Thoughts on Korea?

Russia knows how to get shit done in that part of the world. That's my thought on it.

Negotiating tactics 101.

Look for an "Art of the Deal 2.0" in 2025

Thank China for that. They don't like immigrants either.

My hope for the meeting would be two fold...

1. Unencumbered facilities visitation without any "secure" locations

2. Complete and total access to all prisons and no encumbering humanitarian efforts throughout the country.

Anything less than this is not acceptable.

Their economy is bad exports to China down 90%. They already have the bomb but they haven't been able to develop a version to fit an ICBM. It's always hard to read the Norks because a large percentage of what they say is for domestic consumption.

After spending two years in South Korea I developed a fondness for them and really believe the North Koreans deserve better. I hope they get it.

If you think the current leader is anything like his dad or grandad you are mistaken. The current one has done incredible things which should and would normally turn the military against him. He has in just 6 years privatised 23% of the countrys businesses, allowed mobile phones and telecom to expand into modern times (risking outside exposure), all the time balancing on the edge of a coup for diverting too far from the Juche ideology. He is tough and has a plan to open up NK without being killed by the party. I could go on forever. Fact is, his years in Switzerland did wonders, but I bet the reformation plans were already done before his dad died. The nuclear weapons have been a way to maintain power throughout the reformation period, and also get the outside world to wanting to meet and negotiate. I have faith in the little fat man, but Western media just doesn’t pick up this as it would lead to some journalistic work having to be done. Among experts this is no secret. When I was in NK, I think we all felt like this system is gone in 5 years. Now I’m 100% sure, and it is a calculated move from Kim Jung Un. One wrong step and he’s killed by the party and all hope is gone. He deserved more credit than he gets

I don't know who should get the credit but I think its a really good start and hope it keeps going in the right direction.

Sunhouse wrote:

If you think the current leader is anything like his dad or grandad you are mistaken. The current one has done incredible things which should and would normally turn the military against him. He has in just 6 years privatised 23% of the countrys businesses, allowed mobile phones and telecom to expand into modern times (risking outside exposure), all the time balancing on the edge of a coup for diverting too far from the Juche ideology. He is tough and has a plan to open up NK without being killed by the party. I could go on forever. Fact is, his years in Switzerland did wonders, but I bet the reformation plans were already done before his dad died. The nuclear weapons have been a way to maintain power throughout the reformation period, and also get the outside world to wanting to meet and negotiate. I have faith in the little fat man, but Western media just doesn’t pick up this as it would lead to some journalistic work having to be done. Among experts this is no secret. When I was in NK, I think we all felt like this system is gone in 5 years. Now I’m 100% sure, and it is a calculated move from Kim Jung Un. One wrong step and he’s killed by the party and all hope is gone. He deserved more credit than he gets

interesting take from someone that has been there, it takes 2 sides to come to a deal,

Dennis Rodman for Nobel please

This thread is strangely shorter than the last time I saw it

ATKpilot99 wrote:

This thread is strangely shorter than the last time I saw it

Shrinkage

ATKpilot99 wrote:

This thread is strangely shorter than the last time I saw it

Mine dissapeared altogether.

Jrewing wrote:

Dennis Rodman for Nobel please

Ha ha!

ATKpilot99 wrote:

This thread is strangely shorter than the last time I saw it

JAFO92 wrote:

Mine dissapeared altogether.

When you get good like me you will learn to “edit” your post before the boss sees it. It’s taking me quite some time but I’m finally figuring out what is going to get me in the shithouse or deleted, so if I can catch myself before
I’m locked out I do some quick editing. Sometimes I find myself having to remove every single word I wrote for fear of being sent on a vacation

Sunhouse wrote:

