Is Kim Jong-un Serious This Time?

You betcha!

North Korea didn't want talks to denuclearize during the Lee Myung-bak and Park Kun-hye administrations. They were hostile and didn't want peace with North Korea. If Kim Jong-un held peace talks with these administrations, then the credit would go to conservative administration of Lee Myung-bak or Park Kun-hye. The same Korean conservative party that always calls the opposition leftists, communist sympathizers and other bigotry. If you were Kim Jong-un, would you want that?

However, the administrations of Kim Dae-jung and Noh Moo-hyun wanted talks and peace with North Korea. They understood that North Korea probably would not keep its promises, but tried anyways.

The present administration of Moon Jae-in can be seen as a continuation of the administrations of Kim Dae-jung and Noh Moo-hyun.

North Korea has said in the past they would give up nuclear weapons, if the US guaranteed that they would not overthrow or oppose the present North Korean regime. Now, they said it's too late and they will not give up nuclear weapons. I think they will not give up what they have, but they should agree not to go further. Give up reprocessing, developing further technology needed to become fully nuclear.

All sides are serious, but can they work out an agreement?

Why God Is Needed?

Without God, humans would be stuck in a self-centered consciousness. Those who know, believe, or live in a God-centered world, understand what a non self-centered consciousness is.

Bill to Shorten Korea's Work Week From 68 to 52 Hours Introduced

A bill to shorten the work week from 68 to 52 hours was introduced today in spite of fierce opposition from many companies with two notable exceptions, Shilla Hotels reduced the work week for salaried employees to 35 hours, and LG Electronics to 40 hours.

A bill to raise the minimum wage to a little over $7 per hour was passed earlier this year despite threats that this would force companies to reduce employment.

Still have a long way to go.

UPI: South Korea reduces work to 52 hours a week

Yonhap News: Parliamentary committee passes bill on reduced working hours

Marijuana Cures Autism?

Read about in the Times Magazine article -

IS MARIJUANA THE WORLD’S MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR AUTISM?

Denying people a cure for their ills sounds criminal and immoral to me.

Two Aides To Ex-President Myung-bak Lee Arrested For Bribery And Misappropriation Of Funds

It seems they are implicating former Korean President Lee in the scandal surrounding the misuse of secret funds from the intelligence agency amounting to approximately $400,000.

Yonhap News: Arrest warrants sought for 2 former aides of ex-President Lee over bribery

The arrest warrants were issued early this morning. 

Let's see, Presidents Lee Sung-man, Park Chung-hee, Chun Do-hwan, Noh Tae-woo, and Park Keun-hye all committed crimes. Two received life sentences (Chun Do-hwan and Noh Tae-woo), but were given Presidential pardons. Park Keun-hye will probably be sentenced to many years in jail. Now, it looks like Myung-bak Lee may be indicted. Only three former Korean Presidents were "clean"?

With these kinds of people leading Korea, it's a miracle that Korea has developed so much economically, and a tragedy that Korea has such an "unjust" society at the moment. Seems like a country half run by crooks.  

Will Ex-President Myung-bak Lee Go To Jail?

Probably?

It looks like he abused power during his presidency for personal gain, blacklisted liberal figures, used government agency to spread pro-conservative propaganda, spied on liberal figures, received funds illegally from the intelligence agency, obstruction of justice, and more. Even though almost a decade has passed, there should still be enough information out there to convict him.

Korea Today

In Korea, the birth rate is really low and dropping. People want a bright future for their child. If they feel their children would not be able to get a job and have a good life, they probably would put off having children. Then there are those who choose not to have children for other reasons.

Korean TV broadcasting companies, MBC and YTN, recently changed CEOs. Another broadcasting company, KBS, just fired their CEO yesterday and should appoint a new one soon. Suddenly, I am able to watch some TV without getting ticked off now.

1987, a movie about the 1987 protests for democracy ignited by the deaths of two students was released last week. One died while being waterboarded by the authorities. They claimed he just gasped and died. Another was killed by an exploding tear gas canister aimed at his head.

The prosecutors found evidence that ex-President Keun-hye Park asked for money from the intelligence agency (over $3 million) and used it to pay for personal expenses and staff. On TV, they keep showing footage of her swearing on TV that she never thought of her personal interests, but acted only for the good of the country.  

TV from the 60s and 70s