Showing posts with label Korea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Korea. Show all posts

Monday, December 19, 2011

News in the modern age

Korea at night from space: A photo is worth 1,000 words. This one says it all.
doctorbulldog.wordpress.com

A sudden influx of visitors coming to my DMZ tour post from a few years back via a Google search forwarns me something is up on the Korean peninsula. And usually it's because of a bad thing--the North flexing military power on land or sea belonging to South Korea or threatening the United States, whom they view as the Republic's enemy number one.

This time, however, the news is different--although not unexpected. Kim Jong Il, age 69, is dead. As tyrants go he was not as bad as Saddam Hussein or Muammar Gaddafi but a tyrant never the less. I can only hope his son Kim Jong Eun, like most twenty-somethings worldwide, was an early adopter and has grown up with the Internet.

If anything can lead to the democratization of North Korea, it's the freedom of expression inherently found here.


A new dawn for Korea?

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thankful to be here, in my hometown

So I can always tell when something bad is brewing in Korea as I get a ton of visitors to Heart & Seoul, my tour of the DMZ a year-and-a-half ago. Google analytics reveals it to be far and away the most viewed post out of all 1,350 put up over the past three-and-a-half years.

I first noticed it on my sitemeter 8 months ago when the South Korean warship mysteriously exploded and sank in disputed waters; it just started again a few days ago with the stunning announcement of North Korea's new uranium processing plant, and then escalated after the North pounded an island with artillery killing two South Korean soldiers and two civilians.

So yes, once again I fear for my friends in Seoul. Because if the North Koreans decide (or I should say the new kid in charge) on all-out war, the carnage on Day One will be incomprehensible.

Thus I am thankful to be here in my hometown, with family and friends, safe and warm . And it makes me even more thankful then ever for the men and women in our military who lay their lives on the line to make it so--especially those in far off places under imminent threat of death.

As well as police, fire and public safety folks right here at home.

If I had to pick my favorite post out of all 1,350 it would be A Thanksgiving Story, also about war. And I'm so thankful to have know Dick Hagelberg--a poster boy for the "Greatest Generation".

Monday, May 24, 2010

In the blink of an eye...

UPDATE: 2:00 PM (Tuesday). So the "chicken little" in me is even more aroused as North Korea just announced they were ejecting South Koreans from the industrial complex just inside their border operated by South Korean companies that employ 40,000 North Koreans.

Even the South did not go that far yesterday in announcing economic sanctions. Since the only other industry in North Korea is that relating to the military this is a classic case of biting off your nose to spite your face. Or: Pride goeth before the fall.

As the proud father of two girls originally born in China and aware of how very many girls have come to our country over the past 20 years via international adoption I always figure the Chinese government would at least think twice before going to war with us as collateral damage could include so many of their own (not to mention all the Chinese who have come here for education or employment purposes.)

Severing this last co-mingling of two people who should be one is a bad sign.

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Original Post: Yesterday
Having spent a week in Seoul last year getting to mix with the locals and taking a guided tour of the DMZ (which is a lot harder for the locals to do) I am frankly concerned about recent revelations that North Korea did indeed sink a South Korean warship.

Initially I figured the Cheonan inadvertently hit an underwater mine left over from the horrific war 57 years ago that, technically, has never ended. Mainly because North Korea actually seems proud of its belligerence, I also figured they would instantly take credit for scoring such a surprising blow on a highly trained military ship.

But considering the North never really acknowledged the secret "Tunnels of aggression" constructed under the DMZ and designed to deliver thousands of troops per hour into a sleeping Seoul I guess I should not be surprised.

So what is a concerned diplomat to do?

Box them into a corner and they will fight with the same tenacity exhibited so long ago only with more modern weapons of mass destruction. Let it slide and they will be encouraged to do it again.

Unlike our 9/11, all the causalities were military inflicted by another uniformed military in a disputed zone. More like Pearl Harbor, a dastardly act indeed, but if you believe "war is Hell" then certainly not something to start another war over, or maybe I should say a resumption of the war that never ended.

I'm reminded of what a US military officer told me when I was touring the furthermost military base on the DMZ (mainly staffed by South Korean military) that the 28,500 US troops stationed on the peninsula would merely act as a "speed bump" if the North decides to roll in force.

And then, President Obama--under terribly tense constantly shifting conditions--would face the same option presented to President Truman when the Chinese first entered the conflict in almost limitless waves: do we use nukes?

Either way, the slaughter will set a new standard for barbarism in the modern age.

How I spent my summer vacation in Korea

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Butterflies Are Free


And so are the two journalists.

Having just visited Korea--the good side--I kind of knew that if anybody could free those two young women Bill Clinton could. His wife Hillary exchanged name calling with their dictator recently (not a good idea with somebody who normally does not have to hear such criticism--mainly because critics are killed.)

But as today's Wall Street Journal points out, you wonder what Slick Willy promised them on nuclear disarmament issues. And what about the thousand or so Japanese and South Korean hostages (some held since the the Korean Conflict was a shooting war) ?

