Well, they had to shoot her because the N. Korean government couldn't put both she and her husband, their kids, and their parents into concentration camps like they can do with their own citizens. Imagine how the DPRK must have felt to be so powerless to a foreigner?!? Shooting her was the only logical choice given the circumstances.

I am looking forward to protests in Seoul outside the American bases (the USA always gets blamed by the S. Korean professional protestors).

This is going to hurt us more than it hurts you.

Will get to the bottom of this:

Apparently the tourism has now been stopped by the SK side, and NK is saying that is a "challenge to us" and "insult we will find it hard to put up with" (says the Japanese news).

Also according to that channel the official account released by the NK partner of the travel venture conflicts with some eyewitness reports of the other tourists.

I can't wait for the day that North Korea, however it may happen, is forced into the modern age. It's people will see everything developed after the 1960's world they're living in....

I read somewhere that the North Korean gov't. tells the citizens that the U.S. is the "devil" and we eat our prisoners of war. Creepy.

If they knew even a little bit about the modern world, they would revolt and end the isolation. Then we could ship them iPods, Krispy Kremes, and Xboxs.

Dude, it's the Norks; they're weird.

tukatz:I can't wait for the day that North Korea, however it may happen, is forced into the modern age. It's people will see everything developed after the 1960's world they're living in....

I read somewhere that the North Korean gov't. tells the citizens that the U.S. is the "devil" and we eat our prisoners of war. Creepy.

If they knew even a little bit about the modern world, they would revolt and end the isolation. Then we could ship them iPods, Krispy Kremes, and Xboxs.

It's actually already changing, and the propaganda has changed too.

Part of the cause is that electronics are smaller these days. So, people HAVE smuggled in illegal transistor radios, small TVs, and whatnot from China. With these, people near the borders can pick up regular media in Korean from both SK and from China (Korean is one of the official minorities of the PRC and there's a lot of Korean minorities living up by the NK border, this is also where people defect to AND where some people come and go for trade purposes - yeah, there are people who willingly cross back).

So anyhow, people seeing that know that the old party line that "the south is far poorer than the north and they are slaves to the US" isn't true, they have lots of material wealth (even the PRC does). So now the new line is supposedly "yes, those people are wealthy but they are spiritually ruined empty shells of people" or something along those lines.

Personally I think that the opening policies between SK and NK are good, the economic development zone in Kaesong, etc. The new "hardline against NK" policy is less friendly to it which is unfortunate, as it seems these small openings in the border will actually hasten change, to me - that's how China opened up, after all. All the special zones in Shenzhen and all of it, people getting a feel for the outside.

And after Kim Jong-Il condemned South Korea for directing their citizens to jump in front of North Korean bullets, he went and played a game of golf where he shot a 12 on the front 9.

I just saw this and came to Fark thinking there HAD to be a headline on it Farkstyle.

I was not let down!

Unavailable for comment.

Approves.

Pyongyang said the tourist "intruded deep into the area under the military control of the North side all alone at dawn," noting that even her "shoes got wet."

Um, what?

Meanwhile, at Camp Casey, the curfew has been changed to 1700 and no soldier is allowed to urinate by themselves. Accountability formations will be held every six minutes.

tukatz:I read somewhere that the North Korean gov't. tells the citizens that the U.S. is the "devil" and we eat our prisoners of war. Creepy.

South Korea used to say the same thing, except they taught it in schools to elementary school kids.

My ex-wife talked about learning that North Koreans had horns and were cannibals in her social studies class.

Somacandra:Approves.

pew pew pew!

Why the question modifier on "wait" within the headline? If you're gonna use a tired cliche use it properly, dammit.

I think it's that big rock's fault. It looks like Jabba the Hut. Or maybe an elephant walrus. Can't decide.

Somacandra:Approves.

You're both an asshat and an idiot. And a troll.

tukatz:I read somewhere that the North Korean gov't. tells the citizens that the U.S. is the "devil" and we eat our prisoners of war. Creepy.


I caught some of an interesting documentary on the National Geographic channel recently. Part of the documentary featured North Koreans with medical problems (lots of eye surgeries) at a post-recovery gathering (church?), most of them pretty much took turns bowing down to the portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, praising them, and making vows to destroy the United States. Quite scary.

ultraholland:Pyongyang said the tourist "intruded deep into the area under the military control of the North side all alone at dawn," noting that even her "shoes got wet."

Um, what?

Wow, I guess that makes it an invasion from So. Korea and so justifies No. Korea shooting the dangerous military advance of an old woman pretending to be a tourist.
/No. Korean general's insanity level: up 8 points

Manic_Repressive: keep out of the JSA!

Wulfman:djemonk:My ex-wife talked about learning that North Koreans had horns...

*spits coffee* omg! You mean it's true? they must be playing selections from the opera "Faust" while facing in the direction of the USA.

Rodeodoc:You're both an asshat and an idiot. And a troll.

Dick Cheney shot a man in the face and made him apologize for getting shot. How is that pointing that out a form of trolling?

guilt by association:tukatz:I read somewhere that the North Korean gov't. tells the citizens that the U.S. is the "devil" and we eat our prisoners of war. Creepy.


I caught some of an interesting documentary on the National Geographic channel recently. Part of the documentary featured North Koreans with medical problems (lots of eye surgeries) at a post-recovery gathering (church?), most of them pretty much took turns bowing down to the portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, praising them, and making vows to destroy the United States. Quite scary.

Yeah, I saw that too. If I remember correctly, these people were told that Kim Jong-il had actually invented the procedure. The Koreans are crazy.

The North also rejected a South Korean request for investigators to visit the scene of Friday's shooting, claiming it has already clarified what happened.

