Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Whoops!




An article in a Chinese state publication defined the Korean War as an invasion by North Korea. It is an incredible statement for a state news publication to have made.

In its feature on the 60th anniversary of the start of the 1950-53 Korean War, the International Herald Leader, a newsweekly of the Xinhua News Agency, said the North Korean army launched the war by crossing the 38th parallel and seizing South Korean capital Seoul in three days.

The article immediately drew attention, with some placing significance on China’s first admission of military aggression by North Korea at the start of the war.

However, the article was soon removed from the weekly’s Web site as well as the sites of Xinhua and other portals. It is suspected that the Beijing government had a hand in removing the pieces, fearing the repercussions from North Korea.


JoongAng Daily

H/T One Free Korea

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/07/12/100712fa_fact_demick

angrysoba said...

Thanks very much for that, Anonymous. I bought her book yesterday and I'll probably review it. Next up will be B R Myers' book then, hopefully, hers.

Here's a good interview with her on the BBC about her book, Nothing to Envy:

Here.

The book recently won the Samuel Johnson Prize.