Ruminations in Korea

Greetings to people from Instapundit: Please read through the posts dealing with the censorship issues to get a taste of what is going on here. I have had a large number of people ask if this was real, or if this was a put on. I have had several people flat out accuse me of making this up. Let me assure you, this is a real story. This is really happening, and efforts to get the mainstream world media interested has failed to produce results. For more background and to get a sense of what led up to this blockage, scroll down and read through the hostage posts.

Nothing has changed. The song remains the same. The sites are still blocked, and there does not seem to be any plans for removing the blocks any time soon.

Ohmynews has two articles on the reaction to the blanket blocks, both of which prominently feature yours truly. Click here to read the initial article and here to read the subsequent article.

For what it’s worth, Peter Oranckay is speculating that the government may not be directly behind the blocks.

In the meantime, please note the following notice from the US Embassy, Seoul:

The U.S. Embassy is transmitting the following information through the Embassy’s warden system as a public service to all U.S. citizens in the Republic of Korea. Please disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in your organizations.

In addition to the numerous anti-U.S., anti-troop dispatch demonstrations precipitated by the tragic death of a Korean citizen in Iraq and mentioned in our recent warden message of June 24, 2004, local authorities have informed the Embassy of new demonstrations scheduled for June 29 and June 30, including nationwide rallies by the Korean Federation of Trade Unions (KCTU) to protest the Republic of Korea government’s plan to send more troops to Iraq.

Please note the dates/times for the following demonstrations that have been scheduled at the Kyobo or KT buildings in Seoul (one block south of the US Embassy):

6/29/2004 ? 1600 hours
1,000 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions - to protest troop dispatch to Iraq and later to join the candle vigil to protest hostage killing

6/29/2004 ? 1900 hours
3,000 individuals ? candlelight vigil to protest hostage killing

6/30/2004 ? 1800 hours
10,000 individuals ? candlelight vigil to protest hostage killing

The following demonstration is scheduled for Jongmyo Park in Seoul (3 blocks southeast of the Embassy): 6/29/2004 ? 1400 hours
3,000 individuals protest troop dispatch to Iraq.

Demonstrations may also take place in other locales and at other dates in June and July, specifically in the vicinity of the U.S. Embassy, U.S. military (USFK) bases, and universities or downtown civic centers throughout Republic of Korea. In consideration of U.S. July 4 Independence Day celebrations and the Iraqi governmental transition period, American citizens are reminded to maintain a high-level of personal security awareness, especially in areas where large numbers of American citizens congregate.

Political, labor, and student demonstrations and marches have on occasion become confrontational and/or violent. American citizens and their family members should exercise caution and avoid gatherings of large groups in order to minimize risk to their personal safety. Streets may also close without warning on orders of the local police.

The Embassy encourages all American citizens to read and follow the suggestions in the world wide public announcement issued by the Department of State on April 29, 2004. See http://www.asktheconsul.org/2004apr29.htm or http://travel.state.gov/.

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul will continue to keep the U.S. community informed of any changes in the overall security situation. To hear a recording of the most up-to-date security information affecting U.S. citizens in Korea, please call 02-397-4114 and press the following series of numbers: 1, 1, 1, 7. In addition, notices concerning security matters will also be broadcast on AFNK television and radio. The Embassy encourages all U.S. citizens to register their presence in Korea with the American Citizens Services office at the U.S. Embassy or via the Internet at http://www.usembassy.state.gov/seoul or http://www.asktheconsul.org/.

Mr. Roh, tear down this wall!

Message: Mr. Roh, tear down this wall!

Pusan - RIK - On the night of June 24, 2004, the Korean government, without any real warning and without discretion, began raising a cyber wall around Korea, isolating residents and preventing them from accessing outside information. One by one, throughout the following days, internet domains fell under the hammer of the South Korean dictatorial regime. Brick by brick, the government sealed off free speach and free access to information.

The fascist government has justified their campaign of censorship, oppression, and repression by claiming that they must protect the people of South Korea from viewing the corrupting influence of the video of Kim Sun Il’s beheading at the hands of Iraqi terrorists. This protection has extended to seeking out and blocking any and all access to blogs, bulliten boards, commercial, and private domains that reference, post, or link to the Kim Sun Il beheading video. Orgrish.com, blogs.com, typepad.com, blogspot.com, blog-city.com, and others have already been blocked. The list continues to grow as informers report sites to the Korean Ministry of Information and Communication.

With the building of this cyber wall, comes the goverments declaration that hosting, posting, or distributing the Kim Sun Il beheading video is a crime. With in the past 24 hours, 12 citizens have been arrested and taken into custody for uploading and distributing the video through p2p sites. The government plans to continue this campaign until all traces of the video have been eradicated from the Korean internet. Thus, all indications are that censorship, barring access to free and independant voices, arrests, and suppression of truth and dissent will continue and likely increase as time goes by.

