Two days ago, I [broken link! FIXME] wrote that I would begin to worry when the North Koreans closed the busy border crossing to Gaeseong. Guess what? – Kim Jong-Un read my blog, and so now they've closed that border crossing.
Now what?
Here's some of my advanced students, discussing the NK situation last week (in the context of a debate proposition they originated themselves: "South Korea should improve trade and investment with North Korea" – which what the Gaeseong complex mentioned above is a prime example of).
“Signs of North Korea Easing Off War Message at Home”
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“[Jiro Ishimaru] recently spoke to a female civil-servant in Ryanggang province, northern North Korea, … said soldiers who have been stationed in underground military tunnels to be “combat-ready” have begun returning to their barracks, starting Monday.
“I’ve also heard that the ‘Jangmadang’ private markets in the region, which have been severely restricted in past months, have now returned to normal operations,” Mr. Ishimaru said, explaining that such easing also coincides with the coming of April, when farmers and civilian militia alike need to get on with spring planting.
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