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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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 Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:28 am Post subject: "The 2 Koreas" by Don Oberdorfer. |
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Anyone else read this? Whadyathink?
I'm about 2/3rds through. Very readable and describes the ups and downs of US/DPRK/ROK diplomacy since the Korean war in quite a gripping way, quite an achievement as the unending bluffing, brinkmanship and behind-the-scenes politics would probably be a tad monotonous to most.
Anyhow..some revealing insights in there- apparently KimJongIl has quite low self esteem (describing himself as "smaller than a midgets sh*t")- How Jimmy Carter totally undermined Bill Clinton and stole the limelight ..and some other revealing stuff. Hadn't realised how close the 2nd round of war came in 1994, or that times had been so tough and dictatorial for south koreans under military rule.
Recomend it to U all-I hope he produces a new updated version covering the most recent developments... |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 7:26 am Post subject: |
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I read it a few years ago. I found it rather informative, but also somewhat dry. But I agree, there were a lot of interesting details that I hadn't been aware of.
One that stuck in my mind was that Kim Il Sung admitted to an American delegation that he thought the US forces in South Korea played a stabilizing force in East Asis, and that North Korean propaganda denouncing the US was meant for domestic consumption only. Am I misremembering this? |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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I agree that the book was informative, but dry. I OTOH was correct about his recollection of the propaganda being for internal use. My guess is it has to do with showing a strong government to the people to prevent them from revolting against it.
There was lots of good information in the book. |
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TexasPete
Joined: 24 May 2006
Location: Koreatown
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| Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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| I really enjoyed the scene in the book where they describe all the effort they went to just to chop down a tree after DPRK forces ran across the DMZ and murdered a few Americans who were trying to prune it. Gun ships, jets, lots of soldiers and all that crap just to show strength and cut down a tree. That's about as surreal a moment as i can imagine. Sounds like something out of Apocalypse Now and not real life. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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| On the other hand wrote: |
| Kim Il Sung admitted to an American delegation that he thought the US forces in South Korea played a stabilizing force in East Asis, and that North Korean propaganda denouncing the US was meant for domestic consumption only. Am I misremembering this? |
I think it was Hwang Jang Yop (NK juche minister) who secretly told an ROK contact in Beijing that "despite the long-standing North Korean demand to the contrary, it was vital that US military forces remain on the peninsula."
By that time (1995) NK diplomats and even generals had begun to tell americans unofficially that US troops should stay.
Probably because this is when DPRK really started to become an aid-based state dependent on handouts. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:05 am Post subject: |
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| TexasPete wrote: |
| I really enjoyed the scene in the book where they describe all the effort they went to just to chop down a tree after DPRK forces ran across the DMZ and murdered a few Americans who were trying to prune it. Gun ships, jets, lots of soldiers and all that crap just to show strength and cut down a tree. That's about as surreal a moment as i can imagine. Sounds like something out of Apocalypse Now and not real life. |
Yeah- really an insane situation. It is one of many instances where DPRK has successfully managed to keep the US, Japan and ROK on its toes.
Ultimately you have a psychopath waving a gun at the international community and consistently getting away with all manner of provocations in return for money and aid packages. Its actually quite ridiculous that such a weak country- verging on economic collapse, and with millions starving- has been able to dictate to everyone for so long.
I say the US should have gone in in 94. They had the build up in place.
But they didn't and now the Norks have nukes, ensuring their future as blackmailers indefinitely. |
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