Since the media outlet they represented is led by Al Gore, maybe the two just did it as a PR stunt. Perhaps Air America should send Rachel Maddow over the border.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Heart & Seoul

Americans being, well, Americans

According to some folks "All Asians look alike." In Korea that ism is closer to being true. The only difference between North and South Korea is ideology, resulting in completely differing economies. And there the difference is like night and day.

When viewed at night from outer space North Korea is black as coal while Seoul, the capital of South Korea, glows like a giant Christmas tree. doctorbulldog.wordpress.com/2006/10/13/

If allowed one photo in the restricted zone (you had to check your camera) during the tour of the "Third Tunnel of Aggression," our second stop on the DMZ tour, I would have shot the point of intersection where South Korea had dug a tunnel down deep and steep to the unfinished North Korean effort.

The South Korean tunnel was well lit, ventilated, about eight feet high by 8 feet wide, smoothly cylindrical and completely coated in concrete; the North Korean tunnel was as crude as it was cramped. Perhaps 5.5 feet high by 5.5 wide, with rough jagged edges all around. The average person had to duck the entire time.

Fortunately, as I whacked my head four or five times, yellow construction hard hats were required.

When North Korea hastily abandoned their pernicious project, they left behind definitive evidence: small holes drilled in the solid rock just large enough to hold the dynamite used for excavation.

Obviously the placement of the holes--now highlighted in red paint--indicated the tunnel was a North to South endeavor.

According to our tour guide (and Wikipedia) if the tunnel had become operational an entire division of soldiers with artillery could have passed per hour. Since we had to walk single file while hunched over I doubt even highly-trained soldiers could move at a rate of 30,000 per hour. But I'm sure an awful lot of them could.

And they would then have had a terrifying advantage: the element of surprise.

To date South Korea has uncovered four different tunnels all pointed towards the capital city of Seoul, where one-quarter of the population resides. And government officials fear many more tunnels are out there.

So now a Great Wall of barbed wire extends all the way from the city limit of Seoul to the DMZ, running parallel to the Imjin River and Freedom Highway. Interspersed every half-mile or so, an elevated guard tower staffed by soldiers with machine guns.

At a military checkpoint we are boarded for a passport check by a young soldier dressed in camouflage uniform and sporting black reflective sunglasses. About half way to the back of the bus he slowly raises his glasses and says sternly in broken English "Who took picture?"

Everybody looks surprised (myself included) while shaking our heads side-to-side. "I saw a flash!," he declares and then looks around for a reaction. Getting none, he turns and marches off the bus after hardly glancing at our passports.

This was about 11:00 AM on a beautifully clear sunny day, so I'm fairly sure a digital camera would not have flashed. It could simply have been bright sunshine bouncing off a shiny object on the bus...or maybe the border guards always play that game just to reinforce the posted warnings (verbally reinforced many times by our tour guide).

In South Korea men are required to perform 2 years of military service. Every 6 months they get a bar added to a shoulder patch on their uniform to indicate length of experience, and by easy deduction amount of time left to serve. Our interrogator had earned only one bar.

Seated behind me on the bus three American 20-something women had been chatting up a storm on the one-hour journey from Seoul, pausing now and then to softy sing Beatles songs. Immediately after passing the military checkpoint one dials her cellphone: "Sorry Mom, I forgot about that...(probably referring to the 13-hour time difference.) "But we're here, we're at the DMZ!"

After the brief conversation ends she said to her friend soberly "Grandma had two brothers who served here, and they're still missing."

Freedom Bridge was our first stop on the tour, so named because when prisoners of war were exchanged after the 1953 cease fire they shouted "freedom" as they sprinted towards their respective homelands.

Now it is unused and heavily guarded on both sides. Overhead a helicopter gunship flies in a slow--but probably very precise--grid pattern.

Our 3'rd stop was the furthermost observation outpost of the ROK army, the ground where--according to a dedication plaque on cite--outnumbered American and South Korean soldiers stood "shoulder to shoulder" to withstand a massive assault by fanatical Chinese troops.

Naturally the base is located atop a peak of one of the ubiquitous Korean mountains.

Perhaps 100 people hover around the dozen binocular stations that allowed a view of yet another neighboring mountain, only this one was located in North Korea. Young South Korean soldiers numbering in the dozens were among those who came to gawk.

The last stop on the tour was Dorasan Train Station, a beautiful modern facility that opened in 2002 with the hope that reunification would allow passenger service thru North Korea. The architect designed the building roof to resemble a hand shaking another hand.Click to enlarge



Women who volunteer serve in the military. And they start at higher rank.

The $35 half-day tour ended at noon so I did not get to up to Panmunjom where the cease fire treaty was signed in a building now--like the country itself--a "house divided". Where guards stand glaring at each other from within spitting distance.

