Understanding Korea
Updated
Friday, July 04, 2008

Kangwon-do temple dragon

*  Mastering Business in Korea:  A Practical Guide, a 270-page book is now on sale.  To get an idea of this book, please read the endorsements, table of contents, acknowledgements, and the Foreword by Nick Reilly, President of GM Asia-Pacific.  To order your copy, click here or go to www.seoulselection.com

ReunificationKorean WarReligion in SocietySociety & Pop CultureReference & Misc.
                                                Click on the Above Buttons for These Additional Topics

Business & Economy

FSC's Position Does Not Block LS from Selling Their Shares by Richard Wacker, CEO, Korea Exchange Bank, July 4, 2008, followed by There are No Legal Barriers to KEB Sale, Maeil Economic Daily, week of June 23, 2008

South Koreans Loyal to Samsung Despite Scandals December 3, 2007
 

Corporate Korea Corks the Bottle as Women Rise
 - Female employees are challenging Korea's corporate drinking culture, The New York Times, June 10, 2007

From Peace Corps Volunteer to Top Business Executive Advisor - Interview of Tom Coyner, Korea Times. April 2, 2007

Korean Business Feels the Pinch between China and Japan- Four articles from the International Herald Tribune, Chosun Ilbo, and Financial Times, March 19~28, 2007

Korea-US Trade Deal Bogged Down as Clock Ticks - In Korea, debate rages over merits of free trade pact with US, South China Morning Post, December 20, 2006

US-ROK FTA – A Lost Opportunity in the Making? by Tom Coyner - Why the recent US elections place the current FTA negotiations in peril at Korea's expense, Nov. 15, 2006

Published Articles on Doing Business in Korea - practical tips and perspectives, updated almost weekly, by Tom Coyner

Slowly, the Chaebol Heed Shareholders Champions of prosperity, when it comes to creating and maintaining shareholder wealth the chaebol continue to get poor marks from local investors despite 10 years of government-led changes

What Could Go Wrong With China? - Idealism and nationalism jostle daily with rapacity and naked self-aggrandizement, as do political stability and potentially explosive unrest. That's what makes China so unpredictable, Barrons, July 31, 2006

Myths & Realities of Corporate Sales by Tom Coyner - Moving from order taking to selling in Korea can be a challenge, Korea Times, May 9, 2006

10 + 1 Commandments for Doing Business - Stick to these 11 cardinal rules and you will do just fine in Korea, Korea Times, March 27, 2006

Consultant Offers Advice for Making Soft Landing in Korea - Tom Coyner, president of Soft Landing Korea, believes South Korea is the best spot for foreign firms wanting to break into Northeast Asia, Korea Times, Jan. 10, 2006;

The Chill Wind of Korean Xenophobia  - For the ROK to maintain the momentum toward globalization, it's government  must show strong leadership in demonstrating the benefits of an open and market-driven economy, and educate and enlighten the public, Far East Economic Review, December 2005

The Making of Korean Brands - Korean brands within less than a decade have muscled their way into the big league of global names, Asia Times, Aug. 18, 2005

Longtime Expats Finding a Niche in Selling Advice to Foreign Firms - Mr. Coyner is one of a handful of expatriates who are marketing their knowledge of Korea to international companies with their sights on this market, JoongAng Daily, March 28, 2005

Selling Through Korean Distributors by Tom Coyner - Indirect selling can be one of the least expensive and lowest risk strategies.  This approach offers obvious advantages, but also contains many hidden pitfalls, Journal of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, 2-part article in the January-February and March-April  2005 editions

Samsung style or Daewoo dull? - Can Korea drop the chaebol straitjacket to ensure that it build more Samsung-type brands? Media, June 4, 2004

Casualties of Debt Bubble Seek Lifeline - Defaulters tell woes to credit counselors, apply for 'bad bank' programs, Korea Herald, April 7, 2004

In South Korea, being 'too old, too experienced' can pose problems finding work - Unemployment profiles in courage, International Herald Tribune, October 25, 2003

Giving Credit Card Firms a Run for the Money - Credit Card companies are now recruiting repo men as they struggle to keep from being completely swamped by the recent tides of delinquent accounts, JoongAng Daily, June 18, 2003

South Korea's Bane, in One Word: Plastic, New York Times, Dec 3, 2002 - countered by Rising credit card delinquencies no cause for concern, Fitch says,Korea Herald, Dec. 4, 2003

'Wired Korea' a Target of Anti-Spam Ire - Many U.S. ISPs still say Korea accounts for a major part of their spam load, JoongAng Daily, Nov 27, 2002,

Analysts of Korean Firms Face Increasing Difficulties on Job - Ability to handle criticism hasn't quite caught up with Korea's new market strength, The Wall Street Journal, July 16, 2002

Samsung Aims to Get Stronger With New British Executive - A 35-year-old Briton was recently named to the highest executive post ever held by a foreigner at Samsung Electronics Co.,  The Wall Street Journal, March 22, 2002

Holding Off the Wal-Marts of the World - So far, E-Mart has bested rivals in Korea's new discount niche, BusinessWeek, January 21, 2002

Korea's Workweek Revolution - The national debate over a five-day standard has raised questions about wages, productivity and economic growth., LA Times, November 18, 2001

Banking: Raising the Bar Can Hurt -Korea First's CEO ushered in accountability. Now, he's out, BusinessWeek online, November 19, 2001

Banking on Korea: Face to Face with Wilfred Horie - President and CEO, Korea First Bank talks about turning the bank around, handling government, media and labor relations, American Chamber of Commerce in Korea Journal, September-October 2001