Voices of freedom and independant commentators are forced to slink through the back alleys and viaducts of the internet to circumvent the restrictions and avoid the cyber patrols that seek them relentlessly.

This mistake must be rectified. The free world must make it known to the Korean fascist government that these actions will not be tolerated in the 21st century. It must be impressed upon the Korean government that their plans to become the “hub of Asia” will never be fulfilled or realized as long as they continue to abuse their power and authority to stomp on the civil rights and freedoms of the residents of Korea.

Come here to this gate! Mr. Roh, open this gate! Mr. Roh, tear down this wall!

URGENT (AND bloody unacceptable!!!):

UPDATE!!!: I have found a way to circumvent the block. I am not about to post my circumvention online. I don’t want to cut this avenue off as well. Let’s just say that I am back and mad as hell.

HORRIBLE NEWS: It has been confirmed. The Korean Ministry of Information and Communication is blocking access to services such as blogspot.com, blogger.com and now blogs.com and typepad.com. They are blocking servers as they become aware of servers that are hosting the Kim Sun Il beheading video.

This is fascism! Freaking fascist, commie bastards in control of this pseudo-democratic dictatorship of South Korea! Good job letting the world know how fair, free, and open you jackasses really aren’t! May you rot in hell you filthy, hypocritical, corrupt, pigs!

I am now officially out of contact with the world… I should still be able to read comments posted here as they are forwarded to my email. Other than that, I am gone. I cannot gain access to my site. I can still post through third-party software, but that is it.

Alert any and all media outlets of this unacceptable behavior. The Korean Cyber-Curtain is being raised.

You can reach me on MSN Messenger ID: jefflaws@hotmail.com and on Yahoo Messenger ID: Migookguy

I don’t know what the future holds…. We’ll see how long this lasts.

In parting:

“This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I’m stepping through the door
And I’m floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today

Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles
I’m feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much she knows?
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you….

NOTE: Since around midnight last night, Blog-spot blogs appear to be unavailable to internet users in Korea. I know the blog-spot servers are working because I am getting massive amounts of hits from them. My paranoid, conspiracy theorist brain has me wondering if Korea has blocked access to the blog-spot sites for reasons related to the release of the Kim Sun Il beheading video. I will update the roundup after I am able to access blog-spot sites again.

Obviously, the big topic is the kidnapping and murder of Kim Seon Il (aka Kim Sun-il). It seems that the breaking news is slowing down and that now people are looking into what happened or what might have happened. Others are beginning their reviews and analysis of the situation. I will be sharing my thoughts after absorbing a bit more information.

In the meantime, here is a look around the Korea blogging community this week:

Ruminations in Korea: After being nearly locked out of my house on Sunday, the rest of the week was spent discussing the kidnapping, murder, behaeading and the three separate Kim Sun Il videos that are known to exists. For a running review of breaking news see Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4.

About Joel: The murder of Kim Sun Il causes Joel to reflect on his feelings and observations on 9/11.

Big Hominid: Blogspot

Flying Yangban: Yangban points out a few things to watch relating to the aftermath of Kim Sun Il’s beheading and how the murder may affect US and Korean relations.

Hunjangui karuch’im: Blogspot

Incestuous Amplification: IA vents his spleen about the Korean media’s obsession with photographing and broadcasting every second of the family’s grief. He also questions why the family would let the cameras around them during the time of mourning for Kim Sun il.

Marmot’s Hole: Marmot comments and rants about the double standards surrounding viewing and publicizing beheadings of foreigners and the beheading of Kim Sun Il.

My Resonating Life: Blogspot

Oranckay: Peter comments after seeing the video of Kim Sun Il being beheaded. He also offers a theory that Kim was initially kidnapped by opportunists and later turned over to the REALLY bad guys.

Party Pooper: In a lighter vein, the Party Pooper comments on odd Korean advertising.

Rathbone Press: Rathbone wonders whether Koreans will be more sensitive to the US’s feelings about terrorism and terrorists. He also supports publicizing the the Kim Son Il beheading video.

Usually, stories like this will hit a “news wall” with in 24 to 48 hours after an event. At that point, the news just keeps repeating itself with no new details or information. Not so the story of Mr. Kim.

The story of Kim Seon Il keeps getting curiouser and curiouser. New developments, accusations, orders, etc. are continuing to surface. Reports will be updated as news breaks:

The Foreign Ministry defends itself from the below statements by putting the blame on the AP. The Ministry says that the text of the AP’s question is important. The Ministry goes on to say that “if the AP had told them about the video and asked the question, they would have understood the seriousness of the situation. However, when asked as a general question, it is possible that no other action would have been taken.”

한 외교부 관계자는 “AP의 질문 내용이 중요하다. 비디오테이프를 언급하면서 질문했다면 사태의 심각성을 파악했겠지만,그렇지 않고 의례적인 질문이라고 생각했다면 다른 조치를 취하지 않았을 수도 있다”고 설명했다.

