As many of you have noticed, Curtis Melvin, a former colleague at Mercatus and now a Ph.D. student at GMU, was featured last Friday (May 22d) on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. The article described his extraordinary work, mapping North Korea using Google Earth (see here for more details on the most authoritative map of NK). He has also been blogging about economic issues in North Korea for a long while at North Korean Economy Watch (which has been on our list of favorite blogs for years... :).
Since the WSJ article came out, he has risen to stardom and has been invited to talk on TV several times in the last three days: he was on CNN’s American Morning, Public Radio International’s The Takeaway, Fox Business, Fox & Friends, and, this morning, the Greta Van Susteren Show. He will be on the Rachel Maddow show at 9 p.m. E.T. tonight.
Congratulations Curtis for all the media attention. You rock! I know that you only mildly like it, however, as all this attention may compromise your next trip to North Korea. But it’s now more likely than ever that the C.I.A. or some other special agency will be sending you back there undercover. I guess, we’ll never know…
PS: Sorry Curtis for stealing your new Facebook picture :)
Curtis' work has reached the UK today. A story on his work is in today's Sunday Times.
Posted by: Lordi | May 31, 2009 at 09:16 AM
you just dont go into north korea and ask questions.All american visitors are watched and escorted during the entire trip.I would be curious to know how Mr.Melvin was able to get into north korea as the only americans allowed to enter is during mass sports events or arridang events.Even if you are able to go,a trip can be cancelled at the wim of Kim Jung Il.
Posted by: stanley gurian | February 23, 2010 at 01:19 PM