Blogs of War

He apparently died from a massive heart attack on Saturday:

The news came as North Korea prepared for a hereditary succession. Kim Jong Il inherited power after his father, revered North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, died in 1994. In September 2010, Kim Jong Il unveiled his third son, the twenty-something Kim Jong Un, as his successor, putting him in high-ranking posts.

Kim Jong Il had been groomed for 20 years to lead the communist nation founded by his guerrilla fighter-turned-politician father and built according to the principle of “juche,” or self-reliance.

Even with a successor, there had been some fear among North Korean observers of a behind-the-scenes power struggle or nuclear instability upon the elder Kim’s death.

There’s a fair amount of apprehension about the transition, South Korea is on alert at the moment, but this will probably pass uneventfully. Monitor the reaction on Twitter with the Blogs of War Koreas Monitor at http://korea.blogsofwar.com. It has live streams monitoring comments about both North and South Korea.

Like most DPRK observers I love North Korean travelogues. I know that the tightly controlled DPRK tourism machine presents a highly sanitized, if not outright fictional, view of daily life for North Koreans but even propaganda can be revealing. The truth always slips through. I am also well aware of the smuggled videos that reveal the extreme poverty, oppression, and executions that occur there but those are for another post and another day.

Most of the blogs, photos, and videos assembled below are the products of ordinary tourists (although the first blog contains the impressions, and photographs, of a Reuters photographer). Some of the observations are quite sharp, most of them mundane, but if you take in enough of them something approaching reality emerges.

Blogs
Inside North Korea: No One Said Anything (2010)
“The atmosphere was solemn. On the street, men wore suits and women wore the traditional Korean dress called a hanbok. While the convoy was delayed at a security checkpoint, I joined other colleagues who started taking pictures of passers-by. I couldn’t resist and snapped some shots of North Korean soldiers going in and out of a gate nearby. No one said anything.”

A Secretive Trip to a Secretive Country (2010)
“Our rooms were all on the 25th floor. I entered the room excitedly and opened the window, expecting a wonderful view of Pyongyang. Instead, I was greeted by darkness. (Not surprising, given North Korea’s chronic shortage of fuel…) Out of the darkness, I could see a couple of high-rise apartment blocks across the river. Further afield, I could see the Juche Tower (probably the brightest-lit monument in the city). Realising that I couldn’t see much, I closed the window and decided to take a walk downstairs around the hotel lobby. While strolling, I saw a bookshop selling numerous North Korean books and publications. I flipped through some of the publications and I quickly became engrossed… The printing technology, design and layout of these publications looked very “1980s”.”

A Trip to North Korea (2006)
Koreans are not shy when it comes to basic needs, the guide forbid to take pictures of men taking a piss on the middle of the road, but there was no problem when it happened in the capital next to to a monument.

Fraser Lewry (2005)
“We learn how 82 American crew were held hostage for close to a year, only being released when the US published a full letter of apology. That the US retracted the apology the moment the sailors were freed is not mentioned. We roam the ship, from the communications room where various radio and encryption machines are stamped with plates that say things like ‘Top Secret Prohibited’, to the rear of the boat where a machine gun is primed to spray bullets across the bows of any ships from the US war maniacs or their southern puppet army. Etc.”

My Holiday in a Secret State (2005)
“At the statue, a few of us bought flowers and laid them at the front of the statue, before walking back and paying our respects by bowing. This was the first occasion I realised that some people might not be suited to a trip to DPRK. You have to go through the bowing to Kim Il Sung, and just accept it, even if you don’t approve of the leadership of the country. It is all about showing respect and politeness for a foreign country in which you are a rare guest. It’s a similar deal with the stories that you are told. Sometimes they seem far fetched, the guides know they sound far fetched, you know they do, and the guides know that you know. But the key is just to play along with it, take it in with interest and use your head a little.”

Don Parish (2005)
“People work from 9am to 6pm six days a week, every day except Sunday. They get a two hour lunch hour. Apartments and medical care are “free”. (Of course, to be exact no government service is ever free; someone had to pay for it. So wage levels are lower in communist countries so the government has the money to provide “free” apartments and medical care.) In North Korea, the waiting list to get an apartment is 3 years.”