Here is the text of a fax from the AP where the AP discusses how they came to possess the tape recorded in early June and the AP’s interactions with the Foreign Ministry at that time:

“In early June, before it was widely known that Kim Sun-il was missing, a videotape was delivered in Baghdad to Associated Press Television News in which a man purporting to be Mr. Kim appears to be speaking in halting English about the Iraqi people and the United States role in Iraq. There were no signs on the videotape that indicated Mr. Kim had been abducted or was being held against his will. It was unclear to AP why the tape had been sent and there was no context or explanation for the tape.

On June 3, an Associated Press reporter in Seoul telephoned the South Korean Foreign Ministry to ask if the ministry knew whether a South Korean citizen with a name that sounded like Kim Sun-il was missing in Iraq. An official in the ministry said the ministry was not aware of any South Korean of that name — or any other South Korean citizen — was missing or in captivity.

In conversation with the ministry, the AP reporter did not mention the videotape in an effort to confirm independently whether a South Korean citizen was missing.”

Very very strange stuff here…I am beginning to have the feeling that something is not quite right with Kim, his presence in Iraq, and his becoming a hostage. Here are his last words to the world. Notice there is no, “I love you mom,” or anything like that.

To President Roh, MooHyun.
노무현 대통령에게

please I want to live, I want to go to Korea.
제발. 나는 살고싶습니다. 나는 한국에 가고 싶습니다.

URGENT: From the US Embassy Seoul:

The U.S. Embassy is transmitting the following information through the Embassy’s warden system as a public service to all U.S. citizens in the Republic of Korea. Please disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in your organizations.

The tragic killing of a Korean citizen in Iraq has resulted in numerous anti-US, anti-troop dispatch demonstrations throughout Korea. At this time, the Embassy is aware of several scheduled protests in downtown Seoul at the Kyobo or KT buildings (approx. one block south the Embassy). Demonstrations may also take place in other locales, specifically in the vicinity of US military (USFK) bases, universities or downtown civic centers throughout Republic of Korea.

Please note the following dates/times for the demonstrations at the Kyobo or KT buildings in Seoul:

6/24/2004 ?1800 hours
3,000 individuals to protest hostage killing and troop dispatch

6/25/2004 ?1200 hours
300 individuals ?29th weekly anti-US demonstration

6/25/2004 - 1800 hours
3,000 individuals to protest hostage killing and troop dispatch

6/26/2004 ?1800 hours
10,000 individuals - candlelight vigil to protest hostage killing

6/30/2004 ?1800 hours
10,000 individuals ?candlelight vigil to protest hostage killing

Additional demonstrations may occur during the month of July.

In consideration of U.S. July 4 Independence Day celebrations and the Iraqi governmental transition period, American citizens are reminded to maintain a high-level of personal security awareness, especially in areas where large numbers of American citizens congregate.

Political, labor, and student demonstrations and marches have on occasion become confrontational and/or violent. American citizens and their family members should exercise caution and avoid gatherings of large groups in order to minimize risk to their personal safety. Streets may also close without warning on orders of the local police.

The Embassy encourages all American citizens to read and follow the suggestions in the world wide public announcement issued by the Department of State on April 29, 2004. See http://www.asktheconsul.org/2004apr29.htm or http://travel.state.gov/ .

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul will continue to keep the U.S. community informed of any changes in the overall security situation. To hear a recording of the most up-to-date security information affecting U.S. citizens in Korea, please call 02-397-4114 and press the following series of numbers: 1, 1, 1, 7. In addition, notices concerning security matters will also be broadcast on AFNK television and radio. The Embassy encourages all U.S. citizens to register their presence in Korea with the American Citizens Services office at the U.S. Embassy or via the Internet at http://www.usembassy.state.gov/seoul or http://www.asktheconsul.org/.

Korean Labor Party submitted a bill to withdraw troops from Iraq because, “Iraq’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction, cited by the United States as the reason for the war, has been proven groundless. As we know from the death of a South Korean hostage in Iraq, the South Korean troops have been thought as an enemy, not friend, by the Iraqi people.”

Reports are that in the first week of June the Associated Press Television Network asked the Foreign Ministry in Seoul about Kim and was told that the government had no reports of a South Korean in captivity.

It is reported that a US television station advised the Korean Foreign Ministry (who deny knowing of the kidnapping until June 20) that Kim had been kidnapped in early June. Was the government trying to cover up Kim’s kidnapping? Did they ignore the report? What happened. People will want answers.

A video tape with a videotape with Kim saying in English that he liked the Iraqi people and criticized the United States for the war in Iraq was delivered to the Associated Press in early June.

The family of Mr. Kim is demanding that the government explain what happened. I wonder if the government even knows what was going on.

Government “ordered” world internet providers not to post the Kim Sun Il beheading video.

TOP URGENT: Kim executed. Body found.

SICK STATISTIC: I’ve had over 1,100 hits since Kim’s body was found, and over 90% of those hits are from searches for “Kim Sun Il beading video” or some varation of that theme. The world is full of ghouls.

