this.
i wonder what kind of compensation they will give to the woman’s family, because so far, there is zero talks about this. It looks like Hyundai Asan is trying to dodge the bullet. Funny thing is, if they shift the blame to DPRK then, their gravy train will come to an end. It looks like they are going to hide behind South Korean government’s skirt.
@#20 cm,
of course they will provide the CCTV video.
KJI will get his actresses and actors to perform the missing ‘warning shot’ and the clear yelling to the ajumma to stop.
don’t you remember when they provided japan with the ashes of megumi?
with all due respect to the ajumma and her family as this was just a tragedy……i honestly do wish that she was an american citizen and reagan was the president.
i just can’t believe that this is getting no play in the international media.
It is getting play in the international media. Even China is covering the story with sympathetic photos of the grieving husband and son.
james, i wouldn’t be so optimistic…
After panmunjom, US reaction? nada
After USS Pueblo, US reaction? nada
But what about ROK’s raction?
DPRK commandos infiltrate and try to assassinate South Korean president, ROK reaction? nada
DPRK assassins kills ROK First Lady, SOuth Korean reaction? nada
DPRK assassins bombs south korean cabinet members in burmese shrine, ROK reaction? nada
DPRK assassins bomb south korean passenger jet prior to 1988 olympics, ROK reaction? nada
DPRK… man, this can go on forever…
but of course, both US and ROK presidents wanted to avoid war…
If DPRK soldier shot american citizen, only thing US would do is maybe stop sending them rice…
well, actually, i’m not entirely being truthful. after DPRK tried to assassinate South Korean president, US and SOuth Korea started having the massive wargames that pisses off KJI for years and years. ROK/US actually decreases and increases the scale of those military exercizes.
#25: “don’t you remember when they provided japan with the ashes of megumi?”
http://www.time.com/time/magaz.....08,00.html
RIP, Park Wang-ja, Megumi Yokota, and all other victims of the Norks.
don’t forget lee sung bok. 10 year old boy gatted for saying he hates commies.
http://www.koreascope.com/bbs/.....rovocation
Koreans are nuts. Not a day goes by where I can’t wake to another embarassing action by a Korean.
They’ve urbanized way too fast, and their limited experience with the modern world can’t keep pace with their ill-conceived thoughts and ideas…that’s why so many things they do are just plain wrong, zany, mystifying, or all of the above.
marmot, is post 31 still the norm on your blog?
@ #29 user-81
”
and all other victims of the Norks.
”
you mean everyone in NK:
- that is not living in Pyongyang
- somehow a direct official party member
- in the military
#33, “RIP” is rest in peace, for the dead. But I feel sympathy for all NK victims, living or dead, including who you mentioned.
#34,
Sorry for being so anal, but RIP is from the latin, “requiescat in pace”.
…Latin, sorry.
“Koreans in North and South are authoritarians.”
“yeah.. please tell that to the candlelight people.”
Virtualwanderer, you obviously are unaware that one side of authoritarianism is contempt for people who don’t exercise their authority. “At your feet or at your throats” is how Churchill famously put it (in regard to another authoritarian people).
I have found some information that covers up with common sense and I think is true. I also agree with CM about the intention of NK to discredit 2MB.
According to them not an infantryman has shot Mrs. Park down, but a special squad, called “Mt. Geumgang Garrison”, which were notorious with “their violence or giving and receiving money”.
(I wonder what bastard you should be to be corrupted and violent in a country like North Korea. It’s like being open-minded in Holland)
The following are some quotes from defectors that have served in NK’s army:
“A Civilian Police Unit is not formed for defense, so in the case of an emergency, for an immediate response, the smallest battle unit of three people each is formed… Lying in ambush or for inspections also operates three people to one group; however this is not just an average infantry unit;…”
“In the case of an average infantryman, they can fire an actual shot only after a warning. However, the Civilian Police Unit can fire immediately while omitting the warning shot.”
“It is not the first time that South Korean tourists have entered restricted areas and there have been several incidents like this, but a North Korean soldier has never fired a gunshot. If it is true that warning shots were not fired, but actual shots were fired, then it is highly possible that this incident was carefully planned.”
“Average North Korean infantrymen do not have orders to aim at civilians, and they cannot independently decide to shot a South Korean civilian, which would always erupt into a political issue.”
“In order to strike the target with an AK-47 rifle, a person needs to be within a 100 meter distance. Such a technique surpasses the standard of average North Korean infantrymen.”
“If North Korea, according to a particular political goal, needed to detain or execute a South Korean citizen, the Mt. Geumgang tourism area is probably the most suitable. In the tourism area, the ideologically and militarily elite soldiers are arrayed, while South Korean citizens are exposed in a defenseless state.”
BINGO!
I think this pretty much solves the case.
The whole article could be found at:
http://www.dailynk.com/english.....p;num=3859
I think it deserves a separate thread… I hope Marmot thinks so too.
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