Thin Is Beautiful - Global investors are pressuring companies to be lean and mean. So why do the chaebol refuse to go on a diet? Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2001

Smashing the Six Shibboleths of Korean Sales - A consultant focuses her sights on outmoded thinking among Korea's sales forces - and what changes they need to implement if they are  to remain competitive, Yeri Choi Coyner,  American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, May-June 2001

Daewoo Chief Begs a Thousand Pardons Following Massive Layoffs at Auto Maker - The Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2001

CEOs: Know Your Company - Korea's hands-off managing system makes for a big difference in doing international business, Korea Herald, June 21, 2001

South Korea:  Headed for Economic Shock - Facing nationwide strikes, debt troubles and drought,  Pres. Kim's falling popularity has left him unable to push through needed economic reforms, Stratfor.com, June 12, 2001

South Korea Braces for Wave Of Maturing Corporate Debt - Crunch time is approaching for South Korea, threatening a liquidity shortage, The Wall Street Journal, June 1, 2001

Auditor's Investigation Finds 70% of Sales at Lernout & Hauspie Unit Were Fake - The Wall Street Journal, April 9, 2001

Six Korean Sales Myths that Have to be Broken -by Yeri Choi Coyner, April 2001

Knowledge-Based Society e-Korea Project Launched - Korea is fast becoming one of the most Internet-savvy countries in the world, Korea Times, Feb. 27, 2001

Internet power play in S. Korea - The old-style conglomerates call the tune as new ventures struggle, AP, Feb. 24, 200

Korea risks tag of global money laundering refuge - a global supervisory body may soon brand Korea as a money laundering haven, Korea Herald, Feb. 12, 2001

Fast Country - When it comes to the New Economy, South Korea, with an old economy one-tenth the size of Japan's, is leaving its former colonial master in the dust, J@pan Inc Magazine December 2000 issue,

How High-Tech Dream Shattered in Scandal at Lernout & Hauspie - A bizarre scene in Korea is just the latest strange twist in the growing financial scandal at L&H, Wall St. Journal, Dec. 7, 2000,

Korea's Winter of Discontent - Pressure is rising to push indebted companies to the wall. Strong unions threaten more unrest while foreign investors are losing patience, Far East Economic Review,  Dec. 7, 2000

Why Are The Koreans Going Online - Asian Banker Interactive, November 21, 2000

South Korea Dumps the Past, at Last - Daewoo Motor is bust. That could be good news for the country, and for Asia, Nov 11th 2000, The Economist

Inchon's Flight of Fancy - There are doubts about  Korea's mammoth new airport at Inchon becoming an Asian cargo and passenger hub, dated Far East Economic Review, October 19, 2000

Pushing Plastic -A government campaign to stop tax evasion is shaking up the way Korea thinks about money, Far East Economic Review,  October 12, 2000

Korea Is Leaving Japan in the Digital-Age Dust - Japanese should heed their neighbor's example, BusinessWeek, August 8, 2000

Belgian Giant Used Burgers, Humor To Win Its Korean Staff's Support - The Wall Street Journal, July 24, 2000

Traditional Business Practices Changing in South Korea  - USA Today, July 25, 2000

'PC bang' helps Koreans embrace Net -Los Angeles Times Service, July 21, 2000

Successful Korean Summit Bodes Well For Southern Firms Weighing Chances - Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2000

South Korea's Day-trading Mania - Online, off course, The Economist, June 10, 2000

Finance, Internet Firms Push for Cyber Cash Project  - a summary of the current state of e-cash and smart cards in Korea, Korea Times, May 25, 2000

Reviewing President Kim's First Two Years Building A New Economy - by Peter M. Beck, Korea Economic Institute of America, Feb. 24, 2000, Korea Times

The Latest Chaebol Game Plan: Stalking Cyber Startups - late to join Korea's New Economy, the conglomerates are quickly buying in, Businessweek, April 3, 2000

Powering Ahead - Economic Monitor: South Korea, Far East Economic Review, April 6, 2000,

Korean Reform: a job half done?- Despite improved conditions, structural weaknesses continue to undermine the recovery of the Korean economy, asiamoney, Dec. 1999/Jan. 2000

Chaebol chairmen's absolute power still unchallenged despite reform drive - Korea Herald, Jan. 22, 2000

Net service to be 1,000 times faster by 2004 - Korea Herald, Jan. 17, 2000

Dreams Come True - South Korea's sizable animation industry, Far East Economic Review, Jan. 13, 2000

South Korea's Economy Has Put Crisis Behind It - San Jose Mercury News, December 1, 1999

Korea's Chance with Labor - Far East Economic Review, Nov. 4, 1999

Government Crackdown on the Hanjin Group and Other Chaebols - 2 articles from the Korea Times and the Korea Herald, 10/5~6/99

Samsung Electronics Chip WarsThe Far East Economic Review, September 23, 1999

Battle of Wills - Pres. Kim vs. the Chaebols, The Far East Economic Review, August 26, 1999

The Death of Daewoo - The Economist, August 21, 1999

How Korean Pride Rallied to Save a Software Maker- New York Times, August 15, 1999

Scholar Sparks Heated Debate Over Korea's Reforms - Kenichi Ohmae touches some nerves in Korea - Aug. 12, 1999, The Korea Times

S. Korea's Alarming Recovery - from the July 31, 1999 The Economist

Dark Side to Korea Recovery?- EE Times review of the chaebols, July 5, 1999

Saintly or Self-Serving? - S. Koreans Rate President Kim - Washington Post Foreign Service, June 10, 1999

South Korea Gets New Lease on Economic Life- LA Times report, June 5, 1999 report, June 5, 1999

Scourage of the Chaebol-The chaebol are not used to being bossed around by  private citizens such as Jang Hasung, Economist, Mar. 27, 1999

Goldman Sachs Sees 4% S Korea Growth- as reported by Reuters on March 18, 1999

Korea Takes on Family Groups-Update on chaebol reform from Mar. 11, 1999, Washington Post

Size Doesn't Matter- in Korea's new economy, from Mar. 4, 1999 Far East Economic Review

Samsung, Hyundai Battle to be No. 1-  from Feb. 22, 1999 Korea Inc.