LATEST: Koreans reportedly threatening to burn down the mosque in Seoul and kill muslims in Korea.

The following are links to the story and its aftermath (Updates will continue throughout the day):

Of course, television and newspaper photographers wer hanging like vultures around Kims family to capture the horror and grief when the death was announced.

50 lawmakers from various parties have submitted a resolution to cancel the dispatch of Korean troops to Iraq.
Lawmakers are quoted as saying: “Even though I am burning with anger at the death of an innocent civilian, we must halt the dispatch of our soldiers in order to cut the vicious circle of terrorism that we have seen in the example of Kim’s case,” and “We have to rethink the current situation because an innocent Korean man has been killed,” and this strange statement “If the aim of the terrorism is to split public opinion, we should not be dragged into it.”

Kim’s headless body was found booby-trapped with explosives. According to this story, a coalition official said, “The man had been beheaded, and the head was recovered with the body.” Pentagon sources said the body had been booby-trapped with explosives. This is not being reported in the Korean news. Koreans need to know what sick, sick, freaks these terrorists are.

Kim likely kidnapped MORE THAN THREE WEEKS AGO on May 30, not June 17. Kim’s employer gives highly contradictory statements.

President Roh apologizes to the nation for Kim’s murder. Roh said, “I am very sorry and deeply regretful that this tragedy happened, although all the people and the government wished and prayed for the safe return of Mr. Kim Sun-il.”

Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon apologized to the nation Wednesday for failing to bring Kim safely back home. Ban said, “Despite all available diplomatic efforts to save him, the grisly killing happened. I will make all-out efforts to ensure the safety of Koreans in Iraq to prevent the recurrence of a similar incident.”

Korean police step up security at US and British Embassies.

Kim executed immediately after government rejected demand to withdraw troops.

Kim’s body found on roadside. US says Kim was beheaded and thrown from a vehicle. South Korea silent on beheading.

Kims’ death came as a surprise as it was “partially” confirmed that he was alive by South Korean officials and local media outlets on Tuesday. Moments before the beheading, Choi Seung-kap, president of New Korea Total Service had said, “Kim is now detained at an unidentified place in Iraq. My Iraqi business partner is negotiating his release.” Nothing Choi has said has been confirmed by anyone publicly. It is unknown what, if anything he had been doing. It is not known how or why he was doing it.

The terrorists made it clear that they did not believe the statements from South Korean citizens that they only wanted to help Iraq and were against the US too. Seconds before the beheading, which wasn’t shown one terrorist shouted, “This is what your hands have committed. Your army has not come here for the sake of Iraqis, but for cursed America.”

President Roh will address the nation at 9:30 am local time. He is expected to send his condolences to the family of Mr. Kim and talk about security issues.

The Korean National Security Council strongly condemns the murder of Kim and reafirms its “basic spirit and position” regarding sending troops to Iraq.

Korean government criticised for lacking diplomatic tactics and bargaining skills.

President Bush expresses his condolences and calls the terrorists “barbaric”. He condemned the terrorists by saying, “The free world cannot be intimidated by the brutal actions of these barbaric people.”

Although the Kim hostage crisis is still ongoing, the world continues to turn and life goes on.

Every night that I possibly can, I sit down with my 3 year old boy and play my guitar with him. We sing songs. He accompanies me by pounding on his drum. I hold various chords while he strums the strings like a mad man. He chills, shimmies and shakes around the room while I hammer out some blues. It’s a great time together.

Last night, he paid me the biggest musical compliment that he may ever be able to do.

He was getting ready for bed and I was cleaning up the living room. I slipped a CD of Johnny Lee Hooker, the greatest of all bluesmen, into the stereo. Johnny’s wholly unique style of rattlin’, hammerin’, foot-stompin’ blues pour out of the speakers.

I hear my boy’s crisp, clean voice cut through the music as he yells from across the house, “Listen! Daddy’s playing guitar!”

I love you, boy!

BREAKING NEWS!

UPDATE: You have read numerous reports that the government is negotiating frantically with the terrorists through all available channels, yet an anonymous Ministry of Foreign Affairs official has just said, “I understand the ministry has not yet secured any direct channel of communication with the insurgent group, but it is trying through various other channels.” The government has not even made contact with the terrorists yet! Who is doing what to relase this guy?

Meanwhile, the president of a Korean security firm is claiming that not only is Kim alive and well, but his Iraqi business partner has met directly with the terrorists twice and convinced them to delay executing Kim. He would not say where Kim was for “security reasons.” Why hasn’t this guy told the government where Kim is yet or put the government in contact with the terrorists? Is he stupid? Is he lying? Is he trying to take all the glory fo a successful rescue himself? What?

Commentary:

The 24-hour deadline has come and gone with no news of any sort being relesed by anyone.

The lastest bit of information is this odd piece of cryptic news from Yeonhap: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was trying to negotiate the release of the South Korean hostage, Kim Sun-il, but said it was “inappropriate” to reveal whether Kim was still alive.”

