Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Autumn Vacation - Between Yellow and Red
좋아하는 색을 물어볼 때
난 대개 오렌지색이라고 말하지만
내 맘 속에서 살아있는
내 인생의 색깔은 제 몫의 명찰이 없어
때로는 朱黃 때로는 등자 열매 빛깔
때로는 이국적인 탠저린이라 하지만
샛노랑과 새빨강 사이 어딘가 있어
샛노랑과 새빨강 사이 어딘가 있어
좋아하는 색을 물었을 때
넌 보라색 아니면 갈색이라 했지만
사실 나는 잘 알고 있지
퍼플은 우울의 물증, 갈색은 고독의 외피
때로는 흑백 때로는 파스텔 빛 소녀
때로는 좋아하는 색깔 따위는 없다며
샛노랑과 새빨강 사이 어딘가 있어
샛노랑과 새빨강 사이 어딘가 있어
때로는 섞여 엉망진창 팔레트 같아
그래도 무지개 다리 속 날 위한 한 자리
샛노랑과 새빨강 사이 어딘가 있어
샛노랑과 새빨강 사이 어딘가 있어
샛노랑과 새빨강 사이 있을 테니까
샛노랑과 새빨강 사이 있을 테니까
Kim Sung-hwan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, "Nuclear summit : beyond security toward peace"
We often say that we live in an age of uncertainty. In such times, it is only sensible that we hedge our risks and prepare for the unexpected. This has long been a tradition in the field of security and it only became more convincing after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. This incident made it all too clear that nothing is unimaginable.
This also applies to the danger of nuclear terrorism. One terrorist with one nuclear bomb could unleash such massive destruction that could dwarf all past terrorist acts. Currently, it is estimated that around 1,600 tons of highly enriched uranium (HEU) and 500 tons of plutonium are stored in locations scattered around the world.
This is enough nuclear material to fashion some 126,500 nuclear weapons. According to the Illicit Trafficking Database of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), more than 2,000 cases of illegal trafficking, theft or loss of nuclear and radiological materials have been reported around the world from 1993 to 2011, and of those around 60 percent have not been recovered.
The 9/11 Commission also reported on al-Qaida’s past desire to acquire nuclear materials and it has been known that other terrorist groups such as Aum Shinrikyo tried to get their hands on nuclear materials.
As such, when U.S. President Barack Obama laid out his vision for “a world without nuclear weapons” in Prague in 2009, he rightly pointed out that nuclear security is the urgent first step and foundation for realizing the ultimate goal.
Thus, the first Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington, D.C., last year, where 47 countries and three international organizations gathered to embark on an earnest effort to achieve a safer world by securing vulnerable nuclear materials.
Korea will take over the baton and host the second Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul from March 26 to 27 next year. This reflects Korea’s elevated international standing and the international community’s growing confidence in Korea’s peaceful nuclear activities.
This summit, which will be the largest ever to be held in Korea, will be attended by even more states than the previous summit. Such heightened interest shows that there is significant global awareness and understanding on the gravity of this issue.
As a premier security forum, the Seoul summit will consolidate the highest political resolve of leaders worldwide and take an important step in realizing a world free of nuclear terrorism.
By fostering substantial cooperation among both signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and non-NPT states as well as nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states, it will contribute to building confidence for efforts in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.
Specifically, the Seoul summit will advance the vision and commitments made at the previous summit as laid out in the “Washington Communique” and the Work Plan comprising of 50 specific measures for cooperation in 11 areas.
They include: minimization of HEU; ratification of relevant international agreements such as the amended Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism; and the establishment of Centers of Excellence to provide relevant training.
Building on the work from Washington, we will present new goals and identify practical ways to achieve them, as will be set out in the “Seoul Communique.” One of the focuses will be the interface and synergy between nuclear security and nuclear safety, which has emerged all the more important after the Fukushima nuclear accident in March.
Another important issue will be the threat of “radiological terrorism” which utilizes more primitive yet sufficiently devastating “dirty bombs.” Through these discussions, we hope the Seoul summit will contribute to restoring and renewing our confidence in nuclear energy in this nuclear renaissance.
As U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated, just one nuclear terrorist attack could bring unwanted change to the world forever. We face a common security problem ― one which warrants our constant attention and immediate action. We must forge a strong alliance to serve this noble cause and invest today to prevent a catastrophe in the future.
Furthermore, with more than 50 world leaders gathering in Seoul to engage in discussions on key nuclear issues, the summit will also send a message on the vital importance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and contribute as such.
This also applies to the danger of nuclear terrorism. One terrorist with one nuclear bomb could unleash such massive destruction that could dwarf all past terrorist acts. Currently, it is estimated that around 1,600 tons of highly enriched uranium (HEU) and 500 tons of plutonium are stored in locations scattered around the world.
This is enough nuclear material to fashion some 126,500 nuclear weapons. According to the Illicit Trafficking Database of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), more than 2,000 cases of illegal trafficking, theft or loss of nuclear and radiological materials have been reported around the world from 1993 to 2011, and of those around 60 percent have not been recovered.
The 9/11 Commission also reported on al-Qaida’s past desire to acquire nuclear materials and it has been known that other terrorist groups such as Aum Shinrikyo tried to get their hands on nuclear materials.
As such, when U.S. President Barack Obama laid out his vision for “a world without nuclear weapons” in Prague in 2009, he rightly pointed out that nuclear security is the urgent first step and foundation for realizing the ultimate goal.
Thus, the first Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington, D.C., last year, where 47 countries and three international organizations gathered to embark on an earnest effort to achieve a safer world by securing vulnerable nuclear materials.
Korea will take over the baton and host the second Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul from March 26 to 27 next year. This reflects Korea’s elevated international standing and the international community’s growing confidence in Korea’s peaceful nuclear activities.
This summit, which will be the largest ever to be held in Korea, will be attended by even more states than the previous summit. Such heightened interest shows that there is significant global awareness and understanding on the gravity of this issue.
As a premier security forum, the Seoul summit will consolidate the highest political resolve of leaders worldwide and take an important step in realizing a world free of nuclear terrorism.
By fostering substantial cooperation among both signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and non-NPT states as well as nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states, it will contribute to building confidence for efforts in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.
Specifically, the Seoul summit will advance the vision and commitments made at the previous summit as laid out in the “Washington Communique” and the Work Plan comprising of 50 specific measures for cooperation in 11 areas.
They include: minimization of HEU; ratification of relevant international agreements such as the amended Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism; and the establishment of Centers of Excellence to provide relevant training.