Now the Hard Part- Korea Government's challenge to steady the course - Far East Economic Review, Feb. 25, 1999

IMF says S Korea in Full Recovery- Reuters, Feb. 3, 199 Feb. 3, 1999

Seoul Survivors - after the overhaul, Korean banks and their managers face a brave new world from Jan. 30, 1999, The Economist

The Chaebol that Ate Korea - update one year after the crisis from the 11/14/98 Economist

Same Old Story- Korea needs a better skilled press to explain its challenges - Far East Economic Review, 11/5/98

South Korea Democracy Lacks Courage-Los Angeles Times interview with Kim Donggil, 10/5/98

Nem con? A political update from the 9/28/98 Economist

The Real Asian Miracle;The World's Biggest Going-Out-of-Business Sale - Controversial report from the May 31, 1998 New York Times

Second Founding of the ROK - transcript of Dr. You, Jong-keun, Cholla Bukdo Governor and Economic Advisor to the President at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Tokyo, 91/1/98

Recovery May Still Be Far Off For South Korea's Economy - By Michael Schuman of The Wall Street Journal, September 3, 1998

Going For Broke- Far East Economic Review, June 11, 1998 editorial on what's broken

Crisis in the Korean Market Today - Lessons for Japan Tomorrow? - Coyner's presentation to the AEA

A Business Traveler's Korean Notes - some observations of  Seoul from my mid January 1998 trip

Reunification

China puppet-play a plus for Koreas by Andrei Lankov - A compelling argument why reunification of the two Koreas has become unlikely, Asia Times, Feb. 21, 2008

The Mirage of A United Korea - The unification drive of the two Koreas resembles a Taoist paradox: Doing less and less is really achieving more and more. To hold together different parts of a whole, one must first let them go their separate ways, Far East Economic Review, November 2006

Korean Brothers as Different as North and South - One a spy for the North in the South; the other a refugee from the North, International Herald Tribune,  March 10, 2006

N Korea’s Bogus Breakthrough - Unless there is significant progress in November's fifth round, the Statement of Principles will prove as useless as the Agreed Framework of 1994, Far East Economic Review, September 2005

Dumb and Dumber:  The Bush administration thinks negotiating with North Korea is appeasement. South Korea thinks negotiating requires appeasement, Washington Monthly, July-August, 2005

You Say Okjeryok, I Say Deterrent - No Wonder We Don't Agree - The N Korean  accord is a linguistic minefield, Washington Post,  September 25, 2005

For many, two Koreas may be better than one - Strong arguments are heard that continued division, or at least delayed union, might serve, well, everyone's interests, International Herald Tribune, July 1, 2005

N Korean Refugees - The Beginning of a Flood? - The causes and surrounding multi governmental hypocrisies of the first mass exodus of N Korean refugees since the Korean War, Asian Times Online, July 29, 2004

Goguryeo - a cause that unites the two Koreas versus China's long-term designs, South China Morning Post, February 28, 2004

For North Koreans, working in South can be a challenge - The South's freewheeling economic system can be just as hard as life in the North, JoongAng Daily, December 25, 2003

Asymmetric Threats and Implications for the U.S.-ROK Alliance -  By Stephen Bradner, For Presentation to the Council on Korea-U.S. Security Studies, 14 October 2002, Seoul

Pyongyang's Tough Talk May Unite Its Adversaries - N Korea's tough tactics may be backfiring, Wall St Journal, Sept. 2, 2003

North Korea's Trojan Horse - Pyongyang's real purpose in seeking a non-aggression pact is to use it as a Trojan horse to rupture the already strained U.S.-South Korean military alliance, Wall St Journal, August 21, 2003

North Korea's Bid for Security Pledge Could Be a Trap - The real problem with a security guarantee is that the quid would not match the quo, LA Times, Aug. 17, 2003

The United States, North Korea, and the End of the Agreed Framework - With stunning rapidity, Washington and Pyongyang have unraveled close to a decade of painfully crafted diplomatic arrangements designed to prevent full-scale nuclear weapons development on the Korean Peninsula, Naval War College Review, Summer 2003

Upping the Ante for Kim Jong Il - Pentagon Plan 5030, a new blueprint for facing down North Korea, US News and World Report, July 21, 2003

Pyongyang: keep the gloves on for now - Tempting as it may be, at this stage adopting  the hard line may not be  the right one to take, Japan Times, July 2, 2003

Home the Hard Way - Hundreds of South Koreans have been abducted by the North over the decades, and only a handful have ever escaped. For those that do return, Seoul is providing less than a hero's welcome, TIMEAsia.com, June 7, 2003

U.S. Options in South Korea - A drive to compel the United States to withdraw its military forces from South Korea is picking up steam from the left and the right, The Japan Times, Jan. 7, 2003

