North Korean films - April 30th

I thought I would pass along this interesting event...

Illusive Utopia: Fifty Years of North Korean Film

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il, has personally sponsored and supervised the Pyongyang film industry. Dr. Suk-Young Kim, a Library of Congress Fellow, will discuss and display these unusual films, which are rarely screened in the U.S.

Monday, April 30, 6:00 p.m.
Kenney Auditorium

A small reception will follow the program
Please RSVP to mailto:uskoreainst@jhu.edu

Johns Hopkins University
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
1740 Massachusetts Ave

Photos from Kim Il-Sung's Birthday Party

The BBC has uploaded some photos from last Sunday's big birthday bash in North Korea. Included are shots of juche propaganda, sparsely cultivated land, rural villages along the pilgrimage route to Kim Il-Sung's birthplace and images from the festival that occurs every April 15th.

Although I'm sure propaganda (posters and such) seeps in through its mere presence, I believe the participatory rituals play an even greater role in inculcating a sense of national identity. The photo of the child (no more than 3 years old) dressed in a military uniform was particularly striking. The child, hardly even of speaking age, is being manipulated as a potential soldier. The idea of sacrifice for the nation is literally put upon him with this uniform before he has any notion of what the military is. The child is being socialized in the home - by his parents dressing him in the uniform, and by the community - through attending the festival. Other photos depict the Arirang games, wherein thousands of performers engage in telling the story of Korea's han - the deep pain associated with the division of the nation and hardship. (Apparently there was less of an Anti-American or militaristic emphasis to the highly choreographed performance.) The captions note that the games show (and I argue that they also create) a "unity of purpose - the suppression of the individual for the benefit of society as a whole" for performers and spectators alike. These photos provide a glimpse into the mechanisms through which North Korean patriotism is simultaneously created, codified and inculcated.

Also throughout these photos are indications of the state of North Korea. "Holiday traffic" limited to a handful of cars indicates fuel shortages and sparsely cultivated rural landscapes demonstrate potential food shortages. The decrepit village houses are a far cry from the gleaming high rises of Pyongyang. Still, the captions of the photos from the Arirang games indicate that North Koreans "believe they are the best in the world."

Although none of these images provide great new insights into North Korea (especially since Amelia already enlightened us about the flowers: Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia), they are still a valuable glimpse into the production of culture and nationalism in North Korea.

Brotherly Love

After five days of negotiations on food aid and Pyongyang's nuclear program, including an unscheduled fifth day of talks, South Korea has agreed to resume food aid to the North, which was suspended after Kim Jong-Il's regime conducted missile tests in July of 2006.

Seoul will send 400,000 tons of rice aid across the 38th Parallel in the spirit of "brotherly love," according to this article from BBC News. Delivery of the rice will be contingent on progress in the stalling 6PT dialogue, as was suggested by the statements of some South Korean officials from earlier this week.

This development puts another wrinkle in the debate over whether the North can be trusted and whether engagement is truly the best policy. While clearly rice aid is a humanitarian endeavor with no immediate bearing on the DPRK nuclear program, it is not clear that this much needed food will go to the right places. Given the class system in the North and the "military first" doctrine, I am not convinced that this rice will do all of the good that it can. Rather than help hungry people, it might just alleviate domestic pressure on a brutal regime.

Abe Interview

Here is an interview with PM Abe prior to his visit with President Bush this week. I'm not sure if he's trying to play nice before an important meeting, but the text of the interview indicates that he has fully retracted on his comfort woman stance. He basically says that he stands behind the Kono statement and that Japan must accept responsibility for past actions.

He also reiterated his desire to re-write Japan's constitution. Perhaps he's decided that he needs to pick his battles, and wants to conserve political capital for the constitutional amendment?

Manifestations of Korean Nationalism in Stuff Magazine's top 100 Sexiest Women

This Chosun Ilbo article brags about Kim Yun-Jin's ranking as the 88th Sexiest Woman, one spot above Lindsey Lohan, in Stuff magazine.