Building on the work from Washington, we will present new goals and identify practical ways to achieve them, as will be set out in the “Seoul Communique.” One of the focuses will be the interface and synergy between nuclear security and nuclear safety, which has emerged all the more important after the Fukushima nuclear accident in March.
Another important issue will be the threat of “radiological terrorism” which utilizes more primitive yet sufficiently devastating “dirty bombs.” Through these discussions, we hope the Seoul summit will contribute to restoring and renewing our confidence in nuclear energy in this nuclear renaissance.
As U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated, just one nuclear terrorist attack could bring unwanted change to the world forever. We face a common security problem ― one which warrants our constant attention and immediate action. We must forge a strong alliance to serve this noble cause and invest today to prevent a catastrophe in the future.
Furthermore, with more than 50 world leaders gathering in Seoul to engage in discussions on key nuclear issues, the summit will also send a message on the vital importance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and contribute as such.
Nuclear security is responsibility of individual countries
Nuclear security is responsibility of individual countries
World leaders will gather again in Seoul, South Korea next march. The theme of this meeting is real threat. The worst possible threat is when terrorists blow up so called 'dirty bomb'. Dirty bomb is not a complete atomic bomb but its's explosion can lead to chaos. The economic consequence of the explosion will be same just as of the real bomb.
Just as the protection of the nuclear facilites is important, the protection of nuclear materials should be tightened. Two years after the washington summit, the protection of nuclear materials and facilities have been greatly improved.
Nuclear security is basic responsibilities of each individuals. Yet, the past ten years, IAEA has done various efforts to improve nuclear security. It has acceded to advice questions about nuclear protection laws and found weak nuclear securities points in each countries. It has also worked to improve securities in medical and industry related protection. Since effective nuclear security requires highly skilled manpower and advanced technology. IAEA has edcuated about nuclear security in 120 countries against more than 10,000 people.
IAEA is also helping countries to establish tracking system of theft nuclear materials and providing nuclear detectiion equipments to deter terrorists from smuggling.
The most effective way to understand the trend of nuclear security is information. IAEA's 'Illegal trade tracking database' is useful in detecting unauthroized nuclear activities and nuclear thefts. The database has registered more than 150 activities of illegal transcations. IAEA is helping to prevent world cup or olympic activities from nuclear terror. Threat evaluation, radiation detecting ability development are some of the activies that IAEA is doing to prevent nuclear terror.
Terrorists will try to find the weakest security system in the world. For that reason, IAEA which has 152 member states can contribute a lot.
I am very thankful that South Korea has become a strong supporter of international nuclear security system as it is the host country of 2012 Nuclear Security Summit. As mentioned from 2011 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, I firmly believe that IAEA's support for strengthening nuclear security activities will repeat in Seoul.
Ratify Amended Convention for Counterterrorism
Among them, the easiest decisive action that participating states can do is to ratify 'Amended Convention on the Protection Nuclear Material (ACPNM)'. This convention is one of the important international law systems to coutner terrors. This convention was amended for Nuclear materials usage, stroage, and transportaion and to expand the coverage of 2005 convention. However, this convention has not come into effect because the number of ratifying countries are not yet enough. I encourage world leaders to ratify the amended convention immediately in order to make progress in preventing international nuclear terrorism
World leaders will gather again in Seoul, South Korea next march. The theme of this meeting is real threat. The worst possible threat is when terrorists blow up so called 'dirty bomb'. Dirty bomb is not a complete atomic bomb but its's explosion can lead to chaos. The economic consequence of the explosion will be same just as of the real bomb.
Just as the protection of the nuclear facilites is important, the protection of nuclear materials should be tightened. Two years after the washington summit, the protection of nuclear materials and facilities have been greatly improved.
Nuclear security is basic responsibilities of each individuals. Yet, the past ten years, IAEA has done various efforts to improve nuclear security. It has acceded to advice questions about nuclear protection laws and found weak nuclear securities points in each countries. It has also worked to improve securities in medical and industry related protection. Since effective nuclear security requires highly skilled manpower and advanced technology. IAEA has edcuated about nuclear security in 120 countries against more than 10,000 people.
IAEA is also helping countries to establish tracking system of theft nuclear materials and providing nuclear detectiion equipments to deter terrorists from smuggling.
The most effective way to understand the trend of nuclear security is information. IAEA's 'Illegal trade tracking database' is useful in detecting unauthroized nuclear activities and nuclear thefts. The database has registered more than 150 activities of illegal transcations. IAEA is helping to prevent world cup or olympic activities from nuclear terror. Threat evaluation, radiation detecting ability development are some of the activies that IAEA is doing to prevent nuclear terror.
Terrorists will try to find the weakest security system in the world. For that reason, IAEA which has 152 member states can contribute a lot.
I am very thankful that South Korea has become a strong supporter of international nuclear security system as it is the host country of 2012 Nuclear Security Summit. As mentioned from 2011 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, I firmly believe that IAEA's support for strengthening nuclear security activities will repeat in Seoul.
Ratify Amended Convention for Counterterrorism
Among them, the easiest decisive action that participating states can do is to ratify 'Amended Convention on the Protection Nuclear Material (ACPNM)'. This convention is one of the important international law systems to coutner terrors. This convention was amended for Nuclear materials usage, stroage, and transportaion and to expand the coverage of 2005 convention. However, this convention has not come into effect because the number of ratifying countries are not yet enough. I encourage world leaders to ratify the amended convention immediately in order to make progress in preventing international nuclear terrorism
2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit preparing team spokeswoman Han-Chung hi answering to questions
2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit preparing team spokeswoman Han-Chung hi answering to questions
Q : It is the second time holding a nuclear security summit right after the last year April at Washington D.C. What is the meaning of 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit?
A : Referring this summit, president Barack Obama made a speech at april, 2009 in Praha, Czech. Firstly reinforce weak point of nuclear security, and ultimately making a world without nuclear weapon. At that time, second place holding the next nuclear summit was set to Seoul, ROK in 2012. And in Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, efforts made between these 2 years will be evaluated and checked. In 2009, many nations pledged regarding nuclear security, and in 2012 same process will occur adding some new pledges. Also 50 heads of nations will discuss the threat which nuclear terror and radioactive terror connotes. As a holding state, we are part of leading role. We are doing our best.
Q: How is the Chairman country decided?
A: The chairman country is normally decided through discussions between the first chairman country U.S. and many other countries. The reasons we were decided to be the chairman country are because of the part that we kept a firm engagement on the Nuclear Non-proliferation in the international society, the part that we are the powerful nation in the nuclear energy sector possessing 21 nuclear power plants and the fact that we recently exported nuclear energy plants to UAE. And the success host of G20 Seoul Summit has proved that Korea is a capable nation for hosting such international events as the bridge between advanced countries and developing countries. The close relationship between the President Lee Myung Bak and the U.S. President Barak Obama also had a huge effect on the decision as the President Obama actually suggested to the related staffs that Korea should be the next chairman country.