Anti-Americanization of South Korea- The anti-Americanization of S Korea has reached such a degree that it gives the North subtle leverage over the South, The Korea Herald, October 23, 2002

Dealing With Dictators - Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il have something in common: not the so-called axis of evil, but the fact that neither can take yes for an answer, New York Times, July 18, 2002

See Ya, Suckers - Dozens of South Korean companies responded to President Kim’s call to go North, only to get fleeced and retreat with heavy losses, Newsweek International, September 3, 2001

A Road Through Seoul - By Henry Kissinger,  The Washington Post,  March 6, 2001

The South Korean Spy Chief Who Paved the Way for Thaw With North -Point man's worries - will hard-liners retaliate? International Herald Tribune, Jan. 31, 2001

Korean Security - The Millennial Moment - The Bush administration would do well to construct more realistic, less romantic, policies than its predecessor, The Asian Wall Street Journal, January 15, 2001

To Hyundai's Chagrin, Few Want to Tour North Korea - International Herald Tribune,  Jan. 17, 2001

The Korea Challenge - Kim Dae Jung  worries that his rapprochement with N Korea may be undone because of misjudgments by the new Bush administration, Washington Post, Jan. 7, 2001

Seoul to Make Its Case for 'Sunshine' Policy - Kim Dae Jung Wants Bush Team's Support, International Herald Tribune, Jan. 6, 2001

The Moral Cost Of Engagement - S Korea is paying a price for reconciliation with the North: Any criticism of  Pyongyang is actively discouraged, Far East Economic Review,  Dec. 28, 2000

N. Koreans Put Pride Before Poverty in Reunions With the South - Not having much,  N. Korea does have its pride as amply demonstrated in three days of inter-Korean family reunions, LA Times, Dec. 2,  2000

Threat From North Korea Rising, U.S. Army Warns - International Herald Tribune, Paris, Friday, September 8, 2000

Ham Sok-Hon's Advice for Today: "Put your sword down and think hard!"- Speculation on what Teacher Ham may have advised as Korea faces North-South rapprochement, by Tom Coyner. 

'Put your sword down and think hard!'- an abridged version of the above "Ham Sok-Hon's Advice for Today," published in the September 6, 2000 Korea Herald.

A Prize, but Not Yet Peace - Kim Dae Jung's mission to bring peace to the divided Korean peninsula remains far from complete, Oct 19th 2000,  The Economist

Kim Dae-Jung's Nobel Peace Prize - Three perspectives from Oct. 13~15, 2000 papers.

Garrison Town Wary of Korea Peace Steps - Southerners Fear the Economic Cost, New York Times, October 2, 2000

How Much For One Korea? - Prospects for the eventual reunification of North and South Korea appear bright. Yet it is premature to assume reunification will occur smoothly, Asian Wall St. Journal, October 2, 2000

'Why the Inter-Korean Rail Link Will Be Important - Two articles - American and Korean - analyzing why the proposed inter-Korean rail link will have major international economic importance, Stratfor.com and Korea Times, early August 2000

Pro-North Korean Ex-Prisoners Assume Role Playing for Unification  - Korea Times, July 3, 2000

Korea’s Family Fortunes - After the exciting meeting of the leaders of the two Koreas, the cold and costly realities begin to dawn, The Economist, July 1, 2000

New, Improved Dictator - Who knew Kim Jong Il had a kinder, gentler side? The sourpuss- turned-showman stole the summit, TIME, June 26, 2000

Two Koreas Need to Slow Down Border Opening Even After Unification - German Ambassador Vollers, Korea Times, June 22, 2000

Don't Expect the Korean Wall to Come Crashing Down - Considerable progress has been made in bringing North and South closer, but full reunification could take decades, BusinessWeek, June 16, 2000

Korea Herald correspondent gives account of Pyongyang summit - Korea Herald, June, 19, 2000

For the South, a TV Stunner; in the North, Fanfare Is Lacking - New York Times, June 15, 2000

Why the North-South Summit Matters - First steps of friendship? BBC, by Aidan Foster-Carter, Friday, 9 June, 2000

Inter-Korean Summit Draws Concern - Global Intelligence Update, May 9, 2000,

North Korea Eyeing Hong Kong Reintegration Plan - STRATFOR.COM Global Intelligence Update -October 13, 1999

The Road From Berlin - Nicholas Eberstadt comments on the U.S.-NK talks in Berlin, Chosun Ilbo, Sept. 14, 1999

Time to Force an Endgame - Robt. Manning on N Korea in July 11, 1999 LA Times

Perry's Progress - US envoy breaks the ice in N Korea, Far East Economic Review, June 10, 1999

S. Korea's Kim Defends Policy Toward North - President Says Engagement, Not Cold War, Is Best Way to Change Relations, Washington Post, June 24, 1999

Reference & Misc.

Seoul Style - This site  updates major content twice a month, with weekly updates on upcoming event.  It  offers a section for housewives, with comments on different supermarkets, suggestions for where to shop for housing and home decorations and a list of foreign schools, women's support groups and hospitals.  Ito has sections on food, fashion and fitness, in which she discusses and suggests different places or styles.

Town Max - An interactive site to service the professional expatriate community, with daily community information on business, social events and leisure activities.

Work n Play - An English web site devoted to living in Korea. Under forums there is information on visas, taxes, legal issues, accommodations, and living in Korea. There are also sections on buying and selling items, leisure and entertainment, relationships, travel and transportation. The homepage includes a section on "hot" jobs, but for a more in-depth listing, click on the jobs banner, which is divided into jobs offered and jobs wanted. Blogs, however, are the heart of the site.

