Daily Kor for Thursday, June 9, 2011

In Orange County, you could never get away with 
parking one of these things on the street (from story #1).

Our top two stories are dominated by North Korea. The first is about Pyongyang's continued effort to develop weapons (perhaps for export), but the second one, I believe, represents a greater change that's coming, what I've referred to as the Manchurianization of North Korea. Beijing is demanding that Pyongyang reform economically if it wishes to keep getting China's support, but those economic reforms are aimed at integrating the DPRK with (and possibly into) China's northeastern provinces.

1. South Korean officials believe North Korea tested short-range missile over Yellow Sea last week (AP via WaPo, CNN, Yonhap)
• Washington calls for Pyongyang's restraint (Yonhap)

2. China and North Korea break ground on industrial zone located in Yalu River's Hwanggŭmpyŏng Island (Joongang Daily)
3. Drunk driving laws to be toughened (Joongang Daily, Monster Island)
4. Ruling and major opposition parties support cutting college tuition but differ on methods (Yonhap)
5. GM Korea says it will invest US$5 billion over next three years to boost vehicle quality and customer service (Joongang Daily)
6. Seoul to regulate greenhouse gas emissions by next year (Yonhap)
• Regulations expected to save 1.2 billion liters of gasoline by 2020 
7. ROK government says it will take steps to block Chinese goods from illegally entering EU and US under more favorable trade conditions laid out by respective FTAs (Bloomberg) 
8. US Defense Secretary-designate Leon Panetta says North Korea remains "growing and direct threat" to US (Bloomberg)
9. Hyundai Mobis wins $230 million in auto parts order from Mitsubishi and Subaru as Japanese companies seek to diversify supply chain outside country (Joongang Daily)
10. China beats North Korea, 2-0, in soccer friendly in Guizhou (AFP)
• North Korea remains less happy than China
11. In bid to garner Hollywood's support for his reelection, UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon goes shopping for Brangelina and Madonna (AFP)