Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Another W5 Trillion to Be Poured Into N.Korea
The government wants to give North Korea another W5.25 trillion (about US$5.25 billion) in aid over the next five years.
Chosun Ilbo (November 1, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200511/200511010022.html

According to the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy in South Korea, the North spends 14.4% of its national budget on its army, at one million strong the world's third biggest.
Sanctions would be an act of war, Pyongyang says
Jonathan Watts, The Guardian (January 8, 2003)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,2763,870603,00.html

[rapier]

"sanctions would be an act of War".

ie: If you stop giving us enough food and cash to keep our hell continuing, we'll attack you.

[Real Reality]

extortion or coercion or blackmail
extort
To obtain from another by coercion or intimidation.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=extort

Still at war?
It should be noted that, technically, North and South Korea exist without a formal peace treaty and thus are still officially at war despite the 1953 ceasefire that ended the Korean War. Both governments still maintain that they are the sole government of Korea, and no official recognition has been made by either side of the opposing government.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_Korea#Still_at_war.3F

Technically still at war, but the two Koreas move ever closer
BO-MI LIM IN SEOUL
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1794782005

[Real Reality]

Government Appropriates 450 Billion Won for North Korean Aid
The Unification Ministry announced that it would appropriate 450 billion won from.... The Ministry originally planned to secure a total of 1.1 trillion won for the 2006 Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund from the government's budget,...
Donga.com (November 3, 2005)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2005110342488

[Moldy Rutabaga]

And look at all the tangible benefits in peace and prosperity it has brought to the Koreas!

[vlcupper]

[tzechuk]

One word: ridiculous.

[BigBlackEquus]

No, they (SK's) are blinded by their own ambition to be a world power. They'll sell their own country out to NK, in the desperate hope that they will soon join and become a world power. They hate being one of the little nations of the world, and see their hope of becoming a respected world power only possible if they are united with the North.

Everyone here must realize, just by living here, that the SK people would sell out the USA in a heartbeat based on bloodlines.

The odd thing is that they do so with some blind future ideas based on a life where Kim Jong Il isn't in power.

Does anyone here actually think that KJI would just give NK to the South for their own use?


By the way, it kind of makes the money spent by the US in Iraq look small when you compare budgets, doesn't it? Does this mean that, perhaps, the US really isn't spending a lot of money there, and that the media has blown the issue way out of proportion?

[Hater Depot]

No, it just makes the amount of money from South Korea look even more ludicrous.

Though I do believe that in today's world sanctions are counterproductive in helping to overthrow a dictatorship, you have to extract concessions for what you do give them. Steps toward reform and openness, etc. Otherwise it's obvious you're only maintaining the status quo.

[Captain Corea]

[soviet_man]

The point many people overlook with this type of argument, is that the ongoing survival of the DPRK does NOT rely on the ROK (or anyone else) contributing money to it.

It is a complete falsehood to think that the DPRK would suddenly collapse (economically, politically) if external financial contributions were to cease (which they won't).

If anything has emerged in recent debate, it is that Kim Jong Il is in a stronger position now - than 12 months ago.

[Hater Depot]

Aid with the right conditions attached would bring this regime down. For example if the South would give food only through the World Food Program, which demands its inspectors have access to ensure the food isn't being sent only to the military and elites to ensure loyalty. KJI is using food as a weapon against his own people. The more more we force him to open up his country, the more interacions the people there will have with outsiders, and the more they will realize they will never be free or prosperous with him in charge.

This type of no-strings aid strengthens KJI immensely, because he can spread it around to only the military and those who are loyal to him. There's a province in the northwest of the country (sorry I can't remember the name) in which the people are getting no food because they're considered disloyal. This is a regime that will have to collapse from the bottom up.