Q: It is said that this summit is the biggest summit to be held in a capital city which will begin on 26th March for 2 days. What is the current status of the participating nations and organisations?
A: At the G20 last year, 30 nations including the international organisations and the special inviting nations, had participated, and at the Washington Nuclear Security Summit, 50 nations, 47 nations and 3 international organisations, had participated. This time few more nations will be added and it is expected that 55 to 60 nations will be participating which is almost the double of G20's participation. This sets the record which will not be broken for a long time. The participating nations consist of the P5(5 nuclear power nations), countries with nuclear energy capability but not possessing any nuclear weapons, countries possessing uranium, representative nations of each region, the 3 nations(India, Pakistan, Israel) that did not sign NPT and the International organisations such as U.N., IAEA, EU and this time also Interpol. All the participating nations and organisations together represent more than 80% of the world population and more than 90% of the world's total GNP which basically means that almost every country in the world will be participating.
Q. Which agendas will be discussed at Seoul summit ?
A. There are basic agendas that had been discussed at Washington summit which are prevention of nuclear terrorism, nuclear materials, the defense of nuclear facilities, prevention of illegal trade among the nations and so on. And there will be analysis and evaluation between repensetatives regarding process and results for last two years. when Washington summit was declaratory , Seoul summit attract special attention as implementation stage for detail progress. The special agenda to be discuss at Seoul summit is the safety concerns after Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in March.
Though discussions, the importance of nuclear energy will be reminded so that reliability could be restored. Terror problem about radioactive substance which has received less attention at Washington summit, will be handled aggressively at Seoul summit.
Q. This morning AP broadcasted that U.S. would announce food aid within this week and North Korea would also announce tentative suspension of uranium enrichment. This implies green light regarding the six-party talks, and will this also have positive effect on the Summit?
A: Yes, we are sharing that view too. The North Korea's nuclear problem is a core issue regarding nuclear nonproliferation and an issue we have interest on. As I mentioned earlier Nuclear Security Summit is to restrain terrorists from acquiring nuclear materials so since the North Korea nuclear problem is an international issue between countries, it is hard to make North Korea nuclear problem as a direct reference as the summit agenda. However, It would be natural to arouse the interest of countries and media due to the fact that the summit is being held at the Korean penninsular. If the six-party talks are to be held prior to the summit before March, it will have overall positive effect. In addition, discussing nuclear issues in Seoul Nuclear Security Summit itself will send a message to North Korea to abandon nuclear program and come out to the international community. In this aspect, president Lee Myung-Bak's mentioning on last May that if North Korea abandons nuclear program it could be invited to participate in the summit, can be understood.
Q : It is the second time holding a nuclear security summit right after the last year April at Washington D.C. What is the meaning of 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit?
A : Referring this summit, president Barack Obama made a speech at april, 2009 in Praha, Czech. Firstly reinforce weak point of nuclear security, and ultimately making a world without nuclear weapon. At that time, second place holding the next nuclear summit was set to Seoul, ROK in 2012. And in Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, efforts made between these 2 years will be evaluated and checked. In 2009, many nations pledged regarding nuclear security, and in 2012 same process will occur adding some new pledges. Also 50 heads of nations will discuss the threat which nuclear terror and radioactive terror connotes. As a holding state, we are part of leading role. We are doing our best.
Q: How is the Chairman country decided?
A: The chairman country is normally decided through discussions between the first chairman country U.S. and many other countries. The reasons we were decided to be the chairman country are because of the part that we kept a firm engagement on the Nuclear Non-proliferation in the international society, the part that we are the powerful nation in the nuclear energy sector possessing 21 nuclear power plants and the fact that we recently exported nuclear energy plants to UAE. And the success host of G20 Seoul Summit has proved that Korea is a capable nation for hosting such international events as the bridge between advanced countries and developing countries. The close relationship between the President Lee Myung Bak and the U.S. President Barak Obama also had a huge effect on the decision as the President Obama actually suggested to the related staffs that Korea should be the next chairman country.
Q: It is said that this summit is the biggest summit to be held in a capital city which will begin on 26th March for 2 days. What is the current status of the participating nations and organisations?
A: At the G20 last year, 30 nations including the international organisations and the special inviting nations, had participated, and at the Washington Nuclear Security Summit, 50 nations, 47 nations and 3 international organisations, had participated. This time few more nations will be added and it is expected that 55 to 60 nations will be participating which is almost the double of G20's participation. This sets the record which will not be broken for a long time. The participating nations consist of the P5(5 nuclear power nations), countries with nuclear energy capability but not possessing any nuclear weapons, countries possessing uranium, representative nations of each region, the 3 nations(India, Pakistan, Israel) that did not sign NPT and the International organisations such as U.N., IAEA, EU and this time also Interpol. All the participating nations and organisations together represent more than 80% of the world population and more than 90% of the world's total GNP which basically means that almost every country in the world will be participating.
Q. Which agendas will be discussed at Seoul summit ?
A. There are basic agendas that had been discussed at Washington summit which are prevention of nuclear terrorism, nuclear materials, the defense of nuclear facilities, prevention of illegal trade among the nations and so on. And there will be analysis and evaluation between repensetatives regarding process and results for last two years. when Washington summit was declaratory , Seoul summit attract special attention as implementation stage for detail progress. The special agenda to be discuss at Seoul summit is the safety concerns after Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in March.
Though discussions, the importance of nuclear energy will be reminded so that reliability could be restored. Terror problem about radioactive substance which has received less attention at Washington summit, will be handled aggressively at Seoul summit.
Q. This morning AP broadcasted that U.S. would announce food aid within this week and North Korea would also announce tentative suspension of uranium enrichment. This implies green light regarding the six-party talks, and will this also have positive effect on the Summit?
