Korea news links for October 23, 2009: An umbrella for a rainy day

When you've got a neighbor periodically vowing to rain fire down on your capital, what better accessory than a nuclear umbrella? For those who thought the US-ROK alliance could not survive Roh Moohyun and Chung Dong-young, it appears things are back on track, with South Korea upping its own role in the alliance with an expansion of its presence in Afghanistan. Oh, and Korea is buying up Canada (at least its oil).

1. In Cambodia, ROK President Lee Myungbak promises to increase cooperation and aid to that country as part of South Korea's New Asian Initiative (Yonhap, Joongang Daily); Xinhua says the two countries developing "strategic cooperation"
2. US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, in Seoul, promises protection for South Korea under the US's nuclear umbrella (Reuters, Chosun Ilbo)
3. Reaffirming "enduring" US commitment to provide deterrence to North Korea, Gates also pledges conventional support in exchange for South Korea expanding its support of US-led mission in Afghanistan (UPI, Bloomberg, Joongang Daily, Korea Herald)
4. Hyundai Motors' third-quarter profit triples over last year to $827.3 billion (BBC, Bloomberg, AP via CNBC, Korea Times, Korea Herald)
5. South Korea expanding energy self-sufficiency with $4 billion acquisition of Canada's Harvest Energy Trust (WSJ, NYT, Bloomberg, Joongang Daily, CNBC)
6. NASA satellite photos from October 15 detect dozens of large fires across North Korea (Reuters, AP via WaPo, Fox News)
7. Unification Ministry report says 3000 North Koreans are employed at twenty nuclear sites (Korea Herald)
8. US task force says United States should engage with North Korean economy to end Pyongyang's isolation (Reuters via WaPo)
9. New leader of Chogye order vows to promote communication with other Buddhist sects (Korea Herald)
10. On National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Day, First Lady Michelle Obama demonstrates how to use the female condom (Reuters)