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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Behind the Iron Curtain: Where to go to get a look inside North Korea. |
| 2006-07-06 |
| by Brendan Miniter, Wall Street Journal North Korea is one of the most repressive and least transparent nations in the world. It has no free press, a paranoid dictator in Kim Jong Il and is difficult for foreign intelligence agencies to penetrate--even South Koreans stand out among their half-starved cousins to the north. But as a humanitarian disaster as well as a belligerent on the world stage, North Korea is the subject of intense observation. We thought it would be useful to highlight some sources on the Web that provide insights into what is happening, what might be done to prevent a tragic outcome and what might be driving the North Koreans to provoke a confrontation that on its face looks unwinnable for Kim Jong Il. At just 3% of its gross national product, South Korea's defense budget alone is larger than North Korea's entire economy. And belligerence by the North is likely to give the U.S. a stronger constellation of allies, force Japan to bolster its defenses and perhaps spur South Koreans to elect a more tough minded government next year. Kim's aggressive behavior is already starting to alienate Russia, which recently participated in a joint naval exercise with Japan and South Korea. The "North Korean Zone" offers a round up of the latest news including links to news articles, as well as analysis and radio and TV broadcasts that are beamed into North Korea. The site also welcomes photos and comments from anyone who has visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and information on key events in North Korea in recent years, including the massive explosion in Ryongchon two years ago that destroyed a train station not long after Kim Jong Il passed through it. There's lots more linkage in the main article. North Korea Zone looks to be the most comprehensive of the lot, and its blog appears to be updated several times a week. Fred, please consider adding a link to NKZ on the right side rail. |
| Posted by:Mike |