North Korea: Inter-Korean Parliamentary Talks Proposed | STRATFOR

North Korea: Inter-Korean Parliamentary Talks Proposed | STRATFOR

NightWatch 20101208 - KGS

NightWatch 20101208 - KGS:

"Japan's warrior tradition is infinitely more deeply rooted than latter-day, post-World War II pacifism. Support for more expansive defense operations are manifest in Japan's deployment of a contingent in Iraq, airlift operations from Kuwait, fueling support for Allied naval forces in the Arabian Sea, and support for anti-piracy operations off Somali, including building a bases in Djibouti. Once Japan's constitution is amended or modified to permit collective security, the era of post-war pacifism will have ended."

US embassy cables: Trying to crack the North Korea nut | World news | guardian.co.uk

US embassy cables: Trying to crack the North Korea nut | World news | guardian.co.uk:

"As a presidential candidate, Lee Myoung-bak called for a 'creative reconstruction' of Korea's foreign policy. In his February 2008 inaugural address, Lee criticized his two predecessors, saying, 'At times over the last ten years, we found ourselves faltering and confused.' He vowed to trade ideology for pragmatism as Korea's surest means of improving ties with its neighbors, and he's had some successes, especially with China and Russia, where Lee was able to expand substantially economic and political ties. Lee's efforts on Japan and North Korea are more mixed. With Japan, the South Korean public was not quite ready to accept fully Lee's attempts to compartmentalize history issues. Still, much progress was made in Seoul-Tokyo consultations on a variety of issues ranging from North Korea to economic to even security issues. On North Korea, Lee's conservative agenda was predictably rebuffed by Pyongyang. However, all signs are that President Lee is quite comfortable in sticking to denuclearization and reciprocity as the basis of his North Korea policy, especially as it enjoys considerable support."

US embassy cables: South Korea rings the alarm bells | World news | guardian.co.uk

US embassy cables: South Korea rings the alarm bells | World news | guardian.co.uk:

"10. (C) On prospects for a North-South summit, NSA Kim clarified remarks that President Lee made in an interview with the BBC in Davos. Kim said that, beginning last fall, the ROK has had contact with the DPRK about a summit. The North, however, has demanded that Seoul provide a certain amount of economic aid prior to any summit. That precondition was unacceptable, Kim stressed, noting that the Blue House had emphasized to the ROK press this week that President Lee would never 'buy' a summit with the North."

WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy - NYTimes.com

WikiLeaks Archive — Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy - NYTimes.com: "Thinking about an eventual collapse of North Korea: American and South Korean officials have discussed the prospects for a unified Korea, should the North’s economic troubles and political transition lead the state to implode. The South Koreans even considered commercial inducements to China, according to the American ambassador to Seoul. She told Washington in February that South Korean officials believe that the right business deals would “help salve” China’s “concerns about living with a reunified Korea” that is in a “benign alliance” with the United States."

The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - The Truth About N.Korea's Uranium Enrichment Program

The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - The Truth About N.Korea's Uranium Enrichment Program

Model G20

What I've been up to

Read the banner. Organized by IFANS, MOFAT, and the unification research institute.

The 5th World Congress of Korean Studies

And next....

Model G20 conference, starting tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

Praying for the good and safe progress during field research

Praying for my family's well-being

NTI: Global Security Newswire - North Korea Poses "Irrational" Threat to Region, South Says

NTI: Global Security Newswire - North Korea Poses "Irrational" Threat to Region, South Says

South Korea's top defense official today said North Korea remained a "grave challenge" to the security of the sector and that regional collaboration was important to curtailing Pyongyang's missile and nuclear activities, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 18).

Defense Minister Kim Tae-young offered his remarks during a four-day gathering in Seoul of senior defense officials from 27 Asia-Pacific states. Pyongyang's "irrational military threats,\" were a topic of serious concern for participants, Kim said.