A: Yes, we are sharing that view too. The North Korea's nuclear problem is a core issue regarding nuclear nonproliferation and an issue we have interest on. As I mentioned earlier Nuclear Security Summit is to restrain terrorists from acquiring nuclear materials so since the North Korea nuclear problem is an international issue between countries, it is hard to make North Korea nuclear problem as a direct reference as the summit agenda. However, It would be natural to arouse the interest of countries and media due to the fact that the summit is being held at the Korean penninsular. If the six-party talks are to be held prior to the summit before March, it will have overall positive effect. In addition, discussing nuclear issues in Seoul Nuclear Security Summit itself will send a message to North Korea to abandon nuclear program and come out to the international community. In this aspect, president Lee Myung-Bak's mentioning on last May that if North Korea abandons nuclear program it could be invited to participate in the summit, can be understood.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Broccoli, You, Too - Dance, Even the phrase 'I Love You' doesn't comfort me, Comprehension of Communication
Dance
Even the phrase 'I Love You' doesn't comfort me
Comprehension of Communication
Autumn Vacation - Cold Medicine
문득 잠을 깨 보니 몸이 아파
아무래도 감기인 것 같아
머릿속은 멍하고 기운은 없고 울적해
있던 약속은 취소해 버렸어
안타깝지만 어쩌겠어
괜찮은거냔 네 목소리만 종일 듣고파
네가 옆에서 챙겨준다면
금방 나을 것 같아
따뜻한 머그잔을 건네주면
한결 나을 것 같아
네가 옆에서 챙겨준다면
금방 나을 것 같아
따뜻한 머그잔을 건네주면
한결 나을 것 같아
네가 찾아와서 건네준 마음
머그잔에 따뜻한 감기약
어느새 한결 몸도 기분도 좋아졌어
나아졌어
라라라라
Autumn Vacation - Old Couple
사귄지 얼마 되지 않은 두 사람은
세상에서 제일 로맨틱한 티를 내고
그 꼴을 보며 혀를 차던 오래된 커플
'우린 뭐 달랐겠어'하고 웃음 짓네
같은 순간 같은 일에 같은 표정으로 웃고
혹시 남매냔 질문에 깜짝 놀라지만
너흰 이미 아주 많이 닮아있단 사실을 아니
가족사진 속 엄마아빠처럼
고맙단 말을 하고플 땐 미안하다고
사랑한다 할 타이밍엔 밥 먹었냐고
암말도 없이 뒤에서 꼭 안아줄 땐
다시 한 걸음 앞으로 갈 힘이 생겨
같은 순간 같은 일에 같은 표정으로 웃고
혹시 남매냔 질문에 깜짝 놀라지만
너흰 이미 아주 많이 닮아있단 사실을 아니
가족사진 속 엄마아빠처럼
두근두근대는 설레임도 좋지만
누군가와 함께 나이 들어간다면
너흰 누굴 선택하겠니
나는 다른 상상이 안 돼
번져가고 물이 들고 서로의 시간 속으로
너무 깊이 와버렸나 살짝 겁나지만
너흰 정말 아주 많이 닮아있단 사실을 아니
지금보다 더 오래된 커플처럼
가족사진 속 엄마아빠처럼
Schedule Change for Free Download of the Logo song of 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit
Free Download of the official Logo song of 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, 'Peace Song' through Olleh Music and Melon was scheduled from 19th Dec(Monday) for 2 weeks, but now the date has changed to 28th Dec(Wednesday) for 2 weeks.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sara Bareilles- Bottle it Up
There'll be girls across the nation that will eat this up
Babe I know that it's your soul but could you bottle it up
And get down to the heart of it
No it's my heart you're shit out of your luck
Don`t make me tell you again
My love love love love
Love love love love
i am aiming to be somebody this somebody trusts
With her delicate soul I don`t claim to know much
Except soon as you start to make room for the parts
That aren`t you it gets harder to bloom in a garden of
love love love love
Love love love love
Only thing I ever could need, only one good thing
Worth trying to be and it`s love love love love
I do it for love love love love
We can understand the sentiment you`re saying to us
Oh,But sensible sells so could you kindly shut up
And get started at keeping your part of the bargain
Oh,please little darlin` you`re killing me sweetly with
love love love love
Love love love love
Only thing I ever could need, only one good thing
Worth trying to be and it`s love love love love
I do it for love love love love
Started as a flicker meant to be a flame
Skin has gotten thicker but it burns the same
Still a baby in a cradle got to take my first fall
Babt`s getting next to nowhere withe her back against
the wall
You meant to make me happy make me sad
Wanna make it better better so bad
But save your resolutions for your never new year
There is only one solution I can see here
Love you`re all I ever could need, only one good thing
worth trying to be and it`s love love love love
I do it for love love love love
Oh only gonna get get what you give away
Beyoncé - crazy in love
Yes
It’s so crazy right now
Most incredibly
It’s your girl B
It’s your boy Young
You ready
Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh, no-no
Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh, no-no
Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh, no-no
Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh, no-no
History in the making part two
It’s so crazy right now
I look and stare so deep in your eyes
I touch on you more and more every time
When you leave I’m beggin’ you not to go
Call your name two or three times in a row
Such a funny thing for me to try to explain
How I’m feelin’ and my pride is the one to blame
‘Cause I know I don’t understand
Just how your love your can do what no one else can
Got me lookin’ so crazy right now
Your love’s got me lookin’ so crazy right now (Your
love)
Got me looking so crazy right now
Your touch got me lookin’ so crazy right now (Your
touch)
Got me hopin’ you’ll page me right now
Your kiss got me hopin’ you’ll save me right now
Lookin’ so crazy, your love’s got me lookin’
Got me lookin’ so crazy in love
Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh, no-no
Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh, no-no
Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh, no-no
Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh, no-no
When I talk to my friends so quietly
{Who he think he is} Look at what you did to me
Tennis shoes, don’t even need to buy a new dress
If you ain’t there ain’t nobody else to impress
It’s just the way that you know what I thought I knew
It’s the beat my heart skips when I’m with you
But I still don’t understand
Just how your love can do what no one else can
Got me lookin’ so crazy right now
Your love’s got me lookin’ so crazy right now (Your
love)
Got me looking so crazy right now
Your touch got me lookin’ so crazy right now (Your
touch)
Got me hopin’ you’ll page me right now
Your kiss got me hopin’ you’ll save me right now
Lookin’ so crazy, your love’s got me lookin’
Got me lookin’ so crazy in love
I’m lookin’ so crazy, your love’s got me lookin’
Got me lookin’ so crazy in love
I’m warmed up now, let’s go
Young Hov, y’all know when the flow is loco
Young B and the R-O-C, uh-oh
Ol’ G, big homey, the one and only
Stick bony, but the pocket is fat like Tony
Soprano, the ROC handle like Van Axel
I shake phonies, man, you can’t get next to
The genuine article I go, I do not sing though
I sling though, if anything I bling, yo’
A star like Ringo, roar like gringo
Crazy, bring your whole set
Jay-Z in the range, crazy and deranged
They can’t figure them out they like hey is he insane
Yes, sir, I’m cut from a different cloth
My texture is the best fur chinchilla
I been healin’ chain smokers
But how you think I got the name Hova
I been realer, the game’s over
Fall back young, ever since the label changed over
To Platinum the game’s been wrap, one
Got me lookin’ so crazy, my baby
I’m not myself lately, I’m foolish, I don’t do this
I’ve been playin’ myself, baby, I don’t care
‘Cause your love’s got the best of me
And baby you’re makin’ a fool of me
You got me sprung and I don’t care who sees
‘Cause baby, you got me, you got me, so crazy, baby
Got me lookin’ so crazy right now
Your love’s got me lookin’ so crazy right now (Your
love)
Got me looking so crazy right now
Your touch got me lookin’ so crazy right now (Your
touch)
Got me hopin’ you’ll page me right now
Your kiss got me hopin’ you’ll save me right now
Lookin’ so crazy, your love’s got me lookin’
Got me lookin’ so crazy in love
Got me lookin’ so crazy right now
Your love’s got me lookin’ so crazy right now (Your
love)
Got me looking so crazy right now
Your touch got me lookin’ so crazy right now (Your
touch)
Got me hopin’ you’ll page me right now
Your kiss got me hopin’ you’ll save me right now
Lookin’ so crazy, your love’s got me lookin’
Got me lookin’ so crazy in love
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Joint Statement of the Eminent Persons Group for the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit
Joint Statement of the Eminent Persons Group
for the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit
We, members of the Eminent Persons Group established to advise the President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Myung-bak, on the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, met in Seoul on 29 November, 2011. We, upon the invitation of President Lee, gathered to discuss ways to ensure the success of the Seoul Summit. In sincere and intense discussions today, we agreed on the following statement and express the hope that it will contribute to next year’s Summit.