Welcome to North Korea. Rule No. 1: Obey All Rules
While in the country, I desperately tried to talk to some actual North Koreans. But all outsiders travel in a virtual bubble, as a way to just about eliminate contact between North Koreans and outsiders. Except for the hotel’s doormen, all the staff we encountered were recruited from ethnic Korean communities in China – and they are rotated back to China every three months.

Journey into Kimland (2002)
“He handed the customs agent our forms and then motioned for us to put our bags through what appeared to be one of the oldest x-ray machines currently at work on our planet. I swear the thing must have helped in the original fight against polio. Anyway, when some of us complained about possible film damage the clerk motioned us over to another, much newer, machine. The bags went through, they looked over us, the bags and our forms and that was it. The world’s most tightly sealed country and we get through customs and immigration in less than 30 minutes. I’d half expected cavity searches, book burnings and perhaps a cattle prod. Instead it took less time than it usually takes just to walk up to the immigration line in most other international airports. There went reality again, screwing up my preconceptions.”

Wandering Camera
“There was an interesting moment when Alexey had trouble falling asleep and went out of the hotel at 6 in the morning to some random neighborhood. No one stopped him.He walked for about three kilometers, and was finally stopped by a policeman, who asked him for identification (in Korean, naturally). Since, first of all he didn’t have identification, and second he knew but a few words in Korean, they could not reach an understanding. A crowd gathered around them quickly (they don’t meet foreigners in residential quarters very often :) and finally there was someone, who knew the word “Russian”. That was what he asked Alexey, and Alexey said “yes”. After that the feelings got warmer, the policeman took down his name, and let him go. There were no consequences.”

Andrew Holloway (1988)
We climbed up to a pretty wooden pavilion, overlooking the city, and sat among the local people gossiping in the balmy night air, attracting I dare say a little envy at our cans of Japanese beer. On our way up we passed the city’s principal statue of the great leader. The bronze statue was illuminated by floodlights. A number of young devotees were gathered around the statue and studying the thoughts of the prophet by the beam of the floodlights in the presence of his brazen image. This is indubitably extremely silly, but when you are actually there it is also rather touching. I found it so anyway. “Do people in your country stand under statues of Margaret Thatcher and study her works?” asked Chang Yong ingenuously.

Photos
Lars Beck
North Korea Flickr Pool (9,700 Photos)
Kok Leng Yeo (109 Photos)
Escape From North Korea (NatGeo)
Unseen North Korea (BBC Gallery)
Rare Pictures from Inside North Korea (TIME Gallery)

Video
Arirang Mass Games
DPRK Tour Video (Produced by DPRK Tour Videographer)
Daily Life Inside North Korea
North Korean Welcome Song
Village Shop in North Korea
14 Days Inside North Korea
Seven Days in North Korea
A Sunday Drive in Pyongyang
Korital, First Pizzeria in the DPRK

Travel Guides
Lonely Planet
Wikitravel
Virtual Tourist

Photo by Kok Leng Yeo

This is a developing story but here’s the initial Reuters alert:

A South Korean naval vessel with more than 100 aboard was sinking on Friday in waters near North Korea and Seoul was investigating whether it was hit in a torpedo attack by the North, South Korean media said.

More from Yonhap:

The 1,500-ton ship sank between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. near the island, but the cause of the accident was unknown, the officials said. A rescue operation was underway, they added.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, they said, adding there was an unspecified explosion in the rear of the ship.

The South Korean government has convened an emergency meeting of security-related ministers, according to the officials.

Updates:

South Korea isn’t takingng any chances as they move into the area:

The South Korean navy has reportedly fired shots at unidentified ships in the direction of North Korea as it investigates whether a sinking vessel in its fleet was struck by a torpedo Friday.

Interesting:

North Korea and the United States have agreed to resume the long-stalled six-party talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear issue “as soon as possible,” it was announced here on Wednesday.

