Stories about South Korea from September, 2011
Book Review: ‘Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea’
Change in Longitude blog posted a thorough review of the book ‘Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea’ by Barbara Demick. The book’s title comes from a song that North Korean school children recite, “We have nothing to envy in the world” in spite of chronic malnutrition and famine...
Colombia: President Santos’ Tour of Asia
Last week, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos toured Japan and South Korea for seven days with the goal of strengthening commercial ties. In Japan, he signed an agreement to protect reciprocal investments, while the Koreans promised to accelerate the process for a free trade treaty. Bloggers and Twitter users commented on the trip.
South Korea: The Diplomats Who Can't Speak English
It was revealed on September 13, 2011, that four out of ten South Korean diplomats find it nearly impossible to use proper diplomatic language in English, prompting the public to raise questions on the competency of Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials.
South Korea: More Blocking of Pro-North Korean Internet Content
Quoting DongA newspaper's report on the censorship of internet content in South Korea, Martyn Williams from North Korea Tech blog wrote that there has been a sharp increase of the number of South Korean police requests demanding the deletion of pro-North Korean internet content.
North Korea’s First Cruise Ship Draw Harsh Reviews
Bearded Wiseman from the 2Oceansvibe site wrote about North Korea's first cruise ship, calling it a ‘bit of a joke’.
Korea: WikiLeaks Reveals More on South Korean Policy, Rather than North Korean Realities
Leon V. Sigal from 38 North site posted an interesting analysis on the WikiLeaks cable traffic between Seoul and Washington. The author stressed that the cables shed less light on North Korea than they do on South Korea’s policy toward the North.
South Korea: Google Raided Over Alleged Antitrust Violations
Google's South Korea offices have been raided by Korean regulators for a third time on September 6, 2011, over alleged antitrust violations. The raid has reignited numerous debates online about whether it was a fair decision and what motives lie behind such harsh action.
North Korea's GPS Jamming Device
Edwin Kee from Ubergizmo site wrote about North Korea's GPS jamming device that can disrupt signals which occur across a wide area, even places 100 kilometers away.
North Korea, Country in a Long Coma
Alex Tabarrok on Marginal Revolution blog wrote about how the dictatorship in North Korea has survived decades despite mass starvation and economic failure. The author, quoting parts from the book Nothing to Envy, commented that the North Korean iron curtain which has been much more impenetrable than that of Eastern...
South Korea: Police Detained Dozens of Activists and Villagers in Jeju Island
Police have detained about three dozen activists and villagers who have been protesting against the construction of a naval base at the scenic Jeju island on September 1, 2011. Twitter user @duddus58 posted photos of crackdown on protesters.