Now I'm not supporting these ranking (or the judging and quantifying of women or men on account of their physical appearance), however, I think it's another interesting venue through which to view manifestations of Korean nationalism. A Korean woman emerging as a celebrity, especially a beautiful celebrity, in the US is heralded as a victory for Korea -- another example of Korea's fixation with any example of Korean prominence in the international arena.

This also poses an interesting commentary on the evolution of gender expectations in Korea. Despite rapid changes in Korean society, the traditional cultural emphasis on chastity remains present, yet in this case (and many others) Kim Yun-Jin is given national praise for her sex appeal, complicating the expectations placed on Korean women.

Visiting Korea (or any Asian country) one easily notices the abundance of Caucasian models in advertisements, which to me, demonstrates the pervasiveness of the white standard of beauty. It is also evident that this standard is internalized by Korean women through skin whitening and eyelid crease-enhancing products. Given the prevalence of this standard, it's understandable that America's designation of Kim's appearance (albeit in an obscure magazine) as being beautiful is a victory for Korea, especially since ethnicity is such a part of Korean identity.

Still, even if it's a problematic designation in an obscure American magazine, I hope Kim Yun-Jin's international recognition as being beautiful will somehow chip away at the monolithic notion that white is somehow synonymous with beauty.

Wikipedia Entry on Sin Ch'aeho

I have just posted an entry on Sin Ch'aeho in Wikipedia. I still keep adding minor changes, so if you have any suggestions please let me know (or you can revise it directly).

North Korea reassures its commitment to shut down the nuclear reactor

According to this article, North Korea said it would invite UN atomic inspectors and discuss shutting down its nuclear reactor as soon as the banking dispute was resolved during the 4-day aid talks between South Korea and North Korea.

The meetings began on Wednesday, and will end on Saturday. On Thursday, North Korea's chief delegate promptly walked out of the meeting when the South raised the nuclear issue at the talks' opening session. It seems that walkout has become the North's strategy to resist other nations' pressure on shutting down the reactor. Very strange. What if South Korea loses patience on North Korea, and refuses to provide aids? Is North Korea going to blow up the atomic bomb? I don't think so.

But the two sides resumed talks on Friday.

Morality vs. Strategic Interests; Then vs. Now

A couple of current events in the news have caught my attention for their relevance to this past Wednesday's class. One, the recent move to strike the phrase "global war on terror" from the government docs, another a debate that has emerged in the conservative media following the VT massacre: Is our society becoming desensitized to "evil"?

Both of these issues, I think, relate to a rather interesting component of our discussion the other day: the duality of American influence in the world. We differentiated America's comparative advantage - its military capabilities and economic might that it uses to project its influence - from its "moral authority," which the U.S. seems to command, or at least demand, on the international scene, standing as defender and advocate of universal values like freedom, democracy, and human rights.

Some argued that Kwangju represented a point in the U.S.-ROK relationship's development at which these two components, which had previously been blurred together, separated from one another in the eyes of many Koreans. I'd like to take that a step further.

Without any specific evidence to back it up, and without delving into a Cold War history that I am not at all qualified to discuss, I suspect that Kwangju was part of a larger trend throughout the course of the Cold War in which U.S. moral authority and strategic interests and capability, which once blended together nicely, became increasingly distinguished, both domestically and abroad. Basically, it became clear that in many cases, protecting American strategic interests did not coincide with protecting the values that America held in such high esteem. Thus, through unpopular or controversial events like Vietnam, or Kwangju, or political dealings in Latin America, the U.S.'s monopoly on the global moral authority began to slip.

Once the Soviet Union fell, the "evil" had been defeated. America, the good guy, had prevailed, and the people cheered. But with this massive metamorphosis in the international system, the U.S.'s claim on moral superiority slipped even further because its strategic interests could not be masked as well as they were when they were carried out in opposition to a dangerous enemy. Stick with me, there's a point here...

Throughout the 90s and into the early 21st century, a new value set rose to international prominence via globalization: capitalism (a newer, better capitalism, which by and large stresses win-win exchanges, and seems to incorporate or facilitate many of the values championed by America). Common interest in economic development, and the political and social benefits that derive from it, emerged as a uniting force. This not only brought countries closer together economically, but also created convergence in terms of common values and interests. A new set of values began to emerge that put people on a level playing field morally (another way the world is flattening).