What does that mean? If he’s dead, why would they be continuing negotiations? If Kim is still alive, then who exactly are they negotiating with? In the same new story, the government says that they are “talking to the kidnappers of the South Korean man through all possible channels.” If they are actually talking to the kidnappers terrorists, then why through “all possible channels?” Why not through just one that is working.

My personal feeling based on nothing is that the South Korean government is not talking with the terrorists, but rather talking at the terrorists through mass media, most likely Al-Jazeera. As we have not seen a body or head up to now, Kim is probably still alive. Why would the terrorists keep Kim alive past the deadline when every other deadline has been strictly enforced with a beheading? I believe the answer to be that the terrorists know that America would never give the terrorists any money or give in to any of their demands, but after seeing Kim’s begging and pleading for his life and watching the Korean citizens and government push for doing whatever it takes, the terrorists are optimistic that they will get a huge payoff. Thus, i believe that they are keeping him alive in the hope of making some serious cash from the Korean government, civic groups, or private citizens.

If the Korean government caves in to the demands of the terrorists and especially if the government or someone else pays the enemy terrorists a ransom of money that will clearly and obviously used for the sole purpose of killing Americans and other allies, the US government should end relations right then and there with Korea.

UPDATE: Signs appear that Seoul is beginning to crack and cave in to the demands of the terrorists. Yeonhap reports: South Korea on Tuesday stepped back from its position to abide by its pledge to send additional troops to Iraq in an apparent effort not to adversely affect the ongoing negotiations to set free a South Korean kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents who demanded South Korea’s withdrawal of the troop dispatch plan.

UPDATE:Yet another obscure statement from a “government official” claiming that there is “‘partial’ confirmation” that Kim is alive. The official said, “We are receiving a lot of information through various channels, and it seems that Kim Sun-il is still alive.”

UPDATE: Al-Jazeera news is playing up the protests and anti-troop dispatch activities underway in Korea. The Arabic news agency focuses on the “anxiety [and] grief” gripping Korean society, massive demonstrations throughout the country against the dispatch of troops to Iraq, and the pleas for Kim’s release.

UPDATE: According to Yonhap, South Koreans are flooding Al Jazeera’s TV website with pleas for the release of Kim. Here is a sample”

1. “‘Allahu akbar.’ Yes, your God is great. It’s time to show how benevolent your god is… Please let him go to his family.”
2 “If you understand the South Korean situation, you may understand the (planned) dispatch of our army to Iraq. As you know, America always threatens South Korea.”

The Chosun Ilbo adds a few more examples of the letters to Al Jazeera:

1. “We are not sending troops to Iraq because we want to. It’s just because our nation is weak … We have no power to defy [the United States] … Please let Kim live.”
2. “All Koreans support your struggle against the United States, and respect your passion for the war [against the U.S.],”
3. “The Korean people, too, have experienced death at the hands of U.S. soldiers, just like the Iraqi people.” ‘

[comment: This just makes me sick. Shame on you Korea.]

It seems that Koreans have crashed the Al Jazeera TV site, thus effectively cutting off the one place that would have the fastest confirmation of Kim’s freedom or execution. Great…just great.

UPDATE: Korea accuses the US of failing to report the kidnapping to the US Embassy. The local US authorities reported the kidnapping to Kim’s employer. Why isn’t anyone calling for the employer’s head for not reporting it to the Korean Embassy and trying to resolve the situation himself? Or why is everyone sending love letters to Al Jazeera and not condemning it for holding on the the video tape for a few days before airing it. Kim could have been dead long before the tape ever aired

UPDATE: Yonhap reports confirmation that Kim is alive. South Korean hostage in Iraq, Kim Sun-il, still remains alive, a South Korean businessman says. Not the most credible of reports, but I guess it’s something for S. Koreans to hold on to.

Developing…

Marmot gives his comments on Kim’s actions on tape and the press’s handling of the hostage situation.

Blackfive has some rational and realistic comments regarding the sideline discussions comparing Kim’s actions on the tape to the defiant, “now you will see how an Italian dies” attitude of the Italian, Fabrizio Quattrocchi, who was murdered a couple of months ago. You’d like to think you know what you would do, but you just don’t know.

BREAKING NEWS!

UPDATE: Oranckay provides the translation of the plea for release from the 365 civic groups under the ridiculous name of “Korean Network Against Dispatching Troops To Iraq.” The plea has reportedly been sent to various Arabic news agencies. Of course, Al Jazeera news is having a field day with the anti-US statements in the plea letter.

For earlier updates and commentary, scroll down.

A South Korean, reportedly named “Kim Song Il” was allegedly kidnapped by an al Qaeda operative in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. In a two-minuted video, the terrorist hostage takers said, “Our message to the South Korean government and the Korean people: We first demand you withdraw your forces from our lands and not send more of your forces to this land. Otherwise, we will send to you the head of this Korean, and we will follow it by the heads of your other soldiers.”

