KBS (Korean Broadcasting System) reported in July 2005 that North Korea’s state-run Chosun Central TV is beginning to change. The first sign was the appearance of a different announcer’s backdrop for news programs.
PIC 1. North Korean Chosun Central TV (captured by South Korean KBS1)
Continue reading "Recent changes in North Korean Central TV" »
Today Cheorwon bears witness to Korea's tormented past. Burned out buildings used by the Japanese during colonial rule, a bombed out train that once connected north and south, a bullet-riddled building where anti-communists were tortured and murdered--all testify to the legacy of a divided Korea.
This photo, posted on the abductee association’s website, shows South Korean fishermen on a group outing in North Korea in 1974. The men were identified as having been kidnapped during 1971-1972. One-third of the men in the photo are now believed to be dead, according to an abductee who escaped to South Korea in 2000.
Between 1955-1987, South Korea had its own version of a Bermuda Triangle near the 38th parallel, a place where ships and planes would mysteriously disappear. In this version, the vessels and their crews would reappear in North Korea after a few days, victims of abductions the North Korean government has become notorious for.
Continue reading "Lost In Purgatory: The Story of South Korean Abductees" »
North Korean defectors play a unique role in outsiders’ understanding of what has since the 19th century been known as the Hermit Kingdom. They offer a rare glimpse into a country that most foreign journalists are unable to step foot in, much less have access to, making them one of the few first-hand recounts journalists can rely on. However, defector coverage – which often emphasizes their life in North Korea, their dangerous journey, or their reasons for escape – often lacks examination of the defectors’ subsequent experiences in South Korea. This is perhaps based on an assumption that their trials and tribulations have somehow evaporated upon entry into South Korean society. Yet some scholars argue that this is where a new set of challenges awaits.
Continue reading "Harsh Adjustment for North Korean Defectors" »
The South Korea I grew up in was much different from the Korea we know today. It did not have the confidence of being the 12th largest trading nation in the world, nor did it have the glow of success from peacefully transforming to an open democracy following a military dictatorship.
Likewise, North Korea was not the impoverished pariah state it is today. It hovered in our backyard as a real military threat, and by all accounts its economy was neck and neck with South Korea’s.
Continue reading "The Longest Truce: A View From the South" »