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THE BIG LIERS AND THE MEDIA THAT FEEDS THEM
By Alejandro Cao de Benos
Special Delegate DPRK Government
President of the Korean Friendship Association (KFA)
Delegate Counselor of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK)
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When I switch on my computer everyday, I often have to read
the same garbage about Korea. The CNN with its inventions from journalists that know nothing or just re-invented a note from the US administration, or the BBC that acting like a copy-cat immediately echo the same story that comes from the mind of a bored Asia-Pacific department that have to increase its sales and please its board of editors.
In some way I'm used to it, and our purpose isn't to waste our time replying to each information sponsored by the US anti-DPRK campaign. But some days ago, one of our KFA members alerted me about a magazine (Asia Times) that I never read before. This magazine had a column from Mr. Aidan Foster-Carter talking about the Official DPRK webpage
www.korea-dpr.com, the KFA and its activities.
So since once again, Mr. Foster-Carter wrote an article without a proper investigation and research, and because this information was related to our association, I felt with the right and obligation to write this answer.
Background of www.korea-dpr.com
I'm a Spanish as well as DPRK citizen and I've spent my last 15 years travelling and living in both countries. I work for the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries located in Pyongyang, which acts as a Ministry in the DPRK Government, and closely working with our DPRK Embassies in Rome and Geneva. I'm empowered by this same Committee to represent the country's culture, economy, tourism, etc. I'm awarded with the Friendship Order as well as DPRK Awards and Diplomas from different organizations like the Central Committee of Radio and Television.
Recently I was also appointed Delegate Counselor of the National Democratic Front of South Korea (NDFSK) that is the organization leading the South Korean movement to end the US colonization and bring the reunification to the peninsula.
The origins of the webpage goes back to 1999 when with my limited web knowledge, I proposed to open the first official DPRK webpage with the purpose of creating a corner of exchange with friends in other countries. This project was approved in Pyongyang and was presented in an International Conference at Yangakdo Hotel, and later in a seminar in Copenhagen.
читать дальшеWhy the webpage is .COM and not .KP? Because it was the easiest, cheapest and fastest way to start our work. Since in the DPRK the net communications infrastructure was still under development and we didn't have enough speed, was logical to rent a fast server that will help us accomplish our goal.
The webpage was launched on December 2000, we received thousands of requests and the visitors demanded a forum and group where everybody supporting the DPRK and interested in Korea would find its place to create a network of friendship and solidarity.
Then, I registered the KFA as a cultural non-profit organization in Spain. Soon thanks to the humble and simple programmed webpage plus 200 euros budget per year, the international members increased until the near 3000 people in 65 countries that we're today.
So due to the nature of my responsibilities and the people's demand, www.korea-dpr.com not only became a government bridge with the DPRK for official information, visa arrangements and contacts, but also an international friendship house that is evolving and under construction everyday, and that welcomes anyone that approach to us with a basic respect.
An expert in Korean Cabaret
When you're trying to build something, there's always someone jealous that tries to destroy your work because he's not able to do something similar, or maybe because he's just a clown?. This is the case of Mr. Aidan Foster-Carter (see footnote 1), although sadly it's nothing new, journalist Mr. Paul Boutin from the magazine SLATE of Microsoft was the pioneer, but later apologized -- not to me but in his personal weblog. (2)
The frequent reference to Newsweek and his friendly alliance with the imperialist Voice of America, plus a brief study of his work, will make anyone realize that his continuous insults and jokes to the DPRK are fruit of his frustration for only having visited the North as a regular tourist, that is something everybody can do.
To employ the services of Mr. Foster-Carter is like a blind man guided by a blind dog.
If someone wants to know what-s going on the DPRK, thanks to his fairy-tale scenarios will end knowing less than at the beginning. As Mr. Foster-Carter said himself, he was (and is) an opportunist that although he says has abundance of work, is desperately looking for someone to hire him. As a cabaret singer, writing -anything-, or to travel -elsewhere-, his webpage is a compendium of a want-to-be North Korean expert that only knows to make a kiddie collage with the fake news that the US administration is vomiting everyday. In few words, an affordable and multi-purpose guy.
It-s amazing how someone like him can know so much about a society and system that he won-t have the chance to experience, even more interesting is to see which business school will ask for his service if he cannot even get a visa to enter in the DPRK.
To follow North Korean affairs is something that anyone that read newspapers can do, even after 35 years of checking Korean related news is nothing compared to live just 30 days inside the society and country you-re trying to study.
Last but not least, nor the KFA or myself employed or requested the help of Mr. Foster-Carter to promote the Reunification March we-re organizing on July. We don-t need his blessings nor the participants his authorization to join us.
We know that the main purpose of his article was to remove our link from the BBC, that so painful was for him that only got his little corner in the Asia Times. But if you type in Google -North Korea official-, please take note of the first webpage that will appear.
RELATED WEBPAGES
1.
Read the original column talking about the Official DPRK webpage and KFA:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/EL19Dg01.html
2.
Read the manipulated article after my phone interview with Mr. Paul Boutin:
http://slate.msn.com/id/2076686/
Read his inner-apology after he made his own investigations:
http://paulboutin.weblogger.com/2003/01/13
Other resources:
Reunification March to the DPRK, July 2004
http://www.korea-dpr.com/kfa2004
Personal Webpage of Mr. Aidan Foster-Carter
http://www.aidanfc.net/cabaret.html
http://www.aidanfc.net/korea_confession.html
http://www.aidanfc.net/hire_me.html
Another example of "well documented", "fair" and "impartial" article written by him:
http://www.janes.com/security/inter...31209_1_n.shtml