Daejeon Web - The site offers a calendar of events, classified ads, features, forums, guides and photos. Under guides is a section on transportation, medical guides and shopping. You can link to sites for Busan, Daegu and one for Seoul through the Daejeon homepage.

 North Korea - Discover North Korea - a library of links on North Korea

 North-Korea Resources - North Korea related news, books and regional resources

Korea Infogate - an excellent, multilingual portal professionally maintained by Korea Telecom

Koryo Tours - for information on tours to North Korea

Korea Insights - a very good web magazine English site updated monthly about the 25th of the month by the Samsung Group

Peace Corps/Korea page- a section designed for those of us who served in the US Peace Corps in Korea

jhan's krnews lists - major Korean newspapers & news sources; great place to begin doing your Korean web searches

More Cool Sites in North and South Korea

Korea Economic Reader- if you wish to be added to the distribution list of my free e-mail news about what's happening in Korea and Japan, contact me at coyner@netsgo.com

Korea Institute - Portal site run by the Korea Information Service(KOIS). Links and facts about Korea.

Korea.net - Portal site run by the Korea Information Service(KOIS). Links and facts about Korea.

Koreascope - Focuses on North Korea; Unification issues.

Soc.culture.korean FAQ - Portal site run by the Korea Information Service(KOIS). Links and facts about Korea.

The Korea Society - Portal site run by the Korea Information Service(KOIS). Links and facts about Korea.

Korean Network Information Center - KRNIC represents official internet organization in Korea. (Korean and English)

 

North Korea  

Giving Until It Hurts
-
Stephen Linton has been battling an epidemic of tuberculosis in N Korea, Washington Post, March 9, 2008

Staying Alive
by Andrei Lankov N Korean government  is doing its best to maintain the domestic status quo, but change is coming in very slow motion, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2008

A Softened U.S. Stance Toward North Korea? - A plausible explanation of the Israeli airstrike on N Korean material in Syria and the mum world reaction, Stratfor, September 27, 2007

In Kim's North Korea, Cars Are Scarce Symbols of Power, Wealth - A survey of the automobile in the DPRK, Bloomberg, July 10, 2007

Deciphering the North Korea Deal - a clause-by-clause analysis of the agreement followed by a review of the type of oil being given to N Korea, Washington Post and SLATE, Feb. 17, 2007

Kim Jong Il's Nuclear Ambitions by Nicholas Eberstadt - world's most worrisome nuclear-proliferation hotspot is the Six Parties table in Beijing, Time (Asia),  January 25, 2007

United Nations Dictator's Program - UNDP in North Korea "has for years operated in blatant violation of U.N. rules," Wall Street Journal, January 19, 2007

 While the rest of the world watches Kim Jong Il, fearful of North Korea's nuclear threat,  the dictator often can't take his eyes off ... the NBA - San Diego Union-Tribune, October 29, 2006

'Concerted Front'  B.R. Myers  - The premise of the six-party talks betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the the two Koreas,  Wall St. Journal, December 22, 2006

Stop Pyongyang's Autogenocide - We owe it to the people of North Korea to try following the recommendations of the Havel-Bondevik-Wiesel report, Far East Economic Review, November 2006

Ethics of Sunshine - Pres. Roh's sunshine policy should have been discredited -- not just because of N Korea's behavior, but also because of his own government's willingness to allow drug running to go unpunished, Korea Times, October 27, 2006

The Plight of North Koreans in China and Beyond - The primary responsibility for the mounting humanitarian tragedy lies with North Korea but the international community has failed to find an effective means of dealing with the situation, International Crisis Group, October 26, 2006

Pyongyang Phooey by Nicholas Eberstadt - Pyongyang sends a signal of confidence in its improbable contest against the inept American colossus, Wall Street Journal, October 5, 2006

North Korea enjoys Southern makeover - Among the Korean educated youth it is trendy to be an anti-American. In a decade or so the readers of this and many other similar books will begin to vote, and it is not too difficult to imagine what they will think about the United States and its role in Korea, Asia Times Online, Aug. 11, 2006

Why China is reluctant to apply pressure on Pyongyang  -  China is opposed to N Korea gaining nuclear weapons, but its other interests on the peninsula is to maintain the status quo and avoid instability on its borders, Financial Times, July 24, 2006

No Ordinary Counterfeit  - In-depth review of N Korea's supernotes, New York Times Magazine, July 23, 2006

West mounts 'secret war' to keep nuclear North Korea in check - A programme of covert action against nuclear and missile traffic to North Korea and Iran is to be intensified after last week’s missile tests by the North Korean regime, The Sunday Times, July 09, 2006

N Korea's Missile Salvo to World - A summary of the missile tests and the world's reaction, The Christian Science Monitor, July 06, 2006

 Long Walk to Freedom - With the aid of Christian activists, North Koreans brave unspeakable horrors to reach safety, TIME Asia,  Monday, April 24, 2006

'Les Miserables' of North Korea - “Yoduk Story,” a musical set in the North Korean concentration camp, LA Times, February 22, 2006

Trading With the EnemyA few foreigner firms are doing business in North Korea; what are they thinking? Forbes, February 27, 2006

Looking for Mr. X: North Korea's Successor - Most of the reports on North Korea's successor are 99% wrong, The JoongAng Daily, Dec. 30, 2005 

Minerals, Railways Draw China to N Korea - Pyongyang is hoping that Chinese investment will come to its rescue, while China sees the North as a convenient source of minerals, Asia Times, Nov. 18, 2005

