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Strategies & Market Trends : Asia Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Worswick who wrote (2341)	2/23/1998 8:01:00 PM
From: Stitch	Respond to of 9980

Worswick; What a wonderful article about Kim. I have been elated by Kim's rise in S. Korea but now even more so. The story of the policeman assigned to reading Kim's trash and thereby becoming a convert is priceless. I pray and hope that Kim will be able to live up to expectations. Has anyone seen any press on Kim's chosen 2nd? It would seem appropriate to consider the heir apparent with some careful deliberation considering Kim's age. Thanks for tearing away from your book Worswick. Best, Stitch

To: Worswick who wrote (2341)	2/24/1998 12:25:00 AM
From: peter michaelson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9980

Worswick: I agree with you about Kristoff - I've been following him around Asia for a long time now. More importantly, reading his piece this morning was the first time I fully realized (or was made to think) how different Kim Dae-jung is, and how his frankness is quite a new story for Korea and Asia for that matter(except Phillipines and India, I reckon). Frankness from a position such as his could have real impact on "crony" capitalism, Japanese bank secrets, and other fundamental issues. It could also cause serious difficulties with China and who knows what other pain and suffering. I guess this retired radical (me) is getting old enough to fear, or at least be cautious of, radical change. Still, Kristoff does elicit the fresh smell of spring in Korea. peter

To: Worswick who wrote (2341)	2/24/1998 10:22:00 AM
From: Sam	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9980

Worswick, Once again, what a great piece. Thanks for taking time off from you reading and from the sad, sad stories that keep appearing on this thread. As I was reading the piece on Kim, I kept thinking how he sounding like Lincoln in the latter's many speeches on the importance of preserving the Union and the true revolutionary spirit of the Founders of the US--and then I find out that Lincoln was one his heroes! How rare and appropriate this is. One must wish him the best luck and success. But the real question for Kim, for S. Korea, and for all of Asia is a more starkly Machiavellian one: will Kim or any other honest, well intentioned leader be able to get the ambitious "me" group which is used to power and the ever continuing accumulation of wealth (no matter how insanely huge that accumulation gets and no matter how poor the broader masses remain) agree that they have to introduce and maintain policies conducive to a the development of a large middle class, even it means that their own wealth won't be quite so obscene? Can these people get on top of their own paranoi (their "pissing fear" I think you or Mohan put it a few weeks ago, speaking of India), and see that they would actually live better, even if they were poorer, if a broad middle class actually existed in their country? Will they be able to change their fundamental stance from an export driven, Korea Inc. economy to a more diversified economy which is oriented toward growth in internal markets (something like that, anyway--help me out here, not enough sleep last night)?

To: Worswick who wrote (2341)	2/24/1998 2:53:00 PM
From: Sam	Respond to of 9980

One more note on Kim, Lincoln and the Second Inaugural Address: In addition to "With malice toward none, with charity toward all", he said in the same speech that the ferocity of the Civil War was punishment of the South for engaging in slavery, and of the North for continuing to allow it; and that "Evil will come, but woe woe to he through whom it comes." This while the war was still going on; even though it was clear by then that the North would win, it wasn't clear exactly when that would happen, or how many more brutal battles would have to be fought. Can anyone imagine a political leader today saying these things, or anything even remotely resembling them, during war (or almost any other time, for that matter)? Do we dare recall what happened to AL?