The Korean (undeclared) War never concluded...they just came to an official truce, which at times--particularly now--seems precarious. Yet at all the stops along the DMZ, powerful symbols exist dedicated to reunification: A sculpture of the globe split in half with Koreans on opposite sides trying to push it back together.

Or the repetitive use of the terms "freedom" and "reunification" for infrastructure around the DMZ, including roads, bridges and even entire villages. When asked, our young S. Korean tour guide said quite confidently that reunification would happen within the next ten years.

Meanwhile a North Korean inter ballistic missile--capable of hitting Hawaii--warms up in a silo with an estimated launch date of July 4, perhaps a symbolic message to the United States.

Thursday June 23'rd marked the 59'Th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, a day that South Koreans treat with the same respect as Americans do Memorial Day. In North Korea's Pyongyang 100,000 residents turned out for an anti-American rally.

Millions perished in the Korean War and even now 59 years later, the catastrophic conflict is agonizingly unresolved. But still, they have hope. And it is strong.

If indeed, hope is a muscle--then South Korea is the strongest nation on earth.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Last Korean sundown


For the Kelley's anyway.

PS: I did get in and out of the DMZ without incident. But it will take a day or two to get my head around it for upload.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Like a bridge over troubled water...


Click to enlarge

A fish story

The Coax is a giant mega-mall/convention center in the heart of downtown Seoul that hosted the International Council for Small Business World conference my wife was attending to both present and moderate a presentation.

While she worked I went to the Aquarium.
Fish in a harp (maybe they were Irish.)
Obviously the designer had a sense of humor.
Fresh fish in a refrigerator
Alien turtle with two heads.
Another Alien fish eating small child
Back to "school".

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Reflections


Fountain at entry to Seoul National University of Technology.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Wonderful World of Lotte

Since Lotte World is celebrating 20 years of operation it's safe to assume they learned a few things from Disney World. In a nutshell, Lotte World is simply a mountainous indoor Disneyworld.

Numerous amusement rides--including a high speed full sized roller coaster--merry go rounds. ubiquitous refreshment stands, costumed animal characters, Broadway type shows, and a daily parade.

The Lotte company owns the adjacent mall--that resembled a cross between Harrads International and Saks Fifth Avenue connected by a marble underground tunnel to the amazing amusement center.

Like Disney, one price gets you unlimited usage all day long. Unlike Disney, admission was around $20. By 6:00 pm the kids passed out (as did I.)


















Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Korea War Memorial/Kids Playcenter



Proud symbol of the ROK Marines.

Russian T-34 Tank. The North had a couple hundred and used them effectively at the onset of the invasion.

Russian made anti-aircraft gun used by the North.

South Korea's anti- aircraft gun.

I guess some would consider it a rather strange juxtaposition: a cavernous modern granite and marble museum dedicated to all things war but with generous floor space set aside as a children's playground featuring Thomas the train, a giant slide, and an ocean of soft rubber balls all overseen by exuberant young workers.

The Korean War Museum covers battles from ancient history up to those not yet fought on the peninsula of Korea, illustrating the terrible tools of war. And like the Air/Space museum in Washington they have the original machinery on the floor and hanging in the air above.

The cost for all six of us to enter (three adults, two kids, one toddler) was only $2.50 total, but did not include access to the ground floor play center--that cost an additional $25 for the two kids and toddler.

We were there midmorning Tuesday and while not crowded there was still a fair number of folks slowly ambling among the displays while down below the kids play center was packed. We of course stood out and young school kids in uniforms came up to us (Donna more often probably because of her red hair) and asked in practiced English for our autographs.


The South Korean government purchased the property upon which the museum sits from the US government, when our army base moved across street. Considering that chubby whacko in the North is once again rattling his saber, let's hope there's never a need to expand this place.


The priceless cost of war.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Greetings from Seoul

Since President Obama has troubles with waterboarding as torture perhaps he should look into herding terrorists W-A-Y in the back of a United 777 international flight all middle seats and make sure to break up a family traveling together with the two children. Yikes!

Lousy service, lousy food, with no legroom.

And naturally as we approached Japan the 3 MPH tailwind became a 100 MPH headwind and slowed us down. Just what you need after 13 hours in the air. We were also told to stay seated after the plane landed so Japanese authorities could come aboard and test travelers for body temperature and collect health forms (the last thing you wanted to acknowledge in writing was coughing, sneezing or runny nose.)

They never bothered to do either but a when we landed two hours later in Korea those authorities did.

A smattering of passengers on both flights were wearing surgical masks and the workers at the airport taking body temperatures with a small wand like device placed near the forehead or ear canal all were wearing them.

Yes, my Mac laptop survived the trip--although Japanese security folks did pick it up and turn it around a few times, looking puzzled. Still trying to get the cable modem working where we are staying so my posts may get as crusty as the Gazette.

Speaking of torture: Since we are 13 hours ahead (it's Tuesday morning here) Amherst Town Meeting is probably still in session.