South Korea

Apr 22, 2013, Vol. 18, No. 30 • By THE SCRAPBOOK

There are plenty of ways that the New York Times could have chosen to refer to South Korea’s new president, Park Geun-hye, whom Ethan Epstein profiled in these pages a few months back (“Democracy, Gangnam-Style,” December 17, 2012). In fact, The Scrapbook would probably have chosen just that: “South Korea’s new president.” Still, it was at least moderately defensible when the Grey Lady called President Park the “daughter of a famed South Korean dictator from the cold war” in a news story on Korean relations published last week. Even if the reference was a bit of a non -sequitur, it’s true that President Park’s father, Park Chung-hee, was the autocratic leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979.

Here’s what’s not defensible. Several paragraphs earlier in that very same article, the Times referred to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un—who also happens to be the son of Kim Jong-il and grandson of Kim Il-sung, two notoriously cruel and Stalinist despots—as “the North’s new leader.” But what can we expect from the newspaper that still calls Saddam “Mr. Hussein”?

Apr 22, 2013, Vol. 18, No. 30 • By THE SCRAPBOOK

10:39 AM, Apr 8, 2013 • By DANIEL HALPER

As tension rises between North Korea and America, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Sung Kim, went on a family vacation. The ambassador today shared his experience in a lengthy blog post.

Hosted by Michael Graham.

4:04 PM, Apr 4, 2013 • By TWS PODCAST

THE WEEKLY STANDARD podcast with editorial assistant Ethan Epstein on North Korea's belligerence. Hosted by Michael Graham.

Hosted by Michael Graham.

4:04 PM, Apr 4, 2013 • By TWS PODCAST

THE WEEKLY STANDARD podcast with editorial assistant Ethan Epstein on North Korea's belligerence. Hosted by Michael Graham.

Good.

1:55 PM, Apr 3, 2013 • By ETHAN EPSTEIN

In 2003, the governments of North and South Korea agreed to establish the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a manufacturing zone located just over the North Korean border. The South Korean conglomerates Hyundai and the Korea Land Corporation run the facilities, where more than 100 other smaller South Korean companies have also set up shop. The area was ostensibly launched to promote “cooperation” between the two Koreas, though in reality it’s become little more than a source of much-needed cash for the North Korean regime.

3:01 PM, Apr 1, 2013 • By DANIEL HALPER

NBC reports that a U.S. warship, a "guided-missile destroyer," is headed toward North Korea:

7:44 AM, Mar 26, 2013 • By DANIEL HALPER

The New York Times reports:

North Korea’s military said it placed all its missile and artillery units on “the highest alert” on Tuesday, ordering them to be ready to hit South Korea, as well as the United States and its military installations in the Pacific islands of Hawaii and Guam.

7:34 AM, Mar 20, 2013 • By DANIEL HALPER

The U.S. embassy in Seoul, South Korea tweeted this over night:

B-52 bombers fly over South Korea, once again demonstrating the depth of the alliance twitter.com/usembassyseoul…

— U.S. Embassy Seoul(@usembassyseoul) March 20, 2013

The dictator's daughter wins a democratic election.

11:18 AM, Dec 19, 2012 • By ETHAN EPSTEIN

Park Geun-hye has been elected South Korea's first female leader. The Korea Herald reports:

Moon Jae-in, left, and Park Geun-hye on the campaign trail

South Koreans pick a president

Dec 17, 2012, Vol. 18, No. 14 • By ETHAN EPSTEIN

South Koreans pick a president

Dec 17, 2012, Vol. 18, No. 14 • By ETHAN EPSTEIN

Time to undo the Kim family regime

Jan 16, 2012, Vol. 17, No. 17 • By ROSS TERRILL

Not coincidental.

1:17 PM, Dec 9, 2011 • By JOHN ROSENTHAL

The unveiling of pictures of planned luxury residential towers scheduled to be built in Seoul, South Korea, has sparked instant controversy. The reason is obvious. The towers, which include a so-called “cloud” feature connecting them around the 27^th floors, clearly resemble the World Trade Towers in the process of collapsing following the 9/11 attacks.