The North Korean Criminals

In the 60’s, a lot of the language between the North and South of Korea called each other “criminals” and other less flattering names.  This was mostly just venting, and had little purpose, but an article today in the Wall Street Journal made me think we might want to bring back some of those days and start name calling again.

North Korea, we might remember, has stolen information, Bitcoins, and other things from businesses and individual people.  They have extorted money with ransomware.  They have robbed bank accounts.  They torture prisoners in their path to greatness.  Now, what kind of country does that?

We are not talking about gangs of people in Russia that do all of these things, and a good deal more.  We are not talking about the Italian and Sicilian Mafias.  We are not talking about the Tongs in Japan.  No, this is North Korea, where nothing is done without the sanction and approval of the leader, and this time what he is sanctioning is grand theft.  That is criminal activity, not necessarily with a political motivation, though the press is fond of saying it is just to get hard currency so the North can live.  We could say the same about half the prisoners in US jails, but I don’t think the sympathy for that kind of view would be maintained longer than it took to get the words out.

We need to think of North Korea as a criminal country.  When we are trying to get other countries to support sanctions against them, we can start by describing what the little weasels have been stealing and hording for the operations of their government.  Then, we asked that other country why they would allow that on the world stage when they wouldn’t allow it at home.  It sounds like there is some movement to get other countries involved, with or without China’s help.  China has even nurturing the North for so long, they have forgotten how to stop, though they may not have the motivation regardless.  We are helping them by putting together coalitions which are having an effect.    In the meantime, use the word “criminals” a little more often.