N. Korea Crisis - Updated as News come to hand

Much thanks from me as well Vitchilo, please keep us updated and thanks for your hard work! When I think about this situation going poorly, I have images of the old film with young Charlie Sheen and Patrick Swayze in it called "Red Dawn". Who here thinks this could turn into Antinovs disguised as passenger jets dropping off paratroopers to wreak havoc on the north American continent?

reply to post by Darce


We've all thought about Red Dawn... BTW, there's a new Red Dawn that should come out in 2011 with China as the invader.. should be interesting.

In Australia they've released an australian Red Dawn... Tomorrow: When The War Began... already out in theaters. And it's about Chinese invading too... should be interesting.

Anyway... enough about Red Dawn...

NKorea threatens SKorea with nuclear war

North Korea warned Monday that U.S.-South Korean cooperation could bring a nuclear war to the region, as the South began artillery drills amid lingering tension nearly three weeks after the North's deadly shelling of a South Korean island.

That cooperation "is nothing but treachery escalating the tension between the North and the South and bringing the dark clouds of a nuclear war to hang over the Korean peninsula,"

Well this is just the North's response to SK-US talking about allowing US nuclear weapon use against the North if the North attacks... this is kind of crazy we've reached these levels of tensions...

Thing is, unless North Korea have had outside help, they cannot, at this moment, nuke the South... In 1 year-1 year and a half time, according to defectors, they will probably be able to mount a nuclear warhead on a missile. Then it will be dangerous. Of course they could always put a nuke in one of their submarine and blow it up in Tokyo's Bay... or put it on a plane and do a mass attack of planes and hope it gets through or dig a tunnel under Seoul... but realistically this have no chances of happening.

But for now, the most dangerous things that North Korea has are chemical weapons and artillery. Not nukes.

The only ones saying they could use nukes if war breaks out and CAN ACTUALLY BACK IT UP are the US...not North Korea.

Thing is all those threats could be preemptive justification for a coming North Korean provocation like I said yesterday.

AFP: S.Korea on Wed. (2pm) to hold biggest air raid drill in years. Evacs to shelters, fighter jets overhead will simulate #DPRK airstrike.

Well that'll train people... but this kind of drill is worthless if NKorea uses chemical weapons....

So yeah.

Signs Suggest that N.Korean Regime Is Cracking

South Korean, U.S. and Japanese foreign ministry officials talked about the possibility that the North Korean regime has lost control and gone off the rails since the artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island, it emerged Friday. On Thursday, President Lee Myung-bak said North Koreans are now much aware of the outside world. "I feel reunification is now not far off."

A senior government official said, "Having watched the North launch a series of provocations such as the torpedo attack on the Navy corvette Cheonan, its uranium enrichment program and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, officials in Seoul, Washington and Tokyo recently discussed the need to look at the North's latest movements from a completely new viewpoint."

He said some officials saw the Yeonpyeong attack as merely another round in a familiar pattern of provocations, "but others said that it shows that the situation on the Korean Peninsula has entered a new phase." This may mean the regime "has lost control internally," he added.

Hopefully they are right.

But with Kim's health deteriorating and his third son Jong-un established as his heir, the North has changed, say observers.

A North Korean source said, "There are some unusual signs now that it's difficult for Kim Jong-il to make all the decisions alone as before." He speculated that the process of transferring power to Kim Jong-un is going badly.

"After he was established as the heir apparent in the early 1970s, Kim Jong-il concentrated power around him for more than 10 years, but this is not the case with Kim Jong-un," said a former senior North Korean official who defected to the South.

But this could be very dangerous... all transfers of power when regimes are based on one person are dangerous... hopefully it comes down peacefully... factions inside the leadership rebel and force the reunification with the South...

reply to post by Vitchilo


Holy smokes...threatening each other with nuclear attacks??...this is seriously getting umh...interesting

reply to post by Vitchilo


But then again...this is the what...10th time they've done this now?...

Originally posted by dude69
reply to post by Vitchilo

 

But then again...this is the what...10th time they've done this now?...

At least... But this is the first time that the US says they will assist the South with nukes if war breaks out... So since the US has said that... this time it's different.