The presumed March submarine attack on the South Korean warship Cheonan is an example of North Korea's provocative track record, Kim said.

"Military provocations like the Cheonan incident not only threaten South Korea but also pose grave challenges and threats to the region's peace and stability and the world order," Kim said.

Pyongyang has insisted on its innocence in the incident, which was a significant blow to inter-Korean ties and undermined chances for relaunching multilateral talks aimed at North Korea's permanent nuclear disarmament (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, Oct. 19).

"North Korea's nuclear program, as well as its weapons of mass destruction, is the biggest threat" to Asia-Pacific peace and security, South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Han Min-koo said yesterday on the sidelines of the military meeting.

It was not apparent if Han's comments were premised on recent satellite images of apparent new construction activity at North Korea's plutonium-producing Yongbyon nuclear site, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

Han said South Korea's armed forces would enhance collaboration with the Japanese and U.S. militaries to exchange information on North Korea's nuclear development activities.

The aspiring nuclear power is thought to have processed enough plutonium to power a minimum of six warheads. The Stalinist state has carried out two nuclear test blasts but is not believed to have yet developed the ability to deliver a nuclear warhead (Kim Deok-hyun, Yonhap News Agency, Oct. 18).

Five participants in the six-party North Korean denuclearization talks -- China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States -- today affirmed their commitment to seeing the Korean Peninsula freed of nuclear weapons, the Korea Herald reported. North Korea did not participate in the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue in Seoul, though it has in recent months expressed support for relaunching the nuclear negotiations.

Negotiations were last held in December 2008. Pyongyang pulled out of the talks in spring 2009 and not long after carried out its second nuclear test.

"We actively discussed various aspects and necessities of resuming the six-party talks," South Korean Foreign Ministry official Kim Hong-kyun said to reporters following the meeting (Shin Hae-in, Korea Herald, Oct. 19).

Driving me crazy

To keep me sane, I have a Japanese-English dictionary to amuse me (yes, I read dictionaries), some short stories by Leo Tolstoy, and Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers".

Today I browsed through the business cards to look for possible contacts and writing emails to potential respondents. Tomorrow I will visit some universities and institutes. Aja Aja Fighting!!!

ROKMC-Trabinhdong

Source: ROKMC-Trabinhdong

A site with brilliant information about the ROK's Blue dragon marine corps (ROKMC) who won at Tra Binh Dong operation during the Vietnam War.

Am working hard to finish my paper, which is due tomorrow T_T

Korean Collections and Services at the National Library of Australia: a National Asset | Gosling | National Library of Australia Staff Papers

Korean Collections and Services at the National Library of Australia: a National Asset | Gosling | National Library of Australia Staff Papers

I need to go to Canberra and nest there for at least a month next year to complete my final archive research for my disseration at National Library of Australia, the mecca of Asian collections in Australia.

Comparing US, South Korean, & North Korean Navies as Massive Naval Exercise Continues | ROK Drop

Comparing US, South Korean, & North Korean Navies as Massive Naval Exercise Continues | ROK Drop

See the power gap for yourself, and pondering some questions.

S Korea-US military exercise begins in the East Sea/Sea of Japan

The US-South Korean military exercise, code-named Invincible Spirit, will last four days

Source: Reuters via BBC

Source: BBC

News from Associated Press by EricTalmadge:

ABOARD USS GEORGE WASHINGTON — A massive nuclear-powered U.S. supercarrier began maneuvers today with ally South Korea in a potent show of force that North Korea has threatened could lead to "sacred war."

The military drills, code- named "Invincible Spirit," are to run through Wednesday with about 8,000 U.S. and South Korean troops, 20 ships and submarines and 200 aircraft. The Nimitz-class USS George Washington, with several thousand sailors and dozens of fighters aboard, was deployed from Japan.