1. We recognize and fully support the efforts of many world leaders and intellectuals who have strived to achieve a peaceful and prosperous world free of nuclear weapons, and note that some progress has been made in this regard. However, we at the same time recognize that there is still much to be done to attain this noble cause.
2. We are of the view that nuclear security, aimed at preventing terrorists, criminals, and other irresponsible actors from using nuclear weapons, highly enriched uranium or plutonium for malicious purposes, constitutes an important element in advancing the goal of a nuclear weapon-free, peaceful and prosperous world, together with nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In this regard, we acknowledge that a key strategy to prevent nuclear terrorism is to deny terrorists from gaining access to nuclear weapons, materials, and facilities.
3. We emphasize that in order for the global nuclear security architecture to be robust enough to protect humankind and the planet, it needs to be based on the principle of integrated and balanced independence and interdependence between countries with shared responsibility. We support the objectives of international nuclear security instruments, including the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, as amended, and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, as essential elements of the global nuclear security architecture. We hope that the Participating States of the Seoul Summit will work towards the Conventions’ universal adherence.
4. We welcome the fact that the Washington Nuclear Security Summit, held in April 2010, made nuclear security the focus of attention at the summit level and succeeded in achieving consensus among 50 global leaders on the gravity of the threat of nuclear terrorism and the need for common action. We recognize that President Obama’s four-year lock-down initiative, which aims to “secure all vulnerable nuclear materials in four years,” played a key role in bringing about this consensus, and strongly support this initiative.
5. We are confident that the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit will serve as a catalyst for realizing a world free of nuclear and radiological terrorism by both reaffirming the principles and the spirit of the Washington Summit and reaching agreement on new commitments and measures to enhance nuclear security. In this regard, we strongly support the Seoul Summit.
6. We expect leaders at the Seoul Summit to enhance public confidence in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We also urge them to reduce the threats to nuclear facilities and their operating systems, such as sabotage or cyber attacks, by discussing in a responsible manner the ways in which nuclear security and nuclear safety can be mutually reinforced, bearing in mind the implications and lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear accident. We have every confidence that the Republic of Korea can play a leading role to this end as the Chair Country of the Seoul Summit.
7. We recognize that there is a critical need to build up national and regional capabilities and resilience to deal with the aftermath of a radiological and nuclear accident, whether as a result of a terrorist attack or a natural disaster, in order to mitigate the consequences. In this regard, we also note the need to explain international standards on radioactivity in ways that are understandable to the public.
8. Noting the risk that radiological materials may be illegally obtained and explosive devices may be assembled, and given the serious consequences that arise from perpetrated acts of radiological terrorism, we believe that there is a need to engage in in-depth discussions on the threat of radiological terrorism, together with that of nuclear terrorism at the Summit, with a view to resolving these threats through mutual cooperation.
9. Recognizing that the success of the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit is important to further bolster the global nuclear security regime, we would like to highlight the following for the success of the Summit:
- First, the Seoul Summit should demonstrate tangible progress in implementing the commitments made at the Washington Summit with all participants reporting specifically on activities they have undertaken and propose to undertake;
- Second, the Seoul Summit should further advance the Nuclear Security Summit process to the implementation phase by setting out in the ‘Seoul Communiqué’ a practical vision and new concrete measures;
- Third, each Participating State needs to undertake to make significant contributions to the objective of strengthening nuclear security regime by announcing voluntary, individual commitments at the Seoul Summit. Furthermore, Participating States need to reaffirm the essential role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the nuclear security and safety framework.
- Fourth, the Seoul Summit should take into account the new international security circumstances that have taken shape since the Washington Summit. In particular, in considering the lessons of the Fukushima accident that releases of radioactivity into the environment have grave consequences, the Seoul Summit should recognize that just as insufficient nuclear safety may put nuclear security at risk, insufficient nuclear security may put nuclear safety at risk. In conjunction, it should develop measures for cooperation to reduce the threat of radiological terrorism. The Seoul Summit should also promote the strengthening of international and regional cooperation mechanisms in nuclear safety and security;
- Fifth, the Seoul Summit should emphasize the importance of preventing the illicit transfer of nuclear materials by, inter alia, strengthening international and regional cooperation through the sharing of information and best practices, and capacity building.
- Sixth, the Seoul Summit should build upon the momentum generated by the Washington Nuclear Security Summit and should make efforts to hold a third Summit to provide political impetus at the highest level for the nuclear security regime strengthening process and assess progress made on the Washington Summit’s 4-year lock-down target.
10. We welcome the fact that the Republic of Korea has been steadfast in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy by upholding the principles of nuclear nonproliferation, security and safety. We look forward to the leading role of the Republic of Korea in bridging diverse opinions among Participating States and achieving an effective and successful outcome for the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. The highly successful peaceful nuclear program of the Republic of Korea, operated with full respect for the requirements of safety, security and safeguards provides a solid basis for this leadership. Their contribution will surely serve to a comprehensive approach to nuclear security worldwide and be seen as the Republic of Korea’s unique contribution to a more secure, safe, happy and prosperous world.