9/11 mixed things up a little bit. Global terrorism and religious extremism emerged as a powerful, evil enemy, and Uncle Sam once again was ready to lose the Stars 'n Stripe top hat for a white Stetson and a six-shooter. Unfortunately, I think the war in Iraq soon squandered the moral leadership we had temporarily regained.

So long story...err...not as long, recognizing this and the broader changes in the globalizing world, a domestic debate in the States is emerging (maybe "reemerging") over whether America is still "in the right" in terms of how it carries out its foreign policy. Progressives favor removing the grandiose terminology like the "global war on terror" from government docs to more accurately reflect the strategic priorities at stake and the diverse tactics used to achieve them. Concerned conservatives place this in a social context, instead of an international relations context, and question our society's moral fiber in the media. One side wants to acknowledge the divergence b/w two causes; the other sees them as one entity. I'm not sure where to come down on this.

Does our superior moral compass (if we have one) give us a free pass to do the things we do? Are we still the powerful good guy in a world of evil and amorality? Does the world need such a figure anymore? Does it want one?

In light of our discussions yesterday regarding the impact that the most recent school killer's nationality is having on both perceptions of him and perceptions of Koreans in America...

One of my friends is Korean, and her last name is Cho. She lives in Colorado, went to the same high school as me. Apparently, while she was working, someone came up to her and, seeing that she was Asian and her last name (on her nametag) was Cho asked her if she was related to the killer.

I think that, depressingly, for some, this tragedy will have an impact on how they view all Asians.

Virginia - the hotbed of white supremacy

Here is an article from the Chosun Ilbo regarding the effects on immigration on the Korean-American population. It talks about the regular issues dealing with the stress of immigration, etc.

But the part that I found interesting was a quote that said that Virginia has a comparatively high component of white supremacy, which could have contributed to Cho's troubles. We touched a little bit on the idea of generalizing races and nationalities, and I found this one amusing. I'm not sure if any of you have been to Centreville, where Cho is from, but it's not exactly Mississippi circa 1860. It's a relatively cosmopolitan suburb with a significant Korean population. But now the Chosun Ilbo has run this story, and Koreans are going to be under the impression that Centreville has a problem with white supremacists.

If nothing else, click on the link to see a picture of K-town in L.A. From the looks of the cars on the road, this file photo must be at least 30 years old.

Is Confucianism still alive in South Korea?

I found this article light and interesting. It gives us a glimse of Confucian scholars' role and the influence of Confucianism in the Joseon Dynasty.

Spending too much time on the BBC

Here is a brief article stating that South Korea has (for the third time) gotten its bid to host the Asian Games. It beat out Delhi.

Here is a Wikipedia article about the Asian Games because I, for one, knew nothing about them. According to the history there, South Korea has refused to host the games before when they could have because of security concerns. It is probably encouraging then that they feel comfortable to do it in light of the North Korean nuclear issue. Does this signify faith in the negotiations? A lack of perception of a direct threat from North Korea? Or simply a greater emphasis placed on participation and pride in gaining international events like this?

Diary from the Other Side

A BBC correspondent, Charles Scanlon, spent the last three days visiting North Korea in order to see the Arirang Festival. His diary entries are here: Day One, Day Two, and Day Three.

Prof. Larsen will be glad to know that when the performers formed a giant human map of Korea, they did include Dokdo.

The movements of the journalists (two Brits, it seems) were severely restricted, as was their ability to take photographs, film, and dictate where they were going. The isolation seems to be taking a toll as their minders did not speak English (but one spoke Chinese!). However, the tour guides did.

Another interesting tidbit: you can major in Juche at college! And the monument has one block for every day up to the Eternal Leader's 75th birthday. Why 75? My guess: that's how many blocks there were. Also, Kim Jong-il is considered the mother of the nation, and his father the, well, father.

