Joseph Yun Li-sun

During a conference of scholars and analysts on the future of China under Xi Jinping, the main problems between the two Asian nations are discussed, including diplomacy, history, culture but especially trade and business. South Korea "is not in any desperate need of China. Even if the latter does not change its export policies, South Korea can do without China".

East Asia is shaken by a new diplomatic row. Now China's history textbooks are the bone of contention because they omit to name Koreans as players in the continent's history. Seoul delivers a strong diplomatic protest. Source tells AsiaNews that China "is always trying to discredit its neighbours."

The Bishop of Ulaanbaatar, Msgr. Wenceslao Padilla, opened the meeting of the catechists of the country: "It is a key year for all of us. We must bring this challenge to all the parishes to revitalize our mission. "

A Catholic source tells AsiaNews about the political challenge leading to the December elections: "The dictators' daughter is like her father: granitic, but also very short-sighted. The best thing would be a tandem between the other two, both very interested in the common good."

On December 19, Koreans go to the polls to vote for a successor to Lee Myung-bak. Conservative Park, daughter of the former dictator, Moon Jae-in, a fervent Catholic and former chief of staff to President Roh and Ahn Cheol-soo, a IT billionaire in contention.

On October 20, in the presence of civil and religious authorities, the Bishop of Daejeon Msgr. Lazzaro You Heung-sik will inaugurate a new place of worship, the largest in the country, dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Byeongin persecution. "They are a source of daily inspiration for all of us."

After Seoul and Washington announce missile deal, North Korea says its missiles can reach the US mainland, Japan and Guam. Source tells AsiaNews about "the usual threats, nothing new. They need an enemy to hold together the military, which is beginning to break up."

A young soldier kills his superiors and crosses the border on the day Kim Jong-un warns his generals about the danger of defections. The escape is a warning. If soldiers start to flee, the regime is done. Meanwhile, South Korea receives longer-range missiles from the US for use in northern Asia.

The dictator attends the second plenary session of the Supreme People's Assembly of this year. He wants to appear more open and "democratic" than his father. The assembly extends compulsory education by a year but does not tackle economic reforms. The goal appears to be to remove the old guard and convince Beijing to provide aid.

Instead of fighting the famine, the regime led by Kim Jong-un has launched a campaign to retrieve a CD containing the songs by "companion Ri", wife of the dictator. The "pop" image clashes with that of the sober matron concerned about the revolution and the people.

Under the South Korean Churches’ new missionary drive, Fr. Keye Nam has been sent to the Czech capital "not only to provide support to the community of Korean immigrants, but to present them to the city and to present our country to the city."

A photograph of dictator Kim Jong-un’s wife, “companion" Sol Ri-ju, shows her with her husband on a visit to an army unit with a bag that is worth about 1,500 dollars. Seoul’s anger: "They ask the world for money and then flaunt luxury goods." And two high-level defectors say: "Regime leaders have millions of dollars in cash in their homes."