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2003-08-26 Korea
Japan Bars N. Korean Ship From Leaving
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Posted by Steve White 2003-08-26 2:14:00 AM|| || Front Page|| [7 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 This was on the news. The Nork expat community living in Japan has funneled cash, intelligence, expertise, technology, and who-knows-what else to the Kim regime for decades. It is one of the most dangerous vectors in the whole saga. Their support is just as critical to Kim and dangerous to us as China's or the S. Korean leftwing and student radicals' role.

I cannot condone anything the Japanese Right-Wing nutters extremists do but I have to confess to a brief moment of forbidden pleasure when the news showed the black loudspeaker van with the imperial flag on the side pull up outside the demonstration blaring "Nihon kara....Dete-ike!!" or "Get the hell out of Japan!!"

Of course most Japanese people despise the Norks and their own extremeists so I think it's ultimately unfortunate if the Right-Wingers can use this event for their own agenda, a chance to angle in on mainstream opinion. They bring potential ill-repute to the worthy cause of bring more scrutiny on this 5th column and the drive to cut off this source of critical support for Juche.
Posted by Tokyo Taro 2003-8-26 3:31:22 AM||   2003-8-26 3:31:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 The captain tried to bribe the inspectors with white slag and an autographed Glo-in-the-Dark-on-Black-Velvet picture of the Dear Leader, but the Japanese weren't biting.
Posted by Watcher 2003-8-26 5:03:26 AM||   2003-8-26 5:03:26 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 I think there's something on that ship if they have 1,500 police waiting for it. It's time too take a page out of the old 'Hoover' book.

Blackmail.
Posted by Charles 2003-8-26 7:53:52 AM||   2003-8-26 7:53:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 A suspected North Korean smuggling ship set sail from Japan on Tuesday after being detained for safety violations amid a global crackdown on alleged drugs and weapons trafficking by the communist state. Students in black and white school uniforms lined the deck's railing, clapping hands, singing songs and waving giant red and blue North Korean flags as the Mangyongbong-92 eased away from the pier just after sunset. In contrast to the boat's hotly contested arrival, when raucous anti-North Korean protesters swarmed the waterfront, no demonstrators were seen as it set sail.
The Transport Ministry informed the ship's captain Tuesday it would be allowed to leave if four conditions were met, including increasing the number of fire extinguishers to compensate for the lack of a kitchen fire damper and assigning a person to direct passengers to safety in the event of an emergency. Ogawa said the ship was cleared for departure after the captain promised to fix them in Wonsan. He added that a fifth violation - a faulty divider for oil and bilge water - was repaired in Niigata.
By mid-afternoon, about 35 inspectors in helmets and jumpsuits had boarded the ferry to certify the conditions had been met, and deboarded satisfied. Meanwhile, Japanese authorities showed no signs of letting up their tight surveillance, with officials inspecting individual cans of beer before allowing them to be brought on board.

Posted by Steve  2003-8-26 9:04:55 AM||   2003-8-26 9:04:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 The Japanese may have to inspect these ships in full riot gear, if the Norks start including reporters in their crews...
Posted by snellenr  2003-8-26 9:27:21 AM||   2003-8-26 9:27:21 AM|| Front Page Top

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