Aside from general strangeness, this tour is another glimpse of the controls placed on foreign visitors, and interesting because they were, in this case, British, rather than American. They do not seem to have visited the USS Pueblo. The North Korean officials seem determined to both impress their guests and strictly control what they see, which is certainly not a surprise. There is a profound effort to communicate North Korean beliefs and ideology to the West, as long as the West makes no attempt to communicate back. Is there something to be said for the North Koreans wanting understanding of their philosophies and goals?

Pueblo-mania!

So I promised to post on the USS Pueblo, the only active duty ship in the United States Navy held by a foreign power, but failed to do so this past week. My apologies. I assure you it had nothing to do with the paper we had due yesterday. Nothing at all. It is sheer coincidence that, as soon as the paper is in, I'm back on the blog. Sheer coincidence, I tell you.

Anyway, because there are a bunch of good, concise websites that cover the topic, I'm not going to clog up our blog by repeating what they say (especially since we've had guidance not to do so, which makes sense.) I'll give a rundown of a couple of sites, toss in some pics, include some factoids, and then command you to get back to whatever productive endeavor it is you're supposed to actually be doing right now! Don't know about you all, but I love these type of mini-intrigue stories that occur within the context of larger conflicts.

1) To get started, here is a brief bio about the ship (stats) on, of course, Wikipedia. Not particularly well done, if you ask me, but it does have a section on the bottom about the DPRK offering (IMO seems like blackmail) to repatriate the ship in exchange for high level meetings with the US.

2) If you read no other website on this list, check this one out. Obviously, I can't speak to the accuracy of any of the information, but it gives a very detailed rundown of what actually happened, along with some pics and an explanation of why the President decided not to try to rescue the ship and its crew at the time. Here's one of the crew, 82 men who were held for 11 months, giving the North Koreans the "Hawaiian Good Luck Sign," as we mentioned in class, for which they endured a week of brutal torture, called "Hell Week." This is in addition to the beatings they were given (with lumber), the burns inflicted upon them (with radiators), and the teeth they had kicked in (see the CNN piece below).

3) This site has a few good pics, three of which I'll post here. One is of the Pueblo docked in Pyongyang. The second is of the tour guide who gives tours of the ship. The third is of the captain of the North Korean ship that captured her. Glad she's using a megaphone, seeing as the crowd is all of 2 feet away.

Since it's too large, I won't post the fourth here, but head over and check it out...or fire up Google Earth. There's a wicked cool aerial shot of the Pueblo sitting in Pyongyang now. OK, enough about Google Earth...seeing as they're most likely watching me type this, I don't want to anger them and get incinerated by their laser beams of wrath.

4) Here's an MSNBC item describing Bill Richardson's visit to the Pueblo, which is used for "anti-American education." Coincidentally, Richardson is running for President. He had some success repatriating the remains of several US servicmen killed in the war, which I'm sure will be an incredibly powerful gift to their families. The item gives a brief description of his tour of the Pueblo.

5) Finally, a CNN piece detailing the passing of the Pueblo's captain, Captain Bucher (pictured here), in January of 2004. Apparently, his actions helped the crew survive the experience. To show their gratitude, the Navy recommended that he be court-martialed for failing to defend the Pueblo sufficiently, which was a slow, poorly armed ship and was also covered in ice. (Not to mention that he requested help from US forces nearby...help that never came). Thankfully, former US Marine, US Senator, and Secretary of the Navy John H. Chafee (who served in that capacity from 1969-1972) turned down the court-martial.

Lastly, and I'll stop wasting electrons after this, to answer Professor Larsen's question about why the US didn't attempt to recover the Pueblo when the DPRK sailed (towed) it to its present location. I haven't found anything conclusive. The Wikipedia article above notes that "In October 1999, it was towed from Wonson on the east coast, around the Korean Peninsula, to Nampo on the west coast. This required moving the vessel through international waters. No attempt to recapture the Pueblo was made." I've saw articles that suggest that the US "intelligence community" completely missed the event. However, I haven't found anything authoritative yet. I'll poke around more and see what I can come up with. Wow did this become a long post!

Cho Family's American Dream Broken in Pieces

As the media still focus on Cho Seung-Hui's killing motive, I sort of want to know a little about his parents and family. Here is an article providing a little information on that.

