The Beat September 2002

South Korea

July 13: A court-martial convicted Air Force Colonel Cho Ju-hyung of collecting bribes from a representative of Dassault Aviation SA.
July 19: President Kim Dae-jung fired his economic advisor for economic affairs, Han Duk-su, because of a trade deal involving Chinese garlic, which has angered South Korean farmers. On July 31, the chairman of the Korean Trade Commission (FTC), Jun Sung-chul similarly resigned.
July 20: A North Korean Tu-134 landed at Yangyang, South Korea from Sondok, North Korea. The new link is the first direct link between the two Koreas and will service construction workers and military officials.
July 27: Students, protesting the deaths of two middle-school students in June, stormed Yongsan Garrison in Seoul and attacked 3 United States Forces Korea (USFK) staff members. South Korean police detained 17 protestors.
July 31: Parliament voted not to confirm Prime Minister-designate Chang Sang, amid allegations of improper property dealings, lying on her resume, and her son‘s citizenship status.
August 7: USFK has rejected a South Korean Justice Ministry request to extradite two soldiers accused of killing two middle school students on June 13 for a civilian trial, because the two soldiers were on duty.
-The opposition Grand National Party (GNP) took control of Parliament, after winning 11 of 13 seats in a by-election.
August 14: Three days of NK negotiations in Seoul concluded, with future talks on railways, military communication, and family reunions promised. Separately, North Korea announced talks with Japan concerning the resumption of diplomatic relations.
August 15: Over 500 North and South Korean civic representatives participated in several joint Independence Day events in Seoul.
-In a speech, President Kim Dae-jung vowed to continue his Sunshine Policy, or efforts to engage North Korea in dialogue.
-US Undersecretary of Defense Dov Zackheim requested South Korean support for anti-terrorist operations.
August 22: The opposition GNP filed a motion of no confidence against Justice Minister Kim Jung-kil, for allegedly failing to maintain impartiality in an investigation concerning GNP presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang‘s sons.
August 25: In Panmunjom, North and South Korea exchanged lists of candidates for the fifth round of family reunions.

North Korea

July 25: A P‘yongyang broadcast expressed regret for a June 29 naval battle with South Korea and called for talks.
July 29: Several sources, both within North Korea and from South Korea, reported the introduction of market reforms on July 1, including the end of rationing and wage increases for industrial workers.
July 31: Foreign Minister Baek Nam-sun met with US Secretary of State Colin Powell at the ASEAN summit in Brunei for 15 minutes.
August 6: The Korean Peoples‘ Army (KPA) and the United Nations Command (UNC) agreed to hold regular staff-level meetings in negotiations at Panmunjom.
Jack Pritchard, US Representative to KEDO, warned North Korea to allow inspections of its nuclear weapons programme, at the opening ceremony for the construction of two light-water nuclear reactors in Kumho.
August 14: Foreign diplomats have reported, that the North Korean won was devalued 99%.
-Three days of negotiations concluded, with future talks on railways, military communication, and family reunions. Separately, North Korea announced talks with Japan concerning the resumption of diplomatic relations.
August 23: Kim Jong-il concluded a visit to Vladivostok, Russia, where he toured defensefactories, shipyards, and other companies, with inconclusive talks on restoring railroad links with President Vladimir Putin.
August 25: Japanese and North Korean officials opened talks in Pyongyang concerning reparations and the repatriation of suspected Japanese terrorists.

Japan

July 30: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi survived an opposition vote of no confidence, 280-185.
August 1: The founder of a Tokyo consultancy admitted to giving bribes to three regional governors between 1997 and 2000 in return for favors on public works projects.
-Teikyo University violated a ban on accepting pre-admission donations from students, the Education Ministry decided.
August 5: At least 5 municipalities refused to participate in a national identification card scheme.
August 14: The Defense Ministry announced the eighth case of sabotage in five months.

China

July 17: Thousands were hospitalized, and at least seven people died, in Chongqing, due to high temperatures reaching 41 degrees Celsius.
July 22: 22 people died and at least 200 were injured in a hailstorm in Henan Province.
July 23: Beijing denounced a United States decision to withhold United Nations Population Fund payments, because of China‘s one-child policy and legalized abortions.
July 31: The Health Ministry ruled that the results of premarital virginity tests must be kept private.
August 9: At least 70 people have died in flash floods in Hunan province.
August 15: A Hong Kong court convicted16 Falun Gong members, including five foreign nationals, of public obstruction during a March 14 protest. Nine were also found guilty of obstructing the police, and three for assaulting policemen.
-A Foreign Ministry spokesperson denied US Pentagon contentions, that China was modernizing its military forces, to invade Taiwan.
August 16: At least 16 people died in mudslides in Yunnan province.
August 24: Flooding in Hunan province‘s Lake Dong-ting, which has already displaced over 600,000 people and destroyed 415,000 hectares of land, has subsided, to the relief of an army of a million soldiers and local residents patrolling dykes and
sandbanks.

Taiwan

July 18: Taiwanese Straits Exchange Foundation officials accused Chinese officials of forcing the pregnant Chinese wives of itinerant Taiwanese businessman to have abortions.
July 21: President Chen Shui-bien assumed the chairmanship of his Democratic Progressive Party.
-Nauru severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan, opting to recognize China. Two days later, Taiwan likewise withdrew its ambassador.
July 25: The Taipei District Court convicted five people involved in a sex scandal, including a popular female politician, who had an affair with a married man, who plotted to videotape and distribute sexually explicit CD recordings of her meetings with two local tabloid reporters and an editor.
August 3: President Chen Shui-bien, speaking to Taiwanese expatriates in Japan via video broadcast, referred to Taiwan as a country and supported a referendum on independence. Subsequent spokespersons tried to minimize the impact of his statement.
August 8: Taiwan canceled a naval exercise.
August 14: Vice-President Annette Lu‘s denounced China‘s attempt to interfere in her itinerary. Scheduled talks with Indonesian officials on environmental and economic issues were supposedly canceled, and she was directed by Indonesian officials to continue to Bali for a private vacation.
For a more in-depth analysis of Asian news, check out Joseph‘s website at http://infidelworld.com