They killed her for what?

This is what Koreans are talking about today. Especially with north-south relations getting set to warm up, I think this senseless shooting is absolutely insane.

Having visited Mt. Kumgang, I’d bet all I’m worth that the most sensitive thing that grandma would’ve seen was run-down houses or thin, poorly dressed kids.

Even if the poor woman had glimpsed a tank or machine gun, so effing what? “Hey Americans, I have the exact coordinates of one of their machine guns. Time to attack! Go kill my relatives!”

Unbelievable. North Korea is the most paranoid, autistic nation ever.

Singin’ in Korean

This clip from the Colbert Report is hilarious. I’m not yet sure how to get it on here, but the link should work ok for now.

Here’s a funny follow-up report.

America’s fresh PR disaster

“The nation will live to regret what the court has done today.”

That’s U.S. Supreme Court Justice Scalia, talking about today’s decision giving detainees at the Guantanamo Bay military prison camp full rights to challenge their imprisonment in U.S. courts.

Around the world and even in America’s most conservative states, everyone loves to hate our current president. Yet even as global optimism grows for America’s post-Bush era, could this parting shot be a death knell for the nation’s international image?

I fear it could. In the “War on Terror,” each misstep seems to call down the wrath of all humanity on our government. Just imagine what a military operation like Guantanamo will look like when exposed to the blinding light of hundreds of public civilian court cases. I shudder to think of it.

Beef with 이명박

Tuesday night, Jess and I watched part of an 80,000-strong demonstration calling for President Lee’s resignation. I was surprised by how family-oriented it seemed. The atmosphere all around City Hall betrayed no hint of the violence that tainted the weekend protests.

Sparked by outrage over the new president’s removal of bans on U.S. beef imports, a month of growing protest has now thrown the government into confusion and temporary paralysis. Lee’s entire cabinet has asked permission to be released from office.

Lee is accused of running the nation with only short-term financial profit in mind. Many liberal (and communist) Koreans are also angered over his excessive interest in friendship with the U.S. government. I found it interesting that Tuesday’s protest honored the anniversary of Seoul’s original pro-democracy demonstrations two decades ago. A shrine was set up in Seoul Plaza to honor a student slain in that 1987 upheaval.

Read more about it at BBC.

The door slowly cracks open

A 40-minute drive takes us from here to the border of the world’s most secretive and oppressive communist nation.

Last weekend, I went with four friends on the second-ever foreign group tour from South Korea to Kesong City in the DPRK.

The novelty that had awed me in my stay at Kumgangsan was replaced this time with a grim sense of the horrendous tragedy of that land and people. In my entire first year in East Asia till now, this second North Korea trip has been my most intriguing and most sobering experience.

“How was North Korea?” is a question I hope I’m never asked. What can I possibly say?

As I sit here with my B.A. in journalism, my head clear after a week back in the real world… all words still fail me. Even the best photos anyone has smuggled back fall abysmally short of conveying the impression of cruel emptiness that one absorbs from the very air.

Although tempted to give it up as hopeless, I’ll at least relate some basics.

Of course, we were shown great landmarks, historic relics and beautiful scenery. But most importantly, although tightly controlled and closely watched, we were allowed to see some of the actual city.

Ancient, crumbling buildings accentuated enormous signs, banners and monuments revering the nation’s leaders. Quiet streets were traversed only by an occasional car–usually a very old one–filled with soldiers. One or two empty buses (donated by South Korea) made their rounds just for our viewing pleasure, as did a few privileged pedestrians. The rest who weren’t out working in rice fields seemed to all huddle behind corners or up alleys, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of us over walls when guards weren’t looking.

I did have one unforgettable encounter. First, two things must be understood that made this a surprising experience. One is that this entire tour, down to the peanuts sold on the hike, is a huge money grab for North Korea’s impoverished government. Secondly, Americans–clearly identified as such on the large id. card we must wear–are generally watched more closely and treated more harshly than others.

So, the encounter. Before our waterfall hike, I stopped at a snack stand to buy a $1 water bottle. I gave the North Korean staff lady $5. She then handed me two bottles, and carefully counted out ten dollars change. Totally confused, I tried to give her back a water and her money. She smiled and shushed me, quickly turning her attantion to the next Korean buyer.

This was the most obvious of several things I saw on this trip that made me think: The more contact North Koreans–even government workers–begin to have with Westerners, the sooner the red knots of dictatorship, bureaucracy and brainwashing will begin to loosen and unravel.