Park Jeong-hyun’s ‘Peace Song’, free download begins on 19th Dec through Olleh Music and Melon.
The official Logo song of 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, the ‘Peace Song’ sung by the honorary ambassador Park Jeong-hyun with outstanding singing ability, has already finished recording both in Korean and English version.
The ‘Peace Song’ will be provided by a free download event through Olleh Music and Melon from 19th Dec(Monday) for 2 weeks, celebrating the D-100 of 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. ‘Listen to the beautiful song and participate in the event~’ and Let your friends join as well!
The ‘Peace Song’ will be provided by a free download event through Olleh Music and Melon from 19th Dec(Monday) for 2 weeks, celebrating the D-100 of 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. ‘Listen to the beautiful song and participate in the event~’ and Let your friends join as well!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
North Korea's longtime leader Kim Jong Il dead at 69
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/18/world/asia/kim-jong-il-obit/index.html
(CNN) -- North Korea's longtime leader Kim Jong Il, the embodiment of the reclusive state where his cult of personality is deeply entrenched, has died, state TV reported.
He was believed to be 69.
Regarded as one of the world's most-repressive leaders, Kim Jong Il always cut a slightly bizarre figure. His diminutive stature and characteristically bouffant hair have been parodied by some in the West.
"He's a mysterious person -- I think by design," said Han S. Park, director of the Center for the Study of Global Issues at the University of Georgia and a frequent visitor to North Korea. "Mystery is a source of leverage and power. It's maintaining uncertainty."
But for the citizens of his Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim was the embodiment of the reclusive state, and well regarded.
The latest information on the death of Kim Jong Il
His father, Kim Il Sung, founded North Korea with Soviet backing after World War II.
Kim Jong Il was just a little boy when the Korean War broke out in 1950 when the Communist North invaded the American-backed South. After the fighting ended, Kim became steeped in his father's philosophy of "juche" or self-reliance -- the basis of North Korea's reclusive nature. North and South Korea never formally signed a peace treaty and remain technically at war -- separated by a tense demilitarized zone.
Report: Kim Jong Il dead North Korea: Our leader is dead
North Korea gives Kim's official birthplace as sacred Mount Paektu. The peak, on the northern border with Chinese Manchuria, is the highest on the peninsula and the site where Korean legend says the nation came into existence 5,000 years ago.
Researchers who are more objective place Kim's birth in the Far Eastern region of the Soviet Union on February 16, 1942. His father had fled to the Soviet Union when the Japanese put a price on his head for guerrilla activities in occupied Korea. The family returned to the northern part of the peninsula after the Japanese surrender in World War II, and Soviet dictator Josef Stalin anointed Kim Il Sung as the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Kim Jong Il's younger brother drowned as a child and his mother died when he was 7 years old. Shortly after, in 1950, the Korean War broke out and he was sent to Manchuria, returning three years later when it ended.
Despite these hardships, Kim Jong Il was presumably surrounded by luxury and privilege for most of his upbringing. As the first-born son of an iron-fisted dictator, "the doors were likely opening for him from a very young age," according to Dae-sook Suh, a professor of political science at the University of Hawaii who specializes in the Pyongyang government.
TIME: The iconography of Kim Jong Il
Gradually Kim Jong Il was groomed for the top position, making public appearances in front of cheering crowds.
In 1980, Kim Il Sung formally designated his son as his successor. Kim Jong Il was given senior posts in the Politburo, the Military Commission and the Party Secretariat. He took on the title "Dear Leader" and the government began spinning a personality cult around him patterned after that of his father, the "Great Leader."
In 1991, Kim Jong Il became commander-in-chief of North Korea's powerful armed forces, the final step in the long grooming process.
Three years later, when Kim Il Sung died suddenly from a heart attack at 82, most outsiders predicted the imminent collapse of North Korea. The nation had lost its venerated founding father.
Just a few years earlier, its powerful alliances had evaporated with the fall of the Soviet bloc and China's move toward a market-based system. The economy was on the rocks and energy and food were in short supply. A series of weather disasters, combined with an inefficient state-run agricultural system, further eroded the food supply, leading to mass starvation.
The timing could not have been worse for replacing the only leader North Korea had known.
"Heaven didn't smile on Kim Jong Il," said the University of Hawaii's Dae-sook Suh.
After his father's elaborate public funeral Kim Jong Il dropped out of sight, fueling rumors, but he soon managed to consolidate power.
Under his newly organized government, his father's presidential post was left vacant and Kim took the titles of general secretary of the Workers Party and chairman of the National Defense Commission -- a group of 10 men that includes the heads of the air force, army and navy, who are now considered the most powerful in the country.
"It's a peculiar government to say the least," Dae-sook Suh said. "He honors the legacy of his father, but the new government is a Kim Jong Il government. It's quite different from his father's."
Kim Il Sung's unique style of Stalinism, suffused with the Korean juche philosophy, was subordinated to the more militant theme of Kim Jong Il's "Red Banner" policy, introduced in 1996.
The changes afoot were dramatically illustrated in 1997 by the defection of Hwang Jang Yop -- the architect of the juche philosophy and the first high-level official to seek asylum in South Korea.
In a news conference after his defection, Hwang warned of a growing possibility that his homeland might launch an attack. "The preparation for war exceeds your imagination," he said.
Many outsiders viewed the flight of Hwang as another sign that the North Korean regime was on its last legs, but once again it weathered the storm, perhaps even benefiting from the fears of war heightened by Hwang's warning.
Despite sending a test missile over Japan in June 1999 and other such incidents, North Korea under Kim Jong Il also sent signals that it is open to new alliances after decades of isolation. Billions of dollars in international aid poured into North Korea during the 1990s, which did little in return.
Many analysts conclude that Kim Jong Il has played a poor hand of cards skillfully.
"I tend to disregard rumors that he's irrational, a man that nobody can do business with," said Alexander Mansourov, a longtime Korea scholar and a former Russian diplomat who was posted in Pyongyang in the late 1980s. "I believe that he is smart. He's pragmatic. And I think he can be ruthless. He's a man who will not loosen his grip in any way on the people around him."
His obsession for movies led to one of the strangest incidents associated with him: The 1978 kidnappings of South Korean actress Choi En-hui and her director husband Shin Sang-ok. The couple's account of their ordeal, given after they escaped North Korea in 1986, sounds like a B-movie script.