The breakthrough came during talks brokered by China. Top negotiators of the three countries held several rounds of bilateral and trilateral talks in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday, exchanging views “frankly and in an in-depth way”, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

North Korea and the United States agreed to resume the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue as soon as possible, the ministry said without giving a firm date.

It’s pretty much your standard DPRK propaganda but still interesting:

Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Bashar Al-Assad, president of Syria, Wednesday on the occasion of the 36th anniversary of the corrective movement in Syria. The message said that the Korean people are pleased with the fact that the friendly Syrian government and people have successfully carried forward the cause of Hafez Al-Assad, the leader of advance. It sincerely wished the president and people of Syria greater success in their efforts to smash the outside pressure and challenge and protect the sovereignty and security of the country and regional peace and achieve fresh progress and prosperity.

THE PRESIDENT: “Last night the government of North Korea proclaimed to the world that it had conducted a nuclear test. We’re working to confirm North Korea’s claim. Nonetheless, such a claim itself constitutes a threat to international peace and security. The United States condemns this provocative act. Once again North Korea has defied the will of the international community, and the international community will respond.

“This was confirmed this morning in conversations I had with leaders of China, and South Korea, Russia, and Japan. We reaffirmed our commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, and all of us agreed that the proclaimed actions taken by North Korea are unacceptable and deserve an immediate response by the United Nations Security Council.

“The North Korean regime remains one of the world’s leading proliferator of missile technology, including transfers to Iran and Syria. The transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States, and we would hold North Korea fully accountable of the consequences of such action.

“The United States remains committed to diplomacy, and we will continue to protect ourselves and our interests. I reaffirmed to our allies in the region, including South Korea and Japan, that the United States will meet the full range of our deterrent and security commitments.

“Threats will not lead to a brighter future for the North Korean people, nor weaken the resolve of the United States and our allies to achieve the de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Today’s claim by North Korea serves only to raise tensions, while depriving the North Korean people of the increased prosperity and better relations with the world offered by the implementation of the joint statement of the six-party talks. The oppressed and impoverished people of North Korea deserve that brighter future.”

Via CNN:

North Korea on Monday claimed it has performed a successful nuclear test, according to that country’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

South Korean government officials also said North Korea performed its first nuclear test, the South’s Yonhap news agency reported.

The apparent nuclear test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (0136 GMT) in Hwaderi near Kilju city, Yonhap reported, citing defense officials.

“The field of scientific research in the DPRK (North Korea’s official name) successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9 … at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation,” KCNA reported.

Late Sunday in Washington, the U.S. military told CNN it believed the report to be true, but was working to fully confirm it.

Senior U.S. officials said they also believed the test took place.

MSNBC has the KCNA announcment:

“The field of scientific research in the DPRK successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9, 2006, at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great, prosperous, powerful socialist nation.

“It has been confirmed that there was no such danger as radioactive emission in the course of the nuclear test as it was carried out under scientific consideration and careful calculation.

“The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100 percent. It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defense capability.

“It will contribute to defending the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the area around it.”

The South Koreans are scrambling:

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun called up an emergency security meeting just before the North’s announcement.

The South Korean intelligence had reported to the president that 3.58 magnitude seismic tremor was detected from Hwadaeri near Gilju at 10:36 a,m.

I’m bracing for a completely underwhelming response on our part. With events like this, Iran’s behavior, and the situation in Iraq it’s difficult to see our position as anything but weakening. It will be interesting to see what happens in South Korea, Taiwan, and especially Japan. Further militarization of our allies in the region seems inevitable but that will seriously threaten China. To call this act destabilizing is an understatement.

Update

Reviewing the Chronicle’s report it appears that Donald Rumsfeld and I are in agreement:

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Thursday that a successful North Korean nuclear weapon test would show weakness on the part of the international community.

“And that failure … is something that the international community would have to register and ask itself how comfortable are we being that ineffective in this situation,” Rumsfeld said.

However, the real problem for us (if we fail to act decisively) is that the bad guys will read this as primarily American weakness.