North Korea Hungry for Control - N Korea's decision to resurrect its stalled public food distribution system may be a return to the good old days,  Asia Times, September 10, 2005

Interpreting North Korean History - Every "progressive" intellectual in South Korea is still supposed to believe in the authentically Korean regime that once flourished north of the 38th parallel, Asia Times, Aug. 18, 2005

KIMWORLD - A review of books on  the North Korean slave state, The New Yorker, Aug. 22, 2005

North Korea needs real change, not charades - Adept at militant mendicancy, the Dear :Leader is happy to take Seoul's  cash - and use it to shore up his rule; Southern dollars may have helped the North develop nuclear weapons, Financial Times, June 14,  2005

Five years ago, says Pyongyang, Seoul saw the light - Pyongyang's official media are now looking back fondly on the North-South Joint Declaration of June 15, 2000, which, to hear them tell it, has succeeded in uniting the Korean people against America, JoongAng Daily, June 16, 2005

S Korean TV Show Invents Friendly Rivalry With North - The hottest Saturday-night TV program in South Korea this season has featured a quiz pitting elementary-school students from North Korea against kids from the South, The Wall Street Journal, May 2, 2005

Seeing Through Kim’s Korea - A primer of myths about Kim’s Korea that could help the statesmen see reality more clearly, Far East Economic Review, Jan/Feb 2005

Wild, Wild Speculation(?) - Could China take matters into its own hands to solve the "North Korea problem?" by Tom Coyner, Dec. 9, 2004; Followed by coincidental prediction by the Hudson Institute on Dec. 23

Joyful Dancing - The people of North Korea are not as submissive as they appear to be. Unnoticed by the outside world, strong opposition to the regime of dictator Kim Jong Il is beginning to appear, Der Spiegel, carried in The New York Times, November 8, 2004

 Opening Up North Korea? Dream On  - The flaw in the "change-through-normalization" theory, OneFreeKorea.com, June 30, 2004;

Mother of All Mothers - The leadership secrets of Kim Jong Il, The Atlantic Monthly, September 2004

Four Decades in North Korea - Forty years later Sgt. Charles Jenkins has resurfaced. In his first interview since leaving North Korea, he tells  his story, Far East Economic Review, September 01, 2004

Liberation Day in North Korea - A tourist's view in mid August 2004, Korea Times, Aug. 31, 2004

Turning Up the Heat on N Korea - A growing U.S. focus on North Korea's human-rights record will complicate the six-nation talks, TIME Asia.com, August 30, 2004

N Korea's Kim's Great Game - The U.S. can't seem to stop him. Asia doesn't know if it loves or hates him. So the position of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il looks stronger than ever, TIME Asia.com, June 21, 2004 edition

How Good Are North Korean Forces? Not very good and not so dangerous as North Korea would have the rest of the world believe, Korea Herald, June 28, 2004

North Korea Causes Its Own Trade Ills - internal conditions and practices, not legal restrictions, impede trade, JoongAng Daily, April 26, 2004

Rift seen in S. Korean and US intelligence sharing - Seoul is protective of defectors like Hwang Jang Yop, Christian Science Monitor, March 11, 2004

To Understand North Korea, Toss Out Old Assumptions - The key to any confrontation is to know your adversary, LA Times, Feb. 2, 2004

Brownback Bill Will Not Solve North Korea's Problems - Proposals in the USA's Brownback bill to improve human rights in North Korea do not address the country's real needs, Jane's Intelligence Review, February 2004

 N. Korean Evidence Called Uncertain - Scientist describes show and tell at nuclear plant tour, Washington Post, January 22, 2004

Chiding America Over the North Korean Uproar - New York Times book review of Bruce Cumings' North Korea: Another Country, January 24, 2004

New Deal for North Korea - A call for regime change on moral grounds via practical diplomacy, New Republic, December 22, 2003

U.S. Has a Shifting Script on N. Korea - Administration split as new talks near, Washington Post,  December 7, 2003

Bush's North Korea Policy Still A Shambles - A review of US foreign policy towards Pyongyang, PacNet , November 17, 2003

Activist’s Uncomfortable Message - Norbert Vollertsen delivers a message unpopular in S Korea, JoongAng Daily, October 21, 2003

Capitalist Experiments Seen Expanding in North - Capitalist experiments are in full swing in North Korea’s capital, JoongAng Daily, October 19, 2003

Stephen W. Linton before US Senate Subcommitte on East Asian & Pacific Affairs - Some of  insights on life in North Korea, June 5, 2003

Alone In The Dark - Kim Jong Il plays a canny game with South Korea and the U.S.,  The New Yorker, September 8, 2003

North Korea's Dictatorship and Its Role in the World - A discussion about the unparalleled cult of personality around N Korea's Kim Jong Il, and the threat that the country poses to international peace, The New Yorker, Sept. 8, 2003

South Korea's Spoilers - Dr Norbert Vollertsen discovers the most difficult part of creating an awareness of human rights abuses in N Korea is to raise a voice in S Korea, Wall St Journal, August 28, 2003

Deal With North Korea? Dream On by Nicholas Eberstad - Optimism about the 6-nation talks is little more than diplomatic wishful thinking; N Korea is entirely unlikely to be talked out of its nuclear weapons, Washington Post, August 26, 2003

N. Korea's Brides of Despair - Thousands of women are fleeing to China and secretly 'marrying' to escape starvation, LA Times, Aug 18, 2003