They said Kim Jong Il held Choi under house arrest and imprisoned Shin for four years for a failed escape attempt. Kim then forced them to work in the North Korean film industry, paying them handsomely while keeping them in the gilded cage of his artistic and social circles. Although the country was having problems paying its debts, Kim lived extravagantly and spent tens of millions of dollars on their film productions, according to Choi and Shin.
The couple told Washington Post reporter Don Oberdorfer that Kim was a "micro-manager" who made all the major decisions in North Korea because of his father's ailing condition. Shin described Kim as "very bright," but said that he had no sense of guilt about his misdeeds "due to his background and upbringing."
While the Dear Leader is said to have indulged his appetite for the finer things, his people were literally starving to death. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s hit North Korea hard when guaranteed trade deals with Moscow came to an end.
And then devastating floods compounded the famine. The North Korean regime admitted almost 250,000 people perished between 1995 and 1998, but some outside groups believe it was more like ten times that figure.
Nevertheless, an artifice of a successful state was maintained in the capital, Pyongyang, including an opulent subway -- proof that Kim would say reflected North Korea's progress under his and his father's leadership.
In 2000, there appeared to be a thaw in North-South relations leading to the first-ever summit meeting between Kim Jong Il and his then counterpart from the South President Kim Dae Jung. South Korea's so-called "sunshine policy" of engagement seemed to be bearing fruit.
But Kim Jong Il pressed ahead with his nuclear weapons program and then-U.S. President George W. Bush labeled North Korea as part of the "axis of evil" in his 2002 State of the Union address. A year later, North Korea withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
In 2006 the North conducted a nuclear test and test fired missiles adding extra urgency to the six-party talks designed to deal with North Korea's nuclear program.
A breakthrough came in 2007, when Kim Jong il finally agreed to disable the nuclear reactor at Yongbyon in return for fuel and better relations with the U.S.
But despite dramatically blowing up Yongbyon's cooling tower, North Korea seemed to backtrack afterwards and the deal appeared to be jeopardy. In August 2008, Pyongyang halted the disabling of the plutonium-producing plants in after a stalemate over verification measures.
Months later -- as Bush wrapped up his final term in office -- the U.S. government agreed to take North Korea off its list of countries that sponsor terrorism. The move was a turnaround from the Bush administration's previous refusal to drop North Korea from the list until Pyongyang agreed to set up an internationally recognizable mechanism to verify it was revealing all its nuclear secrets.
Analysts say it is easy for outsiders to demonize Kim Jong Il, a dictator who spent an estimated 25% or more of his country's gross national product on the military while many in his country went hungry.
But in North Korea, closed off from outside influences, fearful of threats from its neighbors, and subjected to decades of political socialization on top of a long tradition of a strict hierarchical system, Kim Jong Il is viewed positively by most people, said Han Park of the Center for Study of Global Issues.
"The level of reverence for Kim Jong Il in North Korea is quite underestimated by the outside," Park said. "He is regarded by many as not only a superior leader but a decent person, a man of high morality. Whether that's accurate is not important if you want to deal with North Korea. You have to understand their belief system. Perception is reality."
But to the outside world, Kim Jong Il will be remembered as one of the worst despots in history, according to Andre Lankov, an author on Korea's history.
"He will be remembered as a person who was responsible for awful things: for the existence of one of the worst dictatorships in not only Korean history but the world history at least in the 20th and 21st centuries," Lankov said.
"Yet he did not create this dictatorship -- it was his father's but he took responsibility, and he made sure it continued for many more years."
(CNN) -- North Korea's longtime leader Kim Jong Il, the embodiment of the reclusive state where his cult of personality is deeply entrenched, has died, state TV reported.
He was believed to be 69.
Regarded as one of the world's most-repressive leaders, Kim Jong Il always cut a slightly bizarre figure. His diminutive stature and characteristically bouffant hair have been parodied by some in the West.
"He's a mysterious person -- I think by design," said Han S. Park, director of the Center for the Study of Global Issues at the University of Georgia and a frequent visitor to North Korea. "Mystery is a source of leverage and power. It's maintaining uncertainty."
But for the citizens of his Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim was the embodiment of the reclusive state, and well regarded.
The latest information on the death of Kim Jong Il
His father, Kim Il Sung, founded North Korea with Soviet backing after World War II.
Kim Jong Il was just a little boy when the Korean War broke out in 1950 when the Communist North invaded the American-backed South. After the fighting ended, Kim became steeped in his father's philosophy of "juche" or self-reliance -- the basis of North Korea's reclusive nature. North and South Korea never formally signed a peace treaty and remain technically at war -- separated by a tense demilitarized zone.
Report: Kim Jong Il dead North Korea: Our leader is dead
North Korea gives Kim's official birthplace as sacred Mount Paektu. The peak, on the northern border with Chinese Manchuria, is the highest on the peninsula and the site where Korean legend says the nation came into existence 5,000 years ago.
Researchers who are more objective place Kim's birth in the Far Eastern region of the Soviet Union on February 16, 1942. His father had fled to the Soviet Union when the Japanese put a price on his head for guerrilla activities in occupied Korea. The family returned to the northern part of the peninsula after the Japanese surrender in World War II, and Soviet dictator Josef Stalin anointed Kim Il Sung as the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Kim Jong Il's younger brother drowned as a child and his mother died when he was 7 years old. Shortly after, in 1950, the Korean War broke out and he was sent to Manchuria, returning three years later when it ended.
Despite these hardships, Kim Jong Il was presumably surrounded by luxury and privilege for most of his upbringing. As the first-born son of an iron-fisted dictator, "the doors were likely opening for him from a very young age," according to Dae-sook Suh, a professor of political science at the University of Hawaii who specializes in the Pyongyang government.
TIME: The iconography of Kim Jong Il
Gradually Kim Jong Il was groomed for the top position, making public appearances in front of cheering crowds.
In 1980, Kim Il Sung formally designated his son as his successor. Kim Jong Il was given senior posts in the Politburo, the Military Commission and the Party Secretariat. He took on the title "Dear Leader" and the government began spinning a personality cult around him patterned after that of his father, the "Great Leader."
In 1991, Kim Jong Il became commander-in-chief of North Korea's powerful armed forces, the final step in the long grooming process.
Three years later, when Kim Il Sung died suddenly from a heart attack at 82, most outsiders predicted the imminent collapse of North Korea. The nation had lost its venerated founding father.
Just a few years earlier, its powerful alliances had evaporated with the fall of the Soviet bloc and China's move toward a market-based system. The economy was on the rocks and energy and food were in short supply. A series of weather disasters, combined with an inefficient state-run agricultural system, further eroded the food supply, leading to mass starvation.
