I’ve always wanted to dive into the massive social network in order to attract more readers. I have a facebook profile, but that’s too limiting in terms of audience. There is MySpace but that, frankly, looks like crap. I cannot look at a MySpace layout without getting nauseous. So now I’ve signed up for the American version of Cyworld, the biggest social network in Korea. According to Techcrunch, 90% of all Koreans under the age of 20 own a Cyworld account. Thats the kind of audience I’m looking for. Plus, in addition to comments, people can send me acorns too!

You can visit my profile here.

Also, if you can read Korean, here’s the LiNK Cyworld Club.

Meanwhile, leprosy

In Haesan city, and Kim Hyeong Jik-gun of Yanggang province, people are saying that a “mysterious disease” called “leprosy” is spreading.

In a meeting on the 14th with defector Lee Sung Hee (pseudonym, 25) at Yanji of Yanbian, Lee said “The people who bought contaminated meat from Jangmadang are showing symptoms of boils and oozing skin, much like a person affected with leprosy. The people look like pieces of sliced meat.”

Lee said “We are not yet sure what to call the disease, but as symptoms are similar to leprosy, people are calling it ‘leprosy.’ As a result, authorities have closed off the Yanggang province due of the mysterious epidemic”.

Last December, there was an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the regions of Yanggang province and authorities had those areas closed off. However, veterinarians and doctors reason that “These are not symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease”.

Hence, it is difficult to correctly affirm what the mysterious disease in Yanggang province is.

Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, or in Catholic tradition “purgatory on Earth” is a treatable disease that is extremely rare in America. As a matter of fact, the WTO provides the treatment for free. The only problem is access, which is very lacking in the Hermit Kingdom.

Three new guests, one less pyro

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Eight nations will discuss North Asian security issues Friday in lieu of formal talks on
North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, but North Korea will not attend, officials said.

The participants include five nations that had been negotiating with North Korea — the United States, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia — plus Australia, Malaysia and Canada, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.

“The eight countries will exchange views on regional issues that they are concerned about,” she said.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill confirmed the eight-party talks.

North Korea has refused to attend formal six-party talks that many had hoped would be revived on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ annual security meeting Friday.