The North routinely threatens attacks whenever South Korea and the U.S. hold joint military drills, which Pyongyang sees as a rehearsal for an invasion. The U.S. keeps 28,500 service members in South Korea and another 50,000 in Japan but says it has no intention of invading the North.

Still, the North's latest rhetoric threatening "nuclear deterrence" and "sacred war" carries extra weight following the sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors. Seoul and Washington say a North Korean torpedo was responsible for the March sinking of the Cheonan, considered the worst military attack on the South since the 1950-53 Korean War.

The American and South Korean defense chiefs announced last week they would stage the military drills to send a clear message to North Korea to stop its "aggressive" behavior.

The exercises will be the first in a series of U.S.-South Korean maneuvers to be conducted in the Sea of Japan off Korea's east coast and in the Yellow Sea closer to China's shores in international waters. The exercises also are the first to employ the F-22 stealth fighter — which can evade North Korean air defenses — in South Korea.

South Korea was closely monitoring North Korea's military, but no unusual activity had been observed Saturday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

The North's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that Pyong yang will further strengthen its nuclear deterrent and again mentioned "powerful physical measures" in response to the U.S. military provocations and sanctions.

And the usual threat from North Korea:

2+2 meeting in Seoul and joint military exercise

Just wanna clarify one point in the video that the aircraft carrier USS George Washington is confirmed to be participating in the joint military exercise. Rumor-play might come from the political perspective.

Updated News: http://english.eastday.com/e/100721/u1a5343444.html

Toward a lasting peace - INSIDE JoongAng Daily

The “2+2” meeting will be held in Seoul tomorrow. It is the first time in the 60-year history of the military alliance between South Korea and the United States that top officials in defense and foreign affairs from both countries will come together.

The meeting is primarily aimed at evaluating the achievements of the alliance and crafting a vision for the future. The meeting will also deal with the aftermath of the Cheonan sinking.

LINK

Milestone

Tomorrow will be another milestone in my research progress. Hopefully it goes well and may this snowball effect keep rollin'!

Praying for the good and safe progress during field research

Praying for my family's well-being

Field research schedule

Reading & forming questions during weekends. 
Visiting institutes, universities and professors during weekdays. 
Writing... everyday.

Praying for the good and safe progress during field research

Praying for my family's well-being

When the opportunity comes, seize it!

You will never know whom will you meet at what time and where will you meet the VIP. Therefore, equip yourself with ample knowledge all the time and the golden opportunity is all yours.

Thank God for the chance to improve my progress here.

Praying for the good and safe progress during field research

Praying for my family's well-being

Gates on ROK support

Is it just me or Gates sounded really uncertain here?

On The 5th World Congress of Korean Studies

At Jeonju

I got it!

Thank God^^

Currently focusing on paper writing and chapter writing. May visit some sites this month.

Praying for the good and safe progress during field research

Praying for my family's well-being

Hectic work schedule ahead

Athena, 

the goddess of civilization, wisdom, strength, strategy, craft, justice and skill

Picture and info source: Wikipedia

• More interviews---chasing the target
• More writings---T_T
• More reviews---strengthening academic writing skill
• More documents---make my field research fruitful
• More books---my orders have arrived, gotta go pick them up.

Plan to take a day off every two to three weeks to keep me sane :)

And also, keep praying:

Praying hard for World Korean Studies Congress

Praying for the good and safe progress during field research

Praying for my family's well-being

News about North Korea

This is how North Korean women are trafficked into China.
You don't want to read the stories of their detention camps, it's gross and inhumane.
North Korea Freedom Week (NKFW) is held for the first time in Seoul, from 25 April until 1 May 2010. Previous years it was held in Washington, though this year some events are still held there, the major ceremony and activities are in Seoul.
Lots of North Koreans tell their heart-clenching stories through many press conferences and seminars.
All events are actually within walking distance from our residence (gasp!), so I hope I can get my works done today so that we can at least go to The North Korea Genocide Exhibit at Seoul Press Center.