The video released by the terrorists showed the Korean flailing his arms wildly and screaming in English at the camera: “Korean soldiers, please get out of here! I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I know that your life is important, but my life is important.”

Seoul is looking into the matter.

VIDEO AVAILABLE! Click here and click on the link at the bottom of the picture.

Yeonhap interview with Mr. Kim’s parents follows along with my quick translation:

심정이 어떤가.

How are you holding up?

나에겐 아들이 총재산이다. 욕심도 없고 성실하게 살아온 내 아들, 꼭 살아돌아와야 한다.

My son is my most prized possession. My son has lived unselfishly and honestly. He must return to us alive.

외교통상부로 가지 않고 왜 집으로 왔는가.

Why did you go to your home rather than to the Minsitry of Foreign Affairs?

아침 7시 뉴스를 보고 (아들 납치사실을) 알았다. 외교통상부로 부터 연락을 받지 못해 집으로 왔다. 기차안에서 외교통상부 장관으로부터 전화를 받았는데 `협상중이며 최선을 다하겠다’고 말하더라.

I first learned of my sons kidnapping while watching the 7am news. As I never received any communication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I came home. While I was on the train, I received a call from the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He said that they are in the middle of negotiations and they will do their best.

정부에 바라는 것은.

What do you hope for from the government?

일본처럼 적극 협상에 나서 살아 올 수 있도록 최선을 다해야 한다. 가족들을 모두 집으로 불러모아 상의할 생각이다.

They must do their best to negotiate his release so that he may come home alive as the Japanese did. We are thinking about calling all of the family members to our house to discuss the situation.

파병에 대한 생각은.

What are your thoughts about the troop dispatch to Iraq?

파병이 문제다. 지금 생각하니까 (아들이 살아 돌아오는데) 큰 문제다.

The troop dispatch is a problem. As I think about it now in relation to my son returning alive, it is a big problem

UPDATE: According to the Korea Times, the hostage’s name is Kim Sun-il and he is an employee of a Korean military-supplies provider for the U.S. army.

UPDATE: Pres. Roh says that the kidnapping will not affect the dispatch of South Korean troops to Iraq. However, a group of lawmakers said they would launch legislation aimed at scrapping the government’s troop deployment plan.

UPDATE: Roh government contradictory and confused? On the one hand, the Roh administration is saying tha tthe kidnapping will not affect the dispatch of troop. But, on the other had, the Roh administration is trying to figure out when the deadline is. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Young-jin told a news briefing.“We’re are trying to figure out what the deadline is. The side there is talking about the sunset, which can mean either tonight or early tomorrow morning.” Instead of finding out when this deadline is, try concentrating on where Mr. Kim is and how, if possible, to get him out before any possible deadline passes.

SICK UPDATE: Grotesque website, Ogrish, leads their front page with the headline: “LATEST 6/20/2004- Kim Sun-il Beheading Video Coming Up?” Koreans (and any other normal person) upset.(story in Korean)

UPDATE: Peter Oranckay is currently translating an appeal to Mr. Kim’s captors for an umbrella organization of 365 civic groups that are calling for th release of Mr. Kim. According to Oranckay, the hostage’s name is spelled “Kim Seon Il” rather than Kim Sun-il or Kim Son-il. Attention is being paid to the spelling of his name so that the captors will know that everyone is talking about the same person. [Are there others to be confused with?]

UPDATE: Confusion about Kim’s details. Al Jazeera reports that Kim is the 7th of 8 children. However, Korean news reports kim as being the 3rd of 5 children.

Also, It is reported that Americans and Europeans are also being held hostage along with Kim. This has not been confirmed by other governments.

UPDATE: Yonhap has brief interview with Kim’s parents. (in Korean) For my quick, free translation, scroll up to just below the main story.

COMMENTARY: The Roh administration is living in a fantasy land. Presidential spokesman Yoon Tai-young quoted Roh as telling aides, “We need to make efforts to explain (to Iraqis) that our troops will focus on reconstruction efforts without conducting hostile activities against Iraqi people.” Just what does Roh think this will change? The hostage takers are just going to say, “Oh. OK. Didn’t know that. Sorry about the hostage thingy. He can go. No hard feelings?”

Absent some HUGE miracle, Mr. Kim is going to die. It will then be up to the Roh administration to decide whether it will give in to the demands of lawless terrorists and abandon their plans to send more troops, whether Korean will simply follow through with its commitment to send additional troops, or whether Korea will send the additional troops and take the initiate and hunt down the scum that did this and assist with their eradication. To be continued…

Rathbone, over at Rathbone Press offers some good commentary on the Roh administration’s indecisiveness and lack of leadership. He also offers some suggestions for handling this incident.

DEVELOPING!

Healthwise, before today, I was up to about 95% of normal health, with only a bit of congestion in my chest. Now, I’m back down to about 75% of normal. Despite my newly-deteriorated health, today was one of those days were a little miracle made all the difference in the world.