The International Herald Tribune looks at possible next steps:

LONG-TERM: Other Asian nations, including Japan or South Korea, may seek their own atomic weapons as a safeguard against a nuclear-armed North Korea, possibly triggering a wider arms race that threatens regional stability.

Additional economic sanctions against North Korea may further weaken an already poor and isolated nation.

The risk of nuclear proliferation increases with an impoverished North Korea possible selling nuclear technology to terrorists or other countries.

North Korean Media
Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)

South Korean Media
The Korea Herald
Korea.net
Yonhap News
The Chosun Ilbo

More of the same via KCNA:

Israel’s recent military aggression is a replica of U.S. horrendous state-sponsored terrorism perpetrated under the pretext of a “war on terrorism.” The barbaric military aggression perpetrated by Israel against Palestine and Lebanon created such a serious situation that a new Mid-east war may break out. The responsibility for this entirely rests with the U.S.

The U.S. seeks to shift the blame for it on to Syria, deliberately linking the current Mid-east situation to the country. This is aimed to brand anti-imperialist and independent Syria as a “criminal” and stifle it.

Quite just are the stand of Syria and its efforts to render positive support and encouragement to Palestine and Lebanon in their resistance against Israel’s military aggression and achieve Mideast peace.

The Korean people extend firm solidarity to Syria and bitterly condemn Israel for having perpetrated armed aggression against Palestine and Lebanon under the U.S. patronage and backing.

Tough talk in Japan:

Japan said Monday it was considering whether a pre-emptive strike on the North’s missile bases would violate its constitution, signaling a hardening stance ahead of a possible U.N. Security Council vote on Tokyo’s proposal for sanctions against the regime.

Japan was badly rattled by North Korea’s missile tests last week and several government officials openly discussed whether the country ought to take steps to better defend itself, including setting up the legal framework to allow Tokyo to launch a pre-emptive strike against Northern missile sites.

“If we accept that there is no other option to prevent an attack … there is the view that attacking the launch base of the guided missiles is within the constitutional right of self-defense. We need to deepen discussion,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said.

As cool as this sounds I believe the Japanese may be talking tough to give us some leverage in our negotiations with China. A reinvigorated Japanese military would scare the bejesus out of everyone in the region. There’s also the question of whether Japan is even capable of carrying out such a strike:

Japanese fighter jets and pilots are not capable of carrying out such an attack, a military analyst said.

“Japan’s air force is top class in defending the nation’s airspace, but attacking another country is almost impossible,” said analyst Kazuhisa Ogawa.

“Even if Japan’s planes made it to North Korea, they wouldn’t make it back … it would be an act of suicide,” he said. “Japan has no capacity to wage war.”

Also Blogging:
Captain Ed
Pajamas Media
Hot Air
Morning Coffee
Red Hot Cuppa Politics
Ace of Spades HQ
Glenn Reynolds
Roger L. Simon
Joe’s Dartblog
Dean Esmay
The Pink Flamingo Bar & Grill

Michael Goodwin’s take on the current state of the War on Terror is a must read:

Last week’s headlines prove the point: North Korea fires missiles, Iran talks of nukes again, Iraq carnage continues, Israel invades Gaza, England observes one-year anniversary of subway bombing. And, oh, yes, the feds stop a plot to blow up tunnels under the Hudson River.

World War III has begun.

It’s not perfectly clear when it started. Perhaps it was after the Berlin Wall fell and the Cold War ended. Perhaps it was the first bombing of the World Trade Center, in 1993.

What is clear is that this war has a long fuse and, while we are not in the full-scale combat phase that marked World Wars I and II, we seem to be heading there. The expanding hostilities mean it’s time to give this conflict a name, one that focuses the mind and clarifies the big picture.

The war on terror, or the war of terror, has tentacles that reach much of the globe. It is a world war.

While that’s not exactly news to people who follow the war closely this realization does seem to be gaining some ground. I’m not sure how long this uneasy holding pattern will last but I do believe than a significant expansion of hostilities, a full world war, is probably inevitable. Any number of events, in hot spots around the globe, could take us there virtually overnight. It’s still 1939 all over again.