N Korean movies' propaganda role - The message of much of North Korean cinema is that the country's people live in the best country in the world; South Korea is poor and backward; and America is the axis of evil, BBC News, August 18, 2003

The Nuclear Frame-up of North Korea - A N Korean apologist's account of the history leading up to the current stalemate,  www.globalresearch.ca, July 4, 2003

North Korea's School for Hackers - Pyongyang may have marshaled a world-class offensive infowar capability, Wired News, June 2, 2003

A Defector's Story - A North Korean defector's call for a safe harbor for defectors and the end of S Korea's "sunshine policy," Wall St Journal, June 5, 2003

The Hostage Situation: Is It For Real? by Brent Choi - A word of advice - don't get too hung up on the nuclear program. After all it's likely the North is bluffing this time as well, The Joong-ang Daily, April 29, 2003

No Good Way Out of This Crisis - It has been believed for several years that N Korea has nuclear weapons. It feels scary, because this really is N Korea's last chance to join the world. And it seems to be saying, no thanks, JoongAng Daily, April 25, 2003

Next War, North Korea? - Why the US may eventually be compelled to attack North Korea, National Review Online, March 3 & 5, 2003

How U.S., North Korea Turned Broken Deals Into a Standoff - Diplomacy Has Faltered While Each Side Blames the Other for Bad Faith, Aggression, The Wall Street Journal, March 5, 2003

Dear Leader - An attempt to explain the origins and meanings of North Korean titles and national names, New York Times, Feb. 2, 2003

Pentagon Targets in North Korea - Some of the most secret and scariest work under way in the Pentagon these days is the planning for a possible military strike against nuclear sites in North Korea, New York Times/International Herald Tribune,  March 1, 2003

A Visit to North Korea - The New York Review of Books, February 13, 2003

Games Nations Play by Paul Krugman -  Bush administration's Korean non-policy is actually giving N Korea incentives to build nuclear weapons and become even more dangerous to the world, The New York Times, Jan. 3, 2003

Misinformation on North Korea - Who is really at fault?  The Nation/Asia News Network, January 16, 2003

DearLeader.com - Kim Jong-il's fanboy home page, Slate.com, Jan. 13, 2003

Pyongyang Is the Real Victim - A defense of Pyongyang's position by Gregory Clark, Japan Times, Jan 10, 2003

Northern Exposure - N Korea is a monolithic black box, but stress cracks can be seen, TIMEasia.com, Jan. 9, 2003 

'The Greatest of Great Men' - Dealing with Kim Jong-Il in the current crisis, The New York Times, January 7, 2003,

Kim Jong Il: Unfit Even For Dictatorship?  Point and Counter-point,. Wall St Journal and reader's comment, October 21 & 22, 2002

 North Korea Relaxes Economy, Reaches Out to U.S. and Japan  - Is  Kim Jong Il turning from warmonger to peacemaker? The Wall Street Journal, Aug 2, 2002

Stitch by stitch to a different world - Something extraordinary seems to be happening in North Korea: the first stirrings of a proper market, The Economist, July 25, 2002

Kim's "Son" Tried Japan's Soaplands - Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of N Korea's  ruler Kim Jong Il, was caught attempting to enter Japan illegally.  The possible heir apparent to N Korea's dynasty spent a good part of his time sloshing around inside a soapland in Tokyo's Yoshiwara district, Japantoday.com, July 15, 2002

Gong Ro-myung Criticizes President Kim's Foreign Policy - An informal summary translation of an interview with  a retired career diplomat who served as ROK foreign minister for two years under Kim Young Sam (Dec '94-Nov '96), and is now a chair professor at Dongguk University, Wolgan Chosun, June 2002

Korea's Dirty Dozen - S Korea's attempt to assassinate Kim Il Sung, Time Asian Edition, May 20, 2002

Pair of North Korean Defectors Find They Are Now Being Muted in Seoul - In 1997, when Hwang Jang Yop and Kim Dok Hong defected from N Korea, they were celebrated as heroes here in the South, but by  2000, things were very different, The Wall St. Journal, May 8, 2002

No Voice, No Choice - Two outspoken North Korean defectors have gone quiet about the tyranny of Kim Jong Il and ended a decades-old friendship, Far East Economic Review,  May 16, 2002

 Behind the Tyrant's Mask - As Pyongyang and Seoul resume their troubled courtship, secret documents from the communist North show Kim Jong Il set in his hatred of the West and determined to preserve his ruinous regime, Far East Economic Review,  May 02, 2002

Defector given asylum in South after 14 years - Kim Young-Hwa's 14-year odyssey finally ended Friday as the South Korean government recognized him as a North Korean defector and granted him asylum, JoongAng Ilbo, March 01, 2002 

The Supremo in His Labyrinth - Kim Jong Il lives in decadent luxury and total secrecy, a longtime bodyguard reports, Time Asia, February 18, 2002 issue

Geumgang Tourism: A Complicated Dish - An analysis of the current state of  North Korean tourism by the South by Brent (Won-ki) Choi of the JoongAng Ilbo staff, January 22, 2002

Don't Shoot! We're Only Shopping - Japanese recycling laws raising disposal costs have tripled Japan's exports to North Korea in used goods, New York Times, January 2, 2002

Welcome to The War - With President Bush's chilling statements suggesting North Korea could be a target in the war on terrorism, the U.S. may have actually lost ground in the quest to find out just what weapons Pyongyang ha , Far East Economic Review,  December 13, 2001

