29 May

Best Account of Project Sunshine (so far)

Posted by S.K.

Goes to this blogger, who is now a member of LiNK.

29 May

The Statement

Posted by S.K.

(Via. Flying Yangban) LiNK wrote a long statement aimed towards South Koreans

Hello. We are LiNK (Liberty in North Korea), a student group that works for North Korean Human Rights. As you have just read [see below], even the most basic human rights are being violated in North Korea. Throughout the following week, we will be hosting symposiums and screenings of the award-winning documentary, “Seoul Train.” So if you have any questions about what you have just read, please come out to discuss the issues. This Wednesday (5/31) at 11:30, we will be meeting in front of the Kyobo Building at Kwanghwa-moon, dressed in black clothing, for a protest for North Korean human rights. I hope to see many of you participate, and ask that you spread the word about our cause.

Also, there’s a bit of video coverage here. Notice what happens in the third clip. Die-ins are extremely difficult to execute and in this case people just walked passed it.

27 May

Moody’s Rates Korean Economy

Posted by S.K.

Both of them

Although North Korea has gestured such consistent actions for economic reformation as Gaesung Industrial Complex and Shinuiju Special region, an international financial institution estimated that North Korea did not carry out it towards market economy internally and in earnest.

On May 22, an official of Moody’s Investor Service, a Credit Rating Agency, announced that despite Kim Jong Il’s visit to China early this year, North Korea did not show indications for internal economic reformation.

On May 22, Vice-president Thomas Byrne of Moody’s Investor Service rated the possibility of North Korea towards economic reformation negative in the North Korean Economic Outlook Symposium held by Institute for Corean-American Studies(ICAS) in the Rusell Senate Building.

Vice-president Byrne estimated that North Korea failed to adjust its currency and exchange rate, and its trade environment was not improved, so that rather its economic situation was worse. Plus, he emphasized that North Korea did not show any signs of internal economic reformation.

He said about Gaesung Industrial Complex that, “If 5 more complexes like Gaesung Industrial Complex develop, we can see North Korea be in the economic reformation’s process, yet the Complex is no more than a symbol”. He emphasized that if North Korea has a strong resolute for economic reformation, “it should follow the economic model of South Korea because the way to Seoul is easier than the train to Shanghai for it”.

Vice-president Byrne warned that if South Korea would continue to support North Korea economically, it would face economic crisis soon.

While saying that, “The difference between the approaches of South Korea and the U.S is not great enough to make an impact on the credit rating of South Korea”, he stated, “Due to North Korea, South Korea always gets a lower credit rating than its original rating”.

And I thought spending in North Korea was meant to avoid economic crisis.