After giving my Commencement Address Friday, dealing with two major crises at work that very annoyingly piggybacked each other and combined with an AWOL boss left two lawyers to do work that would normally require five lawyers to do, and after giving my speech today, I was looking forward to a very lazy afternoon with me, my Gamecube, my guitar, and my bed.

However due to prior engagements, with a raging headache, a slight fever, and a wheezing cough, I got the grill, some vegetables, and some made-from-scratch potato muffins and blueberry muffins I had stashed in the freezer, and headed off to adventure and excitement at a barbque. I had a pretty good time. Somehow, perhaps it was being a big white guy with a large spatula, I ended up the default cook. We grilled our way through tons of mushrooms, onions, chicken (ddalk-kalbi), sirloin steak, and pork. Then plowed through pineapple, chamwae, and watermelon.

While others were complaining about the heat, my headache was worsening and I was soaked with sweat as great drops of perspiration cascaded from my brow down the insides of my glasses and onto the pavement as I stood over the blazing grill on one of the hottest days of the year in what, after the three days of rain and now the sun evaporating it all, amounted to a rain forest. I started to get a bit light-headed and had to sit down for a while. The sweating didn’t stop. I started coughing more, and my head continued to pound.

About 2 1/2 hours into the get together, I felt it was time to go. About five minutes later, other people brought up the idea of going for a hike before leaving. I quietly brought up the idea of going home because I was about to faint and/or die.

I was in horrible shape by the time we had packed up and policed the area. I was virtually out on my feet when I said my goodbyes and slumped behind the wheel of the car.

I drove down the mountain and was about 15 minutes away when a horrible little play peformed itself on the stage of my mind. Just before leaving home, I had looked for my house and motorcycle keys. Couldn’t find them. I shrugged and figured that I would look for them and find them after returning home. I grabbed the spare house key. I snapped back to the present. My stomach churned and my head started spinning again as I realized that I had come down off the mountain and left my house key back with the others. I had no way of getting into the house. I then strung together an impressive chain of vulgarities in several very creative combinations.

After a few seconds, the panic and anger receded but didn’t dissolve entirely. I quickly realized that I would have to call one of them on their mobile phone and have them meet me back at the parking lot. They wouldn’t be happy, but there was nothing else I could do.

As it turns out, I didn’t have to make them unhappy after all. Just as I flipped open my mobile phone to call, I saw the message saying, “please recharge the battery…shutting down”. My phone shut off. The battery was dead. I was back to being well and truly screwed.

There was nothing I could do except continue on home and prepare to spend the next several hours laying in the car in the underground parking lot with the air conditioner on. As I had about thirty minutes before ariving home, I shook the cobwebs off of about 72 hours worth of memories, and began thinking of where my keys were. However, it was not as if knowing where they were would telekinetically move them into my satchel, which had already been frantically searched about 37 times. I sped through the memories, recalling that I used them to open my house door at about 4 am Saturday morning when I returned from my brother’s house. Possibility no. 1: The keys were somewhere in the house.

As I carefully worked my way through Saturday, I recalled that I had taken them to work on the off chance the rain would stop and I could ride my motorcycle home. Possibility no. 2: The keys were somewhere in my office.

Then, I remembered that I was waiting for my ride to pick me up and talking on my phone outside my office on Saturday afternoon. I then remembered talking on my phone and running through the rain to the parking lot to grab my leather vest from my motorcycle. My leather vest is at home, so I had my keys and opened my motorcycle after leaving my office: Possibility no. 3: The keys were somewhere in my home.

Opening the box on my motorcycle was the last time that I consciously remember seeing my keys. Well….The keys were obviously at home and I was going to sit and die in the car waiting for them to return and let me get my keys.

I was nearing my office. I had a few thoughts. One was that I could park my car somewhere near the office and hang out in a coffee shop until they come down. I discarded that idea because I was too sick. Had to lay down.

The next thought was that if for some weird chance, someone happened to be in the office, I could at least lay down on one of the sofas for a while and call them to come back as quickly as possible. I discarded that idea because although some of the staff will work in the office on Sundays, they would do so only very occasionally, and they were never ever there that late on a Sunday evening.

My next thought was that I really didn’t have a lot of pressing social engagements at that time and that it would at least be a time killer, even if it would only kill about one minute.

When I got near my office, I turned off the main road and drove slowly up to the office. The windows were closed and the lights were off in the office. The steel gate was down in front of the door.

But wait! What was that? The first miracle of the day. Someone had left the steel shutter in front of the underground parking lot up. This is NEVER, EVER done, as it is grounds for being killed. You just do not leave the parking lot shutter up.

I then thought that I could take advantage of someone’s error and relax for a brief moment in the dark quietude of the underground parking lot.

As I angled there car on the ramp leading underground and proceeded downward, my car headlights flashed across my motorcycle, which was parked at the bottom of the ramp.

