In 1998 South Korean President, Kim Dae-jung, referenced one of Aesop’s fables, ‘The North Wind and the Sun’, in the creation of a new policy to improve relations with North Korea – essentially a shift from a failed coercion approach to one of co-operation. In the fable, the sun and the wind competed to remove a man’s coat. The wind blew strongly, but the man clutched his coat and kept it on. The sun shone warmly, and the man voluntarily took off his coat to enjoy the fine weather.
Continue reading “South Korea’s Sunshine Policy and the Mt Kumgang Tourist Region”
Wonsan – The Drive from Hamhung and an Introduction
Pyongyang is often referred to as a showcase capital, for good reason. Anyone who is anyone lives in Pyongyang, anyone who is not anyone is only permitted to enter the city under special circumstances and they certainly cannot live there. The infrastructure, buildings, services and facilities are the best North Korea can offer.
With a few noted exceptions, North Korea outside Pyongyang is a different world but it is a world that is changing, albeit slowly. While only the fifth largest city with a population of around 365,000, Wonsan, in terms of recent development, comes (a distant) second to Pyongyang.
Continue reading “Wonsan – The Drive from Hamhung and an Introduction”On The Wild Atlantic Way
Bundoran is, as the title of this entry would suggest, on the Atlantic coast. It is a small seaside resort in the south of Co.Donegal and a short distance from Enniskillen, across the border in Co. Fermanagh, where I was born. Continue reading “On The Wild Atlantic Way”
The Rambling Wombat 