Human Rights in North and South Korea: Let the Sun Shine In Dennis P. Halpin, The ICAS Lectures, October  11, 2001

N. Korea: Another Outcropping Of Terrorism - New evidence suggests North Korea has circumvented an agreement with the U.S. government to stop development of nuclear weapons, Forbes.com, September 18, 2001

I Made Pizza for Kim Jong-il - Asia Times Online, August 4/11/18, 2001

China Ferrets Out North Korean Refugees - Chinese government has opened  the most severe crackdown on North Korean refugees ever undertaken, July 30, 2001,  The New York Times

DPRK State Security Department Arrests Party Secretary Kim Yong-sun Last March - Conservative- reformist conflict over South Korea policy corning to surface,  Aug. 1, 20 01, Seoul Wolgan Chungang

Worst of the Worst: Why North Korea is No. 1 - The hermit kingdom combines despotism with state failure, Newsweek International, July 9, 2001

North Korea: The Silence of the Damned - Kim Jong Il loves to surf the Web, while his people can barely stay afloat, Newsweek International, July 9, 2001

N. Korea's Negotiating Behavior - Negotiation is N. Korea's means of obtaining benefits its system cannot provide, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chuck Downs, May 23, 2001

Great Vituperator: North Korea's insult lexicon, Asia Times, May 2001

The Son Also Surprises - Reclusive Kim Jong Il's even more reclusive eldest child makes an unexpected public appearance, Newsweek, May 14, 2001

North Korea's Foreign Exchange Speculation - Despite its economy being closed to the outside world, North Korea has performed well in foreign exchange transactions, Chosun Ilbo, May 21, 2001

N. Korean Won Stretches Definition Of 'Currency' - N. Korea's currency bears little relation to economic fundamentals, Dow Jones, May 14, 2001

U.S. Agricultural Cooperation with North Korea - American Friends Service Committee  responds to Korea Herald article, May 3, 2001

North Korea Runs Into The Arms of Western Ads at the Pyongyang International Marathon,  Washington Post, April 12, 2001

Great Bulldozer - a disastrous agricultural policy steered by Kim Jong Il, Far East Economic Review,  April 19, 2001

North Korea, TV Nation - A glimpse of "what's on" on Pyongyang television, New York Times, March 26, 2001

North Korea's Homegrown Web for Elite Only - N. Korea, believed to be the only country on earth without the Internet, has built a national intranet network used by more than 1,000 people each day, Reuters, March 24, 2001

North Korea's Strategy  Based on a paper presented at the third Nonproliferation Policy Education Center (NPEC)/Institute for National Security Studies/Army War College-sponsored Workshop on Competitive Strategies, held 12-14 June 2000, Aug. 1,  2000,

 Riding the Seoul Train - An underground railroad leads North Korean refugees to the South, Newsweek International, March 5, 2001

Six Myths About Dealing With Pyongyang - Essay is by Leon V. Sigal, Director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council and a reply by Aidan Foster-Carter, Feb. 27, 2001

Pyongyang Memo: North Koreans, Belts Tight, Cobble Up a Future, International Herald Tribune, Feb. 27, 2001

From Sinatra to Dylan: Kim Jong-il's new groove - an analysis of N Korea's shift in ideology, Asia Times Online, Feb.  8, 2001

Where Has the Aid Gone? - Not to save lives, says a German doctor who worked in the N. Korea, since aid agencies are afraid to stand up to Pyongyang, Far East Economic Review, Jan. 25, 2001

To let: large slice of North Korea - The 'hermit' state is opening up with plans for a huge business complex aided by the south, Guardian, Nov. 14, 2000

Foreign Lender Gambles On Change for North Korea - A British banker lives on the edge in the universe of finance, commercial banking in North Korea, Wall St. Journal, November 2, 2000

Letters from North Korea - Totalitarian communism is alive and well. George Orwell couldn't have dreamed up this kind of  totalitarian nightmare on his best day, NEWSWEEK, October 23, 2000

Silence on Rights in North Korea Talks Rankles in South - Persistent reports of  worsening oppression in North Korea when South Korea is pursuing reconciliation, International Herald Tribune,  October 27, 2000 

Marching to Kim's Tune -The world's superpower, the United States, was until recently working toward Kim Jong Il's demise; now it seems to be guaranteeing his survival. Far East Economic Review, November 2, 2000

North Korea's Overtures Will Do Little to Allay Its Vast Problems - Now that the political thaw has begun, will North Korea's economic revival follow?  The Wall St. Journal, October 27, 2000

Airport Incident Indicative of Syndrome in U.S.-North Korean Relations - Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network,  September 8, 2000

View From the Bridge - North Korea through a Chinese looking glass, The New Yorker, August 7, 2000

US Gov't Hands Out Do's/Don'ts for Exporting to North Korea - Yonhap, July 07, 2000

Bouffant.com - North Korea's Kim Jong Il needs to get in fast, TIME/Asia Buzz, June 15, 2000

N. Korea gets China's cooperation on refugee returns - Before Kim Jong Il's visit last week, China had begun a crackdown on North Koreans, The Christian Science Monitor, June 10, 2000

Korea Famine Sends Human Flow Into China - New York Times, June 9, 2000

Murder Shines a Light on the Lives of Koreans in Japan - A critic of the North Korean regime found with a bloody kitchen knife beside his corpse has left a murder mystery for the Japanese police: Was it a lovers' quarrel or the cloak-and-dagger work of a North Korean agent?  Washington Post, June 1, 2000

Beijing Steps Up Effort to Expel Illegal North Korean Immigrants -