Loose change for December 13, 2009

 Economic news 

• The favorite to replace Chinese President Hu Jintao, Vice President Xi Jinping, tells South Korean and Japanese reporters in Beijing that he'd like to see a ROK-PRC FTA soon.
• China has outpaced the US in consumption of cars, appliances, and neighboring countries.
• Lotte Group says it will buy out all duty-free stores of rival Aekyung. 

 North Korea news and stuff 

•  Rodong Shinmun blasts South Korea for "confrontation policy," warning of a "decisive decision" on inter-Korean relations. Kushibo's komment: Yawn. 
• Choe Sang-hun of the New York Times briefly discusses the H1N1 "swine flu" outbreak in North Korea.
• North Korean talks talked up as "a good start" by someone named Sunny Lee. I'd like to see someone named "Sunny" talk about something dark and depressing, like North Korean human rights abuses. Something like: "Millions face dismal winter of deprivation and cold" by Sunny. Then I'd like to see Rain get a gig in Las Vegas: "Rain comes to Desert." Nah, that ones too obvious. Ah, if the tabloids were reporting on whether he's going to choose to go skiing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, or Hole, Norway: "Bi Can't Decide Which Hole to Go To." I should go work for the Joongang Daily.
• North Korea is reportedly stepping up DPRK Air Force training near the disputed maritime border in the Yellow Sea. 
• The Chosun Ilbo asks why there's so much secrecy over the succession of Kim Jong-il's son.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• A survey of Chinese students in South Korea finds complaints about the Korean media's negative portrayal of China, Koreans looking down on Chinese, Korea's rigid age-based hierarchy, and the heavy drinking. 
• The ban on soldiers leaving their barracks has largely been eased as the H1N1 "swine flu" pandemic slows.
• A Korean pastor who lives (lived?) in Australia has written a book advising people how to master English by accessing their Korean skills.
• EPIK teachers held a reunion in Seoul on Friday.
• Masan, Ch'ang•won, and Chinhae merge into one supercity, which threatens to consumer other cities.

 Miscellany 

• Juju Chang's father reveals the secret of his daughter's success as she rises to the top of ABC News (hint: No, it's not manipulating her giant head to knock down her competitors).
• The New York Times has an interesting piece on drinking behaviors of teenagers. Only 20% of boys and girls aged fifteen in America had been drunk at least twice in their lives, considerably less than the OECD mean. Some readers note that Korea and Japan were not included in the study.