Review of North Korea News Podcast - Comprehensive panel

Comprehensive panel discussions well-worth the listen! Highly recommended.

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“I am always appreciative of detailed and engaging discussion panels in general and with regards to the Korean peninsula (DPRK and ROK) in particular. I am very pleased now to be able to add these podcasts to my weekly regimen of news, including various media outlets in Seoul and the "Rodong Sinmun." With regards to this particular podcast, I was especially interested in the discussion of possible negotiating points on sanctions and the relative easing of some of them, say, in the area of tourism; however, the view in Washington that influx of foreign currency, depending upon the size, would be viewed as a form of subsidy to military programmes in the DPRK. That of which I would like to have heard more related to the placement of proposed talks within the domestic contexts of South Korea and the United States, as well as the talks being held in Sweden, though the latter may have occurred post-production. Part of that would be in principle but which in hindsight since the production of this podcast, seem to hold true. With regards to the latter, that would include the relative instability in the Trump Administration for appointments in foreign-policy, military, intelligence and Oval-Office circles and the impact that inconsistencies in the official message from Washington could play in determining the potential outcomes of any summits. For instance, President Trump's personal tendency to using invectives; to tweeting foregin policy; to personalizing issues in a seemingly spontaneous manner; and to offering conflicting messages, say, to Sec. of State Tillerson to not bothering to talk and now immediately agreeing to a summit with a certain time-frame, all seem to add to a lack of predictability one might expect from such summits. Add to that a personal history of the President speaking off the cuff, as it were, and then walking back on commitments, going back, for instance, to agreeing to debate Bernie Sanders in California while the election was on and the bluster of imposing tariffs on countries now exempt (after his chief economic advisor resigns). Meanwhile, in the area of foreign policy, the panel was correct to point out that the US still does not have an ambassador in Seoul; however, the one which was being considered just before the Olympics withdrew his name from the candidacy because of his disagreement with the Trump Administration's approach to the DPRK.. Since that time, Mr. Joseph Yun has left the State Department for personal reasons, though, these were not stated. That left 30 years of diplomatic experience lost. Now, with the change at the State Department, the CIA, with Mr. John Bolton appointed as National Security Advisor and the possible removal even of the position of Chief of Staff at the White House, there is a possible shift even further away from any commitment to diplomacy. Mr. Bolton was personally involved in helping to lay the groundwork for the invasion of Iraq, through threatening and the organizing the removal of the Brazilian dipliomat, Jose Bustani; has said that the United Nations does not exist and when it does function, it does so because it follows the mandate given to it by the incumbant US administration; that 10 floors could be lobbed off of the UN building without affecting its operation; has publically advocated in the "NYT" for bombing Iran, a violation of the UN Charter, ironically by a former ambassador to the very institution, and now similarly in a piece in the "WSJ" for unilteral attacking the DPRK.. These are also violations of the "Nuremberg Principles" (Article VI), though I realize that only an armistice exists since the Korean War ended. With regards to domestic concerns in the Untied States, there is also the impact upon relationships with treaty allies, for example, South Korea. I found the timing of the announcement of proposed tariffs in the mood of current American economic protectionism upon, say, South Korean steel and aluminium exports, framed as dumping upon the US market, odd, given that it occurred during the Olympics. Similarly, the choice of Vice President Pense with his wife not to attend an official function prepared by President Moon Jae-in and instead to hold a provocative press conference of his own in someone else's 'home' seemed odd, to say the least. These examples are part of a wider tendency for a flipancy in official statements, which can have profound impact elsewhere (witness how proudly casual President Trump was on his own initiative as stated he lied to the Canadian Prime Minister about an alleged trade deficit when US government figures show a surplus in the billions). With respect to domestic considerations within the ROK, the conviction of former President Park and call for a sentence of 30 years, as former President Lee has been similarly under investigation for corruption with DAS and other chargers are both part of the political backdrop to the overtures to the North, from my perspective, and certainly the public demonstrations calling for the resignation of President Park were part of the reason why President Moon has the mandate he does in foreign policy with the North. I have found it interesting to watch similutateously the official meetings on regional economic integration, which would have to involve the DPRK in terms of resources and also, say, land for transit of LNG lines. President Moon spoke, I believe, last month in Vladivostock, and there was a meeting last week in Seoul, "North Economic Policy 2.0," with public- and private-sector individuals discussing forming a prosperous economic region from the Russia and Eurasia to the Korean peninsula. Similarly, there was an economic report that suggested that in the area of minerals and coal, that ventures with the North in the DPRK could create 90 000 jobs annually and ease South Korea economic dependency up to 40% on certain raw materials. That this is even being discussed openly, I find of interest.”Read full review »

Andrew Waldie via Apple Podcasts · Canada · 03/25/18

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Highly informative

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“Great insights about North Korea and well put together podcast”

Hanshintiger1 via Apple Podcasts · Singapore · 03/31/18

Love the show

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“The information is great and gives a great background into North Korea”

Franknmuriel via Apple Podcasts · Australia · 03/06/18

Informative analysis of NK news