We're Back!

Hello from LOBA -- LiNK Outreach Bay Area!


We're definitely looking forward to an exciting semester this fall :)

I know this blog hasn't been updated as often as we would have liked, but we'll do our best to keep you posted on some of the latest news sorrounding North Korea, the state of human rights (or lack there of) in the country, and some of our thoughts as well.

To start, here's part of an informative article from The Korea Times that touches upon multiple events that have occurred recently:


NORTH KOREA SEEKING TO ENGAGE SOUTH
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter

North Korea seems to have begun a reverse engagement policy with South Korea by making a number of conciliatory gestures over the past few weeks.

Among others, the communist state freed five South Korean detainees, in addition to the release of two American journalists, and stressed the need for governmental talks between the two Koreas.

The move is similar to the late former President Kim Dae-jung's "Sunshine Policy'' of engaging the North that started about 10 years ago.

On the other hand, the South Korean government is seemingly being less than enthusiastic about initiating dialogue.

The North's official Rodong Shinmun newspaper said, "There is no separation between authorities and civic groups when it comes to the implementation of inter-Korean joint declarations.''

The declarations refer to those signed on June 15, 2000 and Oct. 4, 2007 between North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and the late former Presidents Kim and Roh Moo-hyun.

North Korea has called on the South Korean government to abide by the two accords.

...

On Saturday, Pyongyang released four South Korean fishermen after 30 days of detention, the latest move to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula. They accidentally crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL) last month.

About two weeks ago, a South Korean employee working at the Gaeseong complex returned home ― after 130 days in detention ― following Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun's visit to North Korea and a rare meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

The man was detained for allegedly making derogatory comments about the North Korean regime and attempting to entice a woman to defect to the South.

North Korea asked for nothing in return for the release, according to Unification Ministry officials.

For the late former President Kim's state funeral, North Korea dispatched a delegation to Seoul to pay its respects to the architect of the engagement policy toward Pyongyang, who held the first inter-Korean summit in 2000.

North Korea also agreed to resume reunions of displaced families from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1 at its scenic Mt. Geumgang resort during inter-Korean Red Cross talks last week.

Seoul, however, appears unready to present conciliatory measures any time soon.

"It is true that the inter-Korean relations are thawing but the government cannot improve the ties if there is no advancement in denuclearization,'' a government official said, asking to remain anonymous.

Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung also said late last week that the government would not resume the suspended tour program to Mt. Geumgang unless North Korea guarantees the safety of South Korean tourists.

In July last year, a South Korean female tourist was shot dead by a North Korean soldier at the Mt. Geumgang resort.

North Korea has refused to conduct a joint investigation of the incident.


*Full article can be found at: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/08/116_50917.html