Part of the article reads:

"Many young Koreans who move to the U.S. with their parents seeking the American dream suffer culture shock from exposure to the strange environment where they cannot even understand the language.

They also have confusion about identity _ neither being Korean nor American.
Despite their difficulty, most of them may not always receive enough care from their parents, who have to focus on working all day to survive in the new country."

I am not here to make excuse for Cho, but there is a problem at universities -- some students don't get enough attention, especially international students. A few months ago I wrote an article published in the Washington Post, and one of my interviewees told me: "At school, nobody cares about you." There are more problems behind this VT tragedy, not just Cho's distorted and disturbing personality.

I was very disappointed by Nikki Giovanni, the distinguished poet. Cho was in her class in 2005, and Giovanni told the department that she would resign if Cho was not removed from her class. Last night, Giovanni was on Larry King Live. She told Larry King that once she talked to Cho face to face, "Cho, either of us has to leave this classroom." She also said, she felt evil in Cho and she didn't want to see him.

During the VT Convocation after the tragedy, Giovanni spoke so eloquently and so humanitarianly

"We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water..."

I was just wondering, if Giovanni had given a little more attention, care and love to Cho, would the thing have been different? That makes me think: some people can talk, but they can not do...

Sorry for the long entry

Stickin' it to the Man: BDA Fights Back!

Frankly, this is a story I wasn't expecting to see. Our good friends over at Banco Delta Asia have apparently had enough of the man trying to keep them down...and they're doing something about it!

The IHT reports that BDA is challenging the US Treasury Department's decision to bar it from access to the US financial system because it feels the decision was politically motivated, lacked sufficient evidence, ignored remedial measures the bank had taken, and denied BDA the opportunity to respond to some of the allegations made in due course. They have thus decided to employ the most nefarious of all tools, the New York Lawyer, to redress the situation! Oh, the humanity of it all. How dare they play by our rules and use our own laws against us!

Other interesting factoids from the piece:

• The bank is family owned. A gentleman named Stanley Au, a Macao business type, apparently owns it. The IHT story describes him as "an adviser to the Chinese government." Hmmm...yeah...adviser.
• The ruling was apparently made under the Patriot Act. (I'm biting my tongue here). Maybe it's my faulty memory, but I don't remember seeing this tidbit mentioned in the reports that covered the development at the time. Wonder what that says (if I'm right).
• The case has apparently engendered a modicum of legal reform in China, as the Macao banking authorities have passed new laws against money laundering as a direct result of the incident.

Understandably so, given the impact this must be having on their business, BDA seems quite concerned. Upon accessing their website, http://www.delta-asia.com, the following "Important Statement," more than a month old, appears in a large popup window:

March 16, 2007
Important Statement

By Group Chairman, Delta Asia Group (Holdings) Ltd In Response To US Department Of Treasury's Announcement Dated March 14, 2007

Delta Asia Group (Holdings) Limited (“DAGH”) regrets the US Department of Treasury’s decision to finalise the rulemaking to impose a special measure against our commercial banking arm, Banco Delta Asia, S.A.R.L. (“BDA”).

DAGH denies that BDA knew or suspected that its customers were engaged in money laundering or that any of its customers were engaged in any criminal activities or their funds were in any way connected with such activities. It is always BDA’s commitment to ensuring that its anti-money laundering policies and procedures comply with the guidelines and requirements of the regulator, that is, the Macau Monetary Authority.

Since the designation of BDA by the US Department of Treasury in September 2005, BDA has always been co-operating fully with the US regulator and remains committed to enhancing its anti-money laundering (“AML”) and know-your-client policies and procedures. To demonstrate substantial improved performance in this regard, BDA has made significant efforts at tremendous cost to:

1. review accounts and close the concerned accounts;

2. further enhance its AML policies and revise its AML manual;

3. commission international and independent professional accounting firm to identify weaknesses and implement effective programme to improve the AML programme;

4. hire compliance officer

5. improve and upgrade information technology system

DAGH expects BDA to continue to appeal against this rulemaking and to seek further dialogue and co-operation with the US Department of Treasury.