To go to Seoul Press Center, take the Line 5 (Purple line) subway to Gwanghwamun Station, walk out of Exit 5 and the Seoul Press Center building is directly on your left.

The days are getting warmer, it's time to plan the trip to the Demilitarized Zone :)

I believe

Keep your dreams alive. 
Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. 
Remember all things are possible for those who believe.

Gail Devers.

Having a dream (or more), plus powerful prayers, work hard, and to believe the dreams will come true, are the recipes of why I am where I are now and do what I'm supposed to do.

Work harder, achieve more.

Call for Papers: 5th World Congress of Korean Studies

Theme: Korean Studies for the Advancement of Global Civilization The organizing committee of the 5th World Congress of Korean Studies announces a call for papers to all academics and professionals in Korean studies. The World Congress, co-organized by the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) and Chinese Culture University, will be held from Oct. 25-28, 2010 at Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan. As one of the prominent Korean studies conference in the world, it will provide scholars with an opportunity to share their latest academic achievements and develop friendships in the field of Korean studies. - Date: Mon. Oct. 25 ~ Thu. Oct. 28, 2010 - Venue: Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan - Official Languages: Korean, English, Chinese(Mandarin) - Jointly organized by the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS), Chinese Culture University, International Society for Korean Studies (ISKS), Pacific and Asia Conference on Korean Studies (PACKS), Korean Studies Association of Australasia (KSAA), Association for Korean Studies in Europe (AKSE), Central Asian Association for Korean Studies (CAAKS) and the Committee on Korean Studies-Association for Asian Studies (CKS-AAS) Sessions - Designated Session (Individual Proposal) ● History ● Sociology ●Culture/ Anthropology ● Political Science ● Economics/Trade/Industry ● Law       ● Art         ● Folklore      ● Literature ● Education ●Science/Technology   ● Philosophy    ● Religion ● Language -Free Paper Session (Panel Proposal) This session is to present participants’ interests and reflections on Korean studies. A panel proposal including the topic of the session and organizing plan is required. -Special Session (Individual Proposal) ● Korean Language Education and its Exchanges between China and Taiwan ● Cultural Exchanges between Korea and China / Korea and Taiwan *Each panelist has 30 minutes. There is a 20 minute time limit for the presentation and 10 minute for discussion. Eligibility Scholars and professionals, including graduate students pursuing a master’s or doctorate Submission Abstract submissions will only be accepted via email to congress@aks.ac.kr from January 26 - April 30, 2010. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an e-mail confirmation within 3 working days. The abstracts will be reviewed based on content and suitability. Selected presenters will be contacted individually by May 28, 2010 and notified about the guidelines. Submission of the full paper (10-15 pages) is due via e-mail by Aug. 27, 2010. * The abstract cannot exceed 1 page (A4 size) in English, Korean or Chinese. ** Please complete enclosed application form and send it as well as your abstract and CV. ***For the free paper session, a panel proposal, abstract and CV of each panelist is required. ****Congress homepage will be accessible starting Monday, March 8, 2010. orean Studies Junior Scholar Paper Prize We cordially invite students in Korean studies to apply for the Junior Scholar Paper Prize. To apply, please tick on your application form for ‘KOREAN STUDIES JUNIOR SCHOLAR PAPER PRIZE APPLICANT’. The committee will screen your paper and select the best thesis. Awardees will be acknowledged for their achievements. Master and doctorate students are eligible to apply for the prize. Contact Secretariat: Academy of Korean Studies - Questions: Contact Sue-min Kwak to congress@aks.ac.kr - Web: www.aks.ac.kr/congress - E-mail: congress@aks.ac.kr - TEL: +82-31-709-9843 - FAX: +82-31-809-9945 Go to its homepage (only browse-able using Internet Explorer) or alternatively go to AKS' site for more detailed information and also to download the application and submission form. Praying hard for this!!! (Perhaps this is the final opportunity this year!)