As I drove past my motorcycle, the second miracle occurred. I did a movie-style double take and stared at the back end of my motorcycle. There were my keys dangling from the box on the back of my motorcycle. I riffed through a few of the curse chains that I had made about a half hour earlier. However, this time, I did so with a much more joyous countenance.

I had used the keys to open the trunk of my motorcycle to get my leather vest, and I had left the keys hanging there in the lock.

I celebrated the miracles and good fortune. I grabbed me keys and sped home so I could rest in the comfort of my own home.

I’m now on the tail end of an absolutely awful summer cold that has been kicking my butt since Sunday morning. Work is extraordinarily busy. I am preparing to give the commencement address tomorrow at one of the foreign high schools here in Pusan. I have to prepare a lecture for this weekend. I hope to be back and functioning properly by Monday.

Due to a trip to Seoul and a cold, the roundup is a bit late.

Ruminations in Korea: I point out a racist headling in the Sports Today newspaper about a Korean “star” and her white boyfriend.

Seoul Scene: Check out the latest video where my dear friend, webmistress Jane, quizzes foreigners on their knowledge of basic Korean subjects. Also, if you have not yet checked out the Harley-Davidson Hog Rally video, you should do so…see the wild and crazy, mostly nude biker chicks tame and mellow, overdressed biker ajummas and their designer “let’s all look like rebels and be different in exactly the same way” clothes.

About Joel: Joel takes his driving test and has a discussion with a Korean Kristian taxi driver.

Cathartidae: Tells the sad tale of his business collapsing around his ears.

Drambuie Man: Tells the sad tale of his business collapsin around his ears.

Flying Yangban: Introduces us to Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, an exiled Korean patriot, and his Los Angeles intersection.

Incestuous Amplification: Gives us a numerical comparison of Korea and Singapore and a conversation between a Dutch duty free clerk and himself about Korean behavior.

Kathreb: Graduates from Stanford. Congratulations!

Marmot’s Hole: Has an in-depth post regarding 12,500 Yankees going home.

The Party Pooper: Brings us the story of a Singaporean university professor with an extremely unfortunate name. It reminded me of my friend from my Pusan National University student days, Choi-seok-bum. Prior to joining my law firm, the firm was known as Yoo, Seok law office. I was hired by the firm 6 months before graduating from law school by a lawyer I had clerked for previously, Mr. Suhr. He joined the firm of Yoo, Seok. I was SO terrified that I they would call the firm Suh, Yoo, Seok or Yoo, Seok, Suh. Mercifully, they changed the name to Pusan Pacific Law Office. I avoided having to tell my law school classmates that I got a job at the “Suh, Yoo, Seok law office”, and having them smile knowingly and reply, “Yeah….that’s about what we figured you would do.”

During my trip to and from Seoul for meetings this past weekend, I had occasion to notice a few things that made me pause and think. Not think deep thoughts, mind you. Just the simple thought, “Why?”

While on the train ride up to Seoul, I was being very productive. The blessings of modern technology allowed me to do a bit of office work on an important developing case and catch up on some personal email with friends long out of touch. Whip out the Palm Pilot, attach it to the fold-out full-size keyboard, swill Diet Coke, type like a madman, get off the train, push a couple of buttons and send the files and email off into cyberspace.

Shortly after finishing my work and email, I put away the keyboard, hooked up the earphone, and settled back to close my eyes and listen to some rippin’ Johnny Winter blues. A while later, I noticed a smell….not a pleasant smell. A musty, moldy smell. A must, moldy smell that was strong enough to cut through the Pizza Hut pizza the people in the seat across the aisle and one row ahead were eating.

I opened my eyes to scope out the source of the offending odor. The smell came from pizza-eating guy. He and his significant other had finished their pizza. He decided it was time to kick back and relax. Relaxing is one thing, but going all Appalachian and kicking off your shoes and socks to fill the first class passenger car with your unpleasant foot stench is another thing entirely. Somehow, the giant can of Hite beer he was sucking down just added to the picture. There is no way that he couldn’t smell his own foot oder. Why? Why did he do that?

On Sunday, while waiting for my train, I was fascinated with this girl who sat for 15 minutes taking pictures of herself with her camera in a crowded Starbucks. She would change her pose, adjust her hair, move the angle of the camera, etc. When her friend joined her, they sat around admiring the pictures. Obsession. The amount of “self camera” pictures that are taken in this country is simply astounding. I have seen girls taking pictures of themselves with their camera phones and looking at the picture to check their makeup. What is wrong with a mirror? And another thing….It seems to be physically impossible for girls in this country to take pictures without doing that ridiculous “V” peace sign with their fingers. WHY? Why does all of this happen?

They above questions are rhetorical in nature.

The old saying is they go in threes. Following in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan, Ray Charles has gone to join the Choir Invisible. The afterlife just got a whole lot hipper.
Ray Charles will me missed. He was 73.

Who will be number 3?

President Ronald Reagan: Dead at 93

Farewell to one of the greatest men in US history.