I'm not familiar with international banking practices, but I'd be interested to know how long these types of restrictions usually last and how often such appeals are successful. I wonder if the case will be expedited because it's so high profile. Otherwise, this could take a while, as the case might, as I like to say, "move with the speed of government."

Still no word on the North getting its money or movement to shut down the reactor. And so it goes...

Your 15 Minutes Are Officially Over...

Professor Larsen, you'll be happy to know that Sanjaya's 15 minutes are officially over.

And the Nobel Peace Prize goes to...Vladimir Putin?

Apparently, there are tentative, under-the-radar plans to orchestrate an inter-Korea summit meeting for August of this year. And apparently, Russia wants to host it should it take place in a third country...because President Putin wants to win a Nobel Peace Prize. (I find this more than a bit ironic considering the man's opponents have a history of suddenly dying in bizarre, often spy movie-like ways.)

A former Korean NIS official, now professor, reveals this interesting information in a recent Chosun Ilbo article.

In an effort to not let the more entertaining news of the story overshadow the relevant, Seoul has apparently reached out to Pyongyang through a secret report, in an effort to let tensions between the two be resolved bilaterally, without foreign interference. Seoul appears to find this a more productive alternative, not surprising considering the history of outside influence on the peninsula's development.

The third country element of the story, where Russia comes in, reflects 1) the need for both sides to be on neutral territory, and 2) that Pyongyang has apparently failed in the reciprocity department, as Kim Jong-Il has yet to return the gesture of Kim Dae-jung's 2000 visit. (See today's Asia Times article Korea: the Sun Shines Regardless)

This would certainly be an interesting development should it occur (which I'm highly skeptical it will). It would certainly make Russia more relevant in the grander 6PT scheme. Moscow's motivation doesn't appear to be all that sincere however.

Putin winning a Nobel Peace Prize?!?!?! I mean, come on. What's next? Three-6 Mafia winning an Oscar? ... ... ... ... oh.

Major development in the "comfort women" saga

A group of Japanese historians yesterday in Tokyo presented evidence verifying sex-slave coercion on the part of the Japanese military during World War II. At a press conference the historians also confirmed previous official Japanese recognition of this fact. This article from the Japan times elaborates on the historians' discoveries.

At the conclusion of World War II, the French, Dutch and Chinese governments produced and submitted seven documents to the Tokyo Trial, disclosing evidence of Japanese-run brothels in Indonesia, China, East Timor and Vietnam. These documents were included by the tribunal in the body of evidence used to convict suspected war criminals. The troubling contents of these documents reveal these women were forced to work as sex-slaves for the Japanese forces.

Apparently, by accepting the peace treaty at the end of the war, which included recognition of the validity of these war trials under Article 11, the Japanese government acknowledged coercing young women into sexual servitude.

This newly revealed evidence certainly leaves Abe and some conservatives in the Japanese government a little bit red-faced. Perhaps, however, like most pieces of historical evidence, the validity of these claims are up for dispute, regardless of whether they were admitted as evidence during the Tokyo Trials.

Virginia Tech

The recent event at Virginina Tech is a difficult subject to talk about, especially considering the fact that we don't know all the details at this time. It is clear, however, that with the revelation of the shooter's Korean nationality, the ROK government has gotten involved. The Foreign Ministry has already issued a statement expressing condolences, and diplomats are on their way to Blacksburg. I was just skimming some of the Korean newspapers and most reader comments seem to express sorrow and embarassment.

I do wonder, though, if this will have any effect on how Koreans view foreigners in Korea. Much of the anti-American sentiments are riled up due to deplorable acts or even accidents on the part of U.S. soliders in Korea. Obviously, the fact that there are U.S. soldiers there at all is what drives much of the resentment. But I think it is greatly fueled by incidents of soldiers misbehaving and/or committing crimes.

The Foreign Ministry has asked that this incident doesn't stir up racial prejudice against Koreans or Korea. It should go without saying that the shooter's nationality had nothing to do with his actions. But I wonder if Korea would withhold racist judgments if a foreigner were to do somthing like this in Korea. I'm hoping that, if nothing else, this terrible incident will cause some Koreans to reconsider applying xenophobic generalizations to individual acts.