Fucking piece of shit Hankyoreh advises South Koreans not to get emotional . . . about one of their citizens being shot in North Korea.

BRIAN SAID EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE TOURIST TO THE WORKERS PARADISE TO THE NORTH.

In an editorial titled "Tragic incident at Mt. Geumgang" we find this paragraph:

We in the South must not, however, respond too emotionally. While an inquiry does needs to take place, it at least appears to have been an accidental occurrence. It needs to be kept separate from the Mount Geumgang tourism project and the Gaeseong (Kaesong) industrial complex and the whole of inter-Korean relations. There must be no careless intensification of military tension between the two sides.

Andy Jackson from The Marmot's Hole brought attention to this piece earlier today, reminding us that this is the same paper that has consistently been fanning the flames of hysteria and anti-LMB anger during this Mad Bull Shit.

I typed out a little response, but I'll leave it to abler hands. It looks like The Marmot's Hole was first with the story. ROK Drop has loads of information, and One Free Korea of course has a post up, too.

I fully expect teachers and students to take the streets in protest of this shocking incident. *cough* Just like how they paused all their "Korea's 9/11" hyperbole in February to mourn the 22 North Korean refugees who were returned by the South and promptly executed. *cough* After all, to modify what a 13-year-old told the Washington Post in the midst of this Mad Bull Shit:

"I could study hard in school. I could get a good job and then I could go on vacation and just die."

And here's a bit of an update, from CNN, while everyone here sleeps.

North Korea has blamed South Korea for the shooting death of a tourist near a mountain resort in the communist nation, according to reports.

A statement from the North's tourism bureau Saturday expressed regret for the death of the 53-year-old South Korean woman. But it said responsibility for the incident "entirely rests with the south side" and said Seoul should apologize, The Associated Press reported.

North Korea also said it would not accept a request that South Korean officials visit the resort for an investigation.

I always disapprove of foreigners who visit North Korea and give their money to that regime in exchange for a slightly more interesting Flickr page. If an abysmal human rights situation weren't a strong enough deterrent, though, this case is another reason why I don't think it a good idea for tourists to visit that country.

comments from his article..................

Some Korean netizens have ridiculed the hypocrisy of the Hanky, calling for mass candlelight protests at the Geumgangsan Resort. One commenter noted that not a single Korean has died of Mad Cow. Another reminded the Hanky of how it cried with indignation after two Koreans were beaten on a US military base. The comments getting the most recs at the Hanky are critical of its coverage.

With trepidation, I had a peek at a couple of Chinese news sites. The netizens haven't started chattering about the incident yet, but MSM coverage is quietly sympathetic, reporting statements from each side and illustrating with photos of the body and of grieving husband and son.