If you think the current leader is anything like his dad or grandad you are mistaken. The current one has done incredible things which should and would normally turn the military against him. He has in just 6 years privatised 23% of the countrys businesses, allowed mobile phones and telecom to expand into modern times (risking outside exposure), all the time balancing on the edge of a coup for diverting too far from the Juche ideology. He is tough and has a plan to open up NK without being killed by the party. I could go on forever. Fact is, his years in Switzerland did wonders, but I bet the reformation plans were already done before his dad died. The nuclear weapons have been a way to maintain power throughout the reformation period, and also get the outside world to wanting to meet and negotiate. I have faith in the little fat man, but Western media just doesn’t pick up this as it would lead to some journalistic work having to be done. Among experts this is no secret. When I was in NK, I think we all felt like this system is gone in 5 years. Now I’m 100% sure, and it is a calculated move from Kim Jung Un. One wrong step and he’s killed by the party and all hope is gone. He deserved more credit than he gets

That’s very interesting, Sunhouse. I’ve tried to read many different views on NK from international sources and yours is a different take altogether.

ATKpilot99 wrote:

This thread is strangely shorter than the last time I saw it

JAFO92 wrote:

Mine dissapeared altogether.

KennyT wrote:

When you get good like me you will learn to “edit” your post before the boss sees it. It’s taking me quite some time but I’m finally figuring out what is going to get me in the shithouse or deleted, so if I can catch myself before
I’m locked out I do some quick editing. Sometimes I find myself having to remove every single word I wrote for fear of being sent on a vacation

Digest version.

Sunhouse more please. ill get that right up to intel.

I nominate Kim for a nobel peace prize ! Even if his country sent home a so called theif on a ventilator....

Sunhouse weren’t you on a state sponsored trip ? You didn’t have free reign....you were escorted no? Not bashing you just asking. I do respect the fact you travel the world to some unfriendly places.

Nighttrain wrote:

That’s very interesting, Sunhouse. I’ve tried to read many different views on NK from international sources and yours is a different take altogether.

Not sure if it is very controversial. Many experts on North Korea see the drastic changes. There is a man called Geir Helgesen, who heads a lot of research and analysis on NK, and he publishes studies and books on the subject. His sources are credible, and he is a go-to person for the UN for questions regarding NK. He obviously knows way more than me, or any populistic media. His books are quite good, and non-partisan. Check his sources and you can find more neutral research(ers) for a better overview. Personally I can only speak for what I saw, experienced and have read from others, or talked to North Korean party officials, so I have no authority on the subject except for having been there and seen the two versions of the conflict

GeorgiePorgie wrote:

Sunhouse more please. ill get that right up to intel.

I nominate Kim for a nobel peace prize ! Even if his country sent home a so called theif on a ventilator....

Sunhouse weren’t you on a state sponsored trip ? You didn’t have free reign....you were escorted no? Not bashing you just asking. I do respect the fact you travel the world to some unfriendly places.

Don’t have to, they already know it. The conflict isn’t so much about Kim Jong Un, but of what will happen when the regime is removed or implodes. Who will be taking over as influencer in NK: the Wesf or China/ Russia. They don’t want to be encircled, and «we» want to encircle them. Also, there are great economic gains to be made on controlling an undeveloped country. Kim is not a player in this game, even though he would like to.

Yeah, no free reign. No one can go there and wander freely as a foreigner. You get to see what they want you to see, pretty much. I made friends with my minder and got to walk alone for 10min in the city centre, but they were never far away, and the route was predetermined by the minder

Interesting. I think that has to be an adrenaline rush walking around North Korea as a non citizen.

GeorgiePorgie wrote:

Sunhouse more please. ill get that right up to intel.

I nominate Kim for a nobel peace prize ! Even if his country sent home a so called theif on a ventilator....

Sunhouse weren’t you on a state sponsored trip ? You didn’t have free reign....you were escorted no? Not bashing you just asking. I do respect the fact you travel the world to some unfriendly places.

Sunhouse wrote:

Don’t have to, they already know it. The conflict isn’t so much about Kim Jong Un, but of what will happen when the regime is removed or implodes. Who will be taking over as influencer in NK: the Wesf or China/ Russia. They don’t want to be encircled, and «we» want to encircle them. Also, there are great economic gains to be made on controlling an undeveloped country. Kim is not a player in this game, even though he would like to.