The timing could not have been worse for replacing the only leader North Korea had known.
"Heaven didn't smile on Kim Jong Il," said the University of Hawaii's Dae-sook Suh.
After his father's elaborate public funeral Kim Jong Il dropped out of sight, fueling rumors, but he soon managed to consolidate power.
Under his newly organized government, his father's presidential post was left vacant and Kim took the titles of general secretary of the Workers Party and chairman of the National Defense Commission -- a group of 10 men that includes the heads of the air force, army and navy, who are now considered the most powerful in the country.
"It's a peculiar government to say the least," Dae-sook Suh said. "He honors the legacy of his father, but the new government is a Kim Jong Il government. It's quite different from his father's."
Kim Il Sung's unique style of Stalinism, suffused with the Korean juche philosophy, was subordinated to the more militant theme of Kim Jong Il's "Red Banner" policy, introduced in 1996.
The changes afoot were dramatically illustrated in 1997 by the defection of Hwang Jang Yop -- the architect of the juche philosophy and the first high-level official to seek asylum in South Korea.
In a news conference after his defection, Hwang warned of a growing possibility that his homeland might launch an attack. "The preparation for war exceeds your imagination," he said.
Many outsiders viewed the flight of Hwang as another sign that the North Korean regime was on its last legs, but once again it weathered the storm, perhaps even benefiting from the fears of war heightened by Hwang's warning.
Despite sending a test missile over Japan in June 1999 and other such incidents, North Korea under Kim Jong Il also sent signals that it is open to new alliances after decades of isolation. Billions of dollars in international aid poured into North Korea during the 1990s, which did little in return.
Many analysts conclude that Kim Jong Il has played a poor hand of cards skillfully.
"I tend to disregard rumors that he's irrational, a man that nobody can do business with," said Alexander Mansourov, a longtime Korea scholar and a former Russian diplomat who was posted in Pyongyang in the late 1980s. "I believe that he is smart. He's pragmatic. And I think he can be ruthless. He's a man who will not loosen his grip in any way on the people around him."
His obsession for movies led to one of the strangest incidents associated with him: The 1978 kidnappings of South Korean actress Choi En-hui and her director husband Shin Sang-ok. The couple's account of their ordeal, given after they escaped North Korea in 1986, sounds like a B-movie script.
They said Kim Jong Il held Choi under house arrest and imprisoned Shin for four years for a failed escape attempt. Kim then forced them to work in the North Korean film industry, paying them handsomely while keeping them in the gilded cage of his artistic and social circles. Although the country was having problems paying its debts, Kim lived extravagantly and spent tens of millions of dollars on their film productions, according to Choi and Shin.
The couple told Washington Post reporter Don Oberdorfer that Kim was a "micro-manager" who made all the major decisions in North Korea because of his father's ailing condition. Shin described Kim as "very bright," but said that he had no sense of guilt about his misdeeds "due to his background and upbringing."
While the Dear Leader is said to have indulged his appetite for the finer things, his people were literally starving to death. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s hit North Korea hard when guaranteed trade deals with Moscow came to an end.
And then devastating floods compounded the famine. The North Korean regime admitted almost 250,000 people perished between 1995 and 1998, but some outside groups believe it was more like ten times that figure.
Nevertheless, an artifice of a successful state was maintained in the capital, Pyongyang, including an opulent subway -- proof that Kim would say reflected North Korea's progress under his and his father's leadership.
In 2000, there appeared to be a thaw in North-South relations leading to the first-ever summit meeting between Kim Jong Il and his then counterpart from the South President Kim Dae Jung. South Korea's so-called "sunshine policy" of engagement seemed to be bearing fruit.
But Kim Jong Il pressed ahead with his nuclear weapons program and then-U.S. President George W. Bush labeled North Korea as part of the "axis of evil" in his 2002 State of the Union address. A year later, North Korea withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
In 2006 the North conducted a nuclear test and test fired missiles adding extra urgency to the six-party talks designed to deal with North Korea's nuclear program.
A breakthrough came in 2007, when Kim Jong il finally agreed to disable the nuclear reactor at Yongbyon in return for fuel and better relations with the U.S.
But despite dramatically blowing up Yongbyon's cooling tower, North Korea seemed to backtrack afterwards and the deal appeared to be jeopardy. In August 2008, Pyongyang halted the disabling of the plutonium-producing plants in after a stalemate over verification measures.
Months later -- as Bush wrapped up his final term in office -- the U.S. government agreed to take North Korea off its list of countries that sponsor terrorism. The move was a turnaround from the Bush administration's previous refusal to drop North Korea from the list until Pyongyang agreed to set up an internationally recognizable mechanism to verify it was revealing all its nuclear secrets.
Analysts say it is easy for outsiders to demonize Kim Jong Il, a dictator who spent an estimated 25% or more of his country's gross national product on the military while many in his country went hungry.
But in North Korea, closed off from outside influences, fearful of threats from its neighbors, and subjected to decades of political socialization on top of a long tradition of a strict hierarchical system, Kim Jong Il is viewed positively by most people, said Han Park of the Center for Study of Global Issues.
"The level of reverence for Kim Jong Il in North Korea is quite underestimated by the outside," Park said. "He is regarded by many as not only a superior leader but a decent person, a man of high morality. Whether that's accurate is not important if you want to deal with North Korea. You have to understand their belief system. Perception is reality."
But to the outside world, Kim Jong Il will be remembered as one of the worst despots in history, according to Andre Lankov, an author on Korea's history.
"He will be remembered as a person who was responsible for awful things: for the existence of one of the worst dictatorships in not only Korean history but the world history at least in the 20th and 21st centuries," Lankov said.
"Yet he did not create this dictatorship -- it was his father's but he took responsibility, and he made sure it continued for many more years."
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Great Achievements of HLF-4!
The Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF4) has come to a close, resulting in the new Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, which is a mixed bag in terms of the results that civil society was advocating for.
The Busan Partnership gives a new impetus for aid untying and the use of country systems- crucial areas for making aid contribute better to building the capacities that are needed to end aid dependency.
Some progress has been made on the core aid effectiveness agenda, with strengthened commitments on democratic ownership, using country systems and aid untying. Furthermore, China and other BRICs hesitantly moved under the new partnership’s umbrella.
The Busan Partnership gives a new impetus for aid untying and the use of country systems- crucial areas for making aid contribute better to building the capacities that are needed to end aid dependency.
Some progress has been made on the core aid effectiveness agenda, with strengthened commitments on democratic ownership, using country systems and aid untying. Furthermore, China and other BRICs hesitantly moved under the new partnership’s umbrella.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
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