Posted on 08/01/2012 6:55:36 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Death Camps Vs. Disney Characters
By Kim Tae Hong
[2012-08-01 15:44 ]
In recent months, the world has watched North Korea adopt several reform measures under its new leader. However, it appears that policy regarding human rights problems in the country will remain unchanged.
Earlier this year, former Washington Post correspondent Blane Harden released a book entitled Escape from Camp 14, which details the conditions inside one of North Korea’s political prison camps. In the current issues of Foreign Policy, Harden again touches upon the issue of North Korea’s camps, and his perception of Kim Jong Eun’s leadership.
Kim Jong Eun has come under international media scrutiny since he took office, drawing interest from a global audience. The leader has made many public appearances recently with his wife Ri Sol Joo since inheriting his father’s office, projecting a warm demeanor and interacting directly with his people.
Much of the attention Kim Jong Eun has received from the foreign medias has been fairly lighthearted, focused on topics such as his appreciation of Disney characters or his newly revealed wife. However, as Harden points out, there are more serious issues at hand when considering North Korea. Harden stresses, “Before we allow ourselves to get too hopeful or amused, it is worth noting that North Korea remains uniquely repressive.”
Harden explains, “Indeed, after seven months under Kim Jong Eun, the entire country seems to have become even more of a prison than it was under his father, Kim Jong Il, not less.” He adds, “As many as 20,000 North Korean troops have been sent to seal the Chinese border; defections have declined sharply.”
Harden describes how defection from North Korea might become more difficult should such strict policy remain in place, “If the lockdown continues, this would be a fundamental change in what for more than a decade had been a semi-permeable border region, where a few North Koreans could dash to freedom and many others could fetch food, clothing and video gadgets that helped to improve lives and increase the flow of information.”
“While Kim Jong Eun and his wife trot around for televised inspections of miniature golf courses, there appears to be no significant change in the infamous political labor camps that have existed in North Korea for more than half a century.” Harden notes that while the new leadership may appear in some ways different than that of Kim Jong Il’s, this is not the case when concerning certain critical issues. “Indeed,” writes Harden, “human rights seems as irritating to the new leader as it was to his father.”
P!
I hear the price of rice is around the same as their monthly pay
When a state becomes psychopathic it’s leaders often put on the face of normalcy. It becomes perhaps even more important to hide behind a mask like clever killers.
lol.
but how is that possible when the DPRK says...
“DPR Of Korea. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a genuine workers’ state in which all the people are completely liberated from exploitation and oppression”
lol
I wonder what will happen to the women’s soccer team and the girl fencer that lost in the Olympics? Will they be sent to the camps?
Might Jong Eun’s clamping down on the border be an effort to keep China from raising cain with him since China does not want to have to deal with refugees?
As for NK Olympic athletes who did not win, it all depends on the whim of Kim and his ilks. Since they know NK is nowhere near to support their athletes properly, I suspect that they won't punish them hard, purely based on their performance as long as they do their best. However, if they annoys Kim Jong-eun in some other way, they are done.
3 generations of their families, kids too, could be sent to those death camps!
North Korea is run by evil doers
The ones who win medals better lavish Kim with praise in front of the world media though!
Thank you for your replies. Makes sense. It would certainly be in keeping with previous practices.
I meant also to ask if the South Korean badminton team being tossed out of the competition is creating controversy in South Korea? Thanks.
I wonder too, then again being a Kdrama addict etc I would say this might be a bigger controversy than Ryu Hwayoung being fired from T-ara!
(are you going to Google that?) heh
do you realize that those 4 teams made up HALF the quarter-finals??
does that mean the other 4 play a semi-final or do they bring in 4 losing pairs to fill it out?
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/07/31/2012073101553.html
punished the victim?
...
anyway... T-ara is still one of the top musical acts in S Korea and should not break up over their idiotic management.
That Hwayoung thing is certainly sweeping the net pushing aside all other issues. Those consumed by this spectacle make up over 30% of electorate who will vote in coming presidential election. Lots of sheep primed for one timely agitation. We have a problem.
She was fired. Okay. She will probably be just fine, she has talent. T-ara will do great anyway. There are a lot of bigger issues to deal with.
Judging from S Korean media and Kdrama I think South Koreans have taught themselves to studiously ignore North-South issues. Would you say that was accurate?
30% being so shallow would be awesome for America, where something like 48% are dumb as a dry bean.
People lost their perspective. Some have no perspective to begin with. What we have to do is to survive their stupidity. People who are not stupid deserve to survive while those who aren't don't.
Thanks for your replies.
According to what I read last night, the committee brings in 4 new pairs (I presume these are teams that lost in a lower round) into the competition. Bizarre.
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