Yeah, no free reign. No one can go there and wander freely as a foreigner. You get to see what they want you to see, pretty much. I made friends with my minder and got to walk alone for 10min in the city centre, but they were never far away, and the route was predetermined by the minder

We have a family friend who was born in South Korea and brought here at age 3 by his family. He still has family there and even has distant relatives in NK.

His relatives in South Korea are VERY pro American like him. He’s cautiously optimistic about this breakthrough between the two countries, and what it will mean for the peninsula. As an American though, he says it’s a little scary. He pointed out that the people who were there PROTESTING the meeting of Korean leaders the other day were all Pro-American South Koreans waving American flags. This has little to do with Kim(or Trump for that matter) and most Koreans know it. Our president thinks(or is trying to spin) that he’s ending the Korean War. Putin and Xi are just fine with him and the rest of the world believing that narrative.

So what’s the real narrative ?

Sunhouse wrote:

Not sure if it is very controversial. Many experts on North Korea see the drastic changes. There is a man called Geir Helgesen, who heads a lot of research and analysis on NK, and he publishes studies and books on the subject. His sources are credible, and he is a go-to person for the UN for questions regarding NK. He obviously knows way more than me, or any populistic media. His books are quite good, and non-partisan. Check his sources and you can find more neutral research(ers) for a better overview. Personally I can only speak for what I saw, experienced and have read from others, or talked to North Korean party officials, so I have no authority on the subject except for having been there and seen the two versions of the conflict

Thanks, I’ll try to find some material from Geir Helgesen. The first online interview found was behind a paywall.

All I can say is , it sounds like our country and other's , have finally gotten to a point with NK , that we can discuss things civilly. It's been touch and go with that damn country for so long , I'm glad to see it heading this way.....instead of the other way.

Nighttrain wrote:

Thanks, I’ll try to find some material from Geir Helgesen. The first online interview found was behind a paywall.

No worries, I’ll see if I can find some for you, or take some screenshots when I have the time

GeorgiePorgie wrote:

Interesting. I think that has to be an adrenaline rush walking around North Korea as a non citizen.

Yeah, it was! Go see it while you still can I always thought Orwell’s «1984» was too exaggerated, but it was interesting how many things were just like in the book

GeorgiePorgie wrote:

Sunhouse more please. ill get that right up to intel.

I nominate Kim for a nobel peace prize ! Even if his country sent home a so called theif on a ventilator....

Sunhouse weren’t you on a state sponsored trip ? You didn’t have free reign....you were escorted no? Not bashing you just asking. I do respect the fact you travel the world to some unfriendly places.

Sunhouse wrote:

Don’t have to, they already know it. The conflict isn’t so much about Kim Jong Un, but of what will happen when the regime is removed or implodes. Who will be taking over as influencer in NK: the Wesf or China/ Russia. They don’t want to be encircled, and «we» want to encircle them. Also, there are great economic gains to be made on controlling an undeveloped country. Kim is not a player in this game, even though he would like to.

Yeah, no free reign. No one can go there and wander freely as a foreigner. You get to see what they want you to see, pretty much. I made friends with my minder and got to walk alone for 10min in the city centre, but they were never far away, and the route was predetermined by the minder

FolkLoar wrote:

We have a family friend who was born in South Korea and brought here at age 3 by his family. He still has family there and even has distant relatives in NK.

His relatives in South Korea are VERY pro American like him. He’s cautiously optimistic about this breakthrough between the two countries, and what it will mean for the peninsula. As an American though, he says it’s a little scary. He pointed out that the people who were there PROTESTING the meeting of Korean leaders the other day were all Pro-American South Koreans waving American flags. This has little to do with Kim(or Trump for that matter) and most Koreans know it. Our president thinks(or is trying to spin) that he’s ending the Korean War. Putin and Xi are just fine with him and the rest of the world believing that narrative.

Have you seen the Vice-story on youtube where they follow the protesters in SK? It is exactly as you pointed out, and very interesting. It gives you a little insight into how SK is torn on how the conflict can be solved. Some want to settle it through military intervention, while others have a lot of family there, and want a peaceful solution. They send balloons over NK with USBs, magazines and cooy’s of «The Interview»