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Economist (December 31)

2011/ 12/ 31 by jd in Global News

To die naturally without pain, Kim Jong Il was luckier than he deserved, given the pain and suffering he inflicted on an entire country. “The whole country was his movie set, where he could play God and have the people revere him.” Now his son looks set to become the new movie director. The show must not go on. Change mus be encouraged. “The regrettable truth is that not just China but also America (fearful of another global crisis), South Korea (fearful of the costs of adopting a country that seems alien to many young Koreans) and Japan (fearful of a united Korea) have propped up a murderous regime.”

 

Boston Globe (December 20)

2011/ 12/ 21 by jd in Global News

“The passing of Kim Jong Il…could provide a glimmer of hope for the North Korean people.” The Globe urges President Obama to send “a carefully worded message to the North Korean people acknowledging their leader’s passing.” The good will of this gesture and “the transition to a new leadership gives a small chance for a new beginning.”

 

Reuters (February 15)

2011/ 02/ 16 by jd in Global News

China has endorsed Kim Jong-il’s succession plans. China’s public security minister, Meng Jianzhu, publicly congratulated Kim’s youngest son Jong-un on his recent promotion to vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission. China’s endorsement of the North Korean dynasty appears to spring from “worries that any regime change in the North could cause a flood of refugees to cross its border, precipitate reunification of the peninsula on the South’s terms and bring American influence right up to its border.”

 

Washington Post (October 18)

2010/ 10/ 19 by jd in Global News

Newsweek editor Fareed Zakaria writes that the U.S., China and South Korea need to think hard about “the collapse of North Korea.” The extensive measures Kim Jong Il is taking to shore up his son as successor suggest instability. In addition to a bad economy, food shortages and famine, North Koreans are “beginning to learn more and more about the outside world.” With South Koreans earning $28,100 versus each North Korean’s $1,900, it is only a matter of time before “North Koreans are going to start moving south, to jobs, money, opportunity and freedom.” Unless plans are made now, there will be chaos with potential for “serious geopolitical instability.”

 

Chicago Tribune (August 30)

2010/ 08/ 31 by jd in Global News

If the Earth is ever invaded by aliens from another planet, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter would be the ideal negotiator. Carter negotiated the release of an American citizen with North Korea, making him “well-equipped to try to decipher the motives of strange aliens who do not behave according to our ideas of rationality.” This was not Carter’s first negotiation with North Korea. The strange thing this time was that Carter was invited by Kim Jong Il, who bizarrely travelled to China during Carter’s visit. Go figure…or rather don’t even try.

If the Earth is ever invaded by aliens from another planet, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter would be the ideal negotiator. Carter just negotiated the release of an American citizen with North Korea, making him “well-equipped to try to decipher the motives of strange aliens who do not behave according to our ideas of rationality.” This was not Carter’s first negotiation with North Korea. The strange thing this time was that Carter was invited by Kim Jong Il, who bizarrely travelled to China during Carter’s visit. Go figure…or rather don’t even try.

 

Wall Street Journal (June 3)

2010/ 06/ 06 by jd in Global News

An opinion piece declares the sinking of the South Korean naval warship Cheonan qualifies as a war crime and should be prosecuted. “Kim may have exposed himself for the first time to international justice” and deserves to be tried by the International Criminal Court. In 1953, North Korea signed an armistice promising to cease hostilities with South Korea. Since the North did not first warn the South that it would break the peace agreement, the deadly torpedo strike against the Cheonan qualifies as treacherous act meeting the war crime definition.

 

Forbes (May 17) Forbes (May 17)

2010/ 05/ 18 by jd in Global News

The sinking of South Korea’s Cheonan naval vessel killing 46 sailors was “the entirely predictable outcome of an abrupt shift in North-South relations.” Since election, South Korean President Lee has reversed agreements reached by his predecessor Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong II. A cycle of claims and counterclaims ensued, with each country blaming the other for violating its maritime zone. On November 10, Kim Jong-II visited a naval base and called for heroes “for do-or-die squads at sea.” The editorial suggests that “the only way to fix things is to try negotiating.” Threats and punishments are unlikely to work. North Korea will simply take bigger risks.

The sinking of South Korea’s Cheonan naval vessel killing 46 sailors was “the entirely predictable outcome of an abrupt shift in North-South relations.” Since election, South Korean President Lee has reversed agreements reached by his predecessor Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong II. A cycle of claims and counterclaims ensued, with each country blaming the other for violating its maritime zone. On November 10, Kim Jong-II visited a naval base and called for heroes “for do-or-die squads at sea.” The editorial suggests that “the only way to fix things is to try negotiating.” Threats and punishments are unlikely to work. North Korea will simply take bigger risks.

 

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