Prior to the shooting shouts of "She's coming right for us!" were heard.

/Operation Paul Bunyan II?

FTA: The statement called for Seoul to apologize and take measures to prevent it from happening again.The statement called for Seoul to apologize and take measures to prevent it from happening again.

Hrm, there may be no apology forthcoming, but I'm pretty sure we have carriers, destroyers, and submarines in the region with the ability to take measures to prevent it from ever happening again.

I'm anti-cowboy diplomacy, I'm a firm believer in sticks and carrots.... but when you shoot a civi in the back at a resort, then demand an apology... you don't get carrot.

clancifer

I would like to disargee with you.

Really, I would.

If a dispute such as this ever escalated into war, the South would surely dominate with their superior military stratagems.

Manic_Repressive:Will get to the bottom of this:

I'd love to get to the bottom of her.

That's beause they're the most evil people on the planet!.

Somacandra:Unavailable for comment.

I was wondering just how long it would take for someone to pose that pic :D

GenericRacialUsername:If a dispute such as this ever escalated into war, the South would surely dominate with their superior military stratagems.

Damn right.

/went to blizzcon 07'
//was awesome
//final starcraft match was the 2 south korean competitors

Anyone read Aquariums of Pyongyang? It's likely a bit dated now (2001) and I hate to think of new developments as it was already inhuman. Or unhuman, whichever you prefer.

There's a bit in there about being forced to stone folks after they were hung or shot, to show zeal.

Manic_Repressive:Will get to the bottom of this:

I got that movie. just watched it 2 days ago. Damn shes hot...

/drooooool

What movie is that?

/cuz yeah looks good...

must be all that soju..

To be fair though, if we are talking batshiat crazy Koreans, that knows no ideological boundaries when it comes to their women....based on an admittedly relatively small sample size, all Korean women are friggin lunatics.

Rodeodoc: You're both an asshat and an idiot. And a troll.

Somacandra: Dick Cheney shot a man in the face and made him apologize for getting shot. How is that pointing that out a form of trolling?

Rodeodoc must be Cheney's Fark handle.

itazurakkoWhat movie is that?
JSA-Joint Security Area, actually a pretty good flick.

zen_lawndarts Just finished reading that book. Another great one is the Charles Jenkins book. I highly recommend it

This sounds like Europe. If you get run over by a car, don't be surprised if the driver sues you for the damage to said car.

Jeffro619

Skimmed through the Jenkins book once, and would concur.

I tended to read all that type of thing after I left Korea. While I was there I was into some of the older poetry: Kim Sowol and the like. The stuff written around the time of the war and separation is among the richest imaginable. Even some of Kim Chiha's later stuff, you know?

Somacandra:Rodeodoc:You're both an asshat and an idiot. And a troll.

Dick Cheney shot a man in the face and made him apologize for getting shot. How is that pointing that out a form of trolling?

I think the pic will always be funny in shooting threads, irrepective of politics...

Rodedoc's point probably is that you made the assertion that Cheney told Whittington (sp?) to say what he did to correlate it to this thread.

Jeffro619:SA-Joint Security Area, actually a pretty good flick.

I'll have to check it out.

I've not read the Charles Jenkins book, but I did see various interviews with him on the news after he moved to Japan. Interesting.

I used to live near a NK-affiliated high school (in Tokyo) and remember the horrible uniforms they had to wear (for the girls, it was a bad marriage of chima chogori with the blue and white uniform aesthetic, which is funny considering schools in NK don't even wear that but it was about "national pride" or some kinda thing) and they all had NK-flag pins on their bags, little cloissonne metal pins. Much later I met someone who came up through that system, now living in the US, and she was telling me about going on the standard high school trip to NK where they get some grand tour, apparently still as outsiders they aren't given freedom to just go anywhere though. They may be citizens but they've been born and raised in a crazy materialistic country, after all...

They did see the "hall of the treasures" or whatever it is that has gifts given to the Dear Leaders, including a basketball signed by Michael Jordan.

zen_lawndarts No I haven't read any of the poetry yet. I've never been one to understand poetry lol. Sounds interesting though so I may give it a look, thanks for the info! (Still in SK and fascinated by the North)

itazurakko Yeah actually less than 2 hours ago I was talking about this situation with some of my Korean friends. One of them said he met a North Korean while in Canada and I mentioned how I'd love to hear their thoughts on the South and US. It seems the more I learn about that that place, the less I understand haha.

pigeonstopper Meanwhile, at Camp Casey, the curfew has been changed to 1700 and no soldier is allowed to urinate by themselves. Accountability formations will be held every six minutes.

Also, they have stopped serving prime rib at the Warrior's Club. You can still get your Sunday champagne brunch, however.

Jeffro619
I always liked it. The one poet I mentioned, Sowol, is probably the earliest stuff I read. Twenties, maybe? I can barely remember them now, with college and work slowly pushing all my fond memories aside for useless junk collections.

I do remember Grass by Kim Suyeoung, though.

Try a compendium, if you get the chance, though I know how it is with time.

If you're fascinated with the North, there used to be a store in Seoul that sold NK items. a) Seoul's huge and I don't remember where it was. b) I left there in 2003. Sorry.

In other news, North Koreans are Democrats.

zen_lawndarts Hey thanks a lot for the info! Yes I know Seoul is huge, I've been living just outside of Seoul for about 3 years now and still feel lost whenever I go there. I will have to keep a look out for that newspaper though. The poetry sounds interesting too!

Mongo cut wood:In other news, North Koreans are Democrats.

2/10..would have been better earlier in the thread.

/made me laugh though!