Seoul, Washington sign TOF on joint security plan

“The committee is aimed at [counteracting] North Korea’s threat of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction,” said a ministry official.

Within the partnership, the U.S. can provide South Korea with tactical nuclear weapons, conventional-strike and missile-defense capabilities to defend against an attack from North Korea.

See?

North Korean foreign minister in Moscow

Bilateral trade between North Korea and Russia stood at $50 million to $60 million in 2009 and is expected to double this year.

Now we know on which side Russia is...

In other news, Bill Richardson is going to NKorea on Dec. 16.

Mullen on Fox News.. Threat of War rising on the Korean peninsula

Why does that "terms of reference" remind me of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

reply to post by Darce


Don't know... I wasn't here back then...

In youth is valor

Despite the North’s bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island, which left two Marines dead, the number of volunteers like Choi for the ROK Marine Corps increased by a big margin, rather than decreasing, this year.

I'm sure the military is very happy...

Seoul, Washington Suspect More N.Korean Uranium Sites

South Korea and the U.S. are trying to find out if North Korea is clandestinely operating more undisclosed uranium enrichment facilities in addition to a plant at Yongbyon it recently showed to visiting U.S. expert.

Time to do more reconaissance...send a few drones...thing is most of these are underground... impossible to find with a drone.

Chinese Envoy Urged Kim Jong-il to Negotiate

"The Chinese envoy apparently made no direct mention of the North's shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, but stressed the principle of cool-headedness and restraint," a South Korean government official said. "China did not tell us what Kim Jong-il said."

The envoy "told Kim about China's proposal for a meeting of chief negotiators of the six-party talks, while reiterating the importance of dialogue," the official added.

Yeah not even mentionning the shelling of the island... that'll make things go forward...

The Choson Sinbo, a North Korean mouthpiece published in Japan, on Sunday said while it is unknown what Kim and Dai discussed, the North "officially proposed that the armistice agreement be replaced by a peace treaty in January."

It's weird that they ALWAYS talk about a peace treaty in January... all the other times it was in January too...

A Unification Ministry official said the proposal is "nothing but a ruse to achieve the withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea. The North's desire to discuss a peace treaty with the U.S. by using China as a front is wishful thinking."

Yep...

TOKYO - Revising a defense strategy shaped by the Cold War, Japan will soon release a new military plan designed to address China's increased threat, particularly in waters surrounding southern Japanese islands, according to media reports.

www.washingtonpost.com...

Probably already been posted apologies if it has. But here is a site that links to a few outlets carrying the story.

latestbusinessreport.com...:japan-to-shift-military-towards-china-threat-financial-times&catid =38:topstories&Itemid=1

Also there is all this speculation that Kim Jong-Ils health is ailing. Where is the concrete proof of this?

Does anybody know if it's possible to get Phone / Fax numbers for North Korea? Does the average Joe public even have a phone / fax?

I am quite willing to Fax businesses / companies or whatever by the hundred, letting them know their leader Little Kim has lost his marbles and is destroying their lives.

The people of NK need to somehow find out what they are missing out on, you know, normal everyday things that we simply take for granted.

Treating humans so badly should be viewed as some kind of warcrime and we, the World, justs sits back and watches the murder of women and children by the thousand, and we do nothing!

reply to post by minkey53


Yeah I think they have the phone... but they don't have faxes.

And even then, I don't think it's connected to outside the country...maybe China.. but that's it.

# RT @YonhapNews: (URGENT) S. Korea's top general, Army chief offer to retire, official says (more to follow) 8 minutes ago via TweetDeck

YTN: South Korean army chief's resignation accepted.

Hopefully there's nothing more to it than it seems...

Originally posted by Vitchilo
# RT @YonhapNews: (URGENT) S. Korea's top general, Army chief offer to retire, official says (more to follow) 8 minutes ago via TweetDeck

YTN: South Korean army chief's resignation accepted.

Hopefully there's nothing more to it than it seems...


Hopefully, just connected to the last man that resigned?

reply to post by sonjah1


Yeah hopefully he's resigning because he's pissed at the weak military response that the government allowed them against the North... and failed to his duties of protecting the SKorean people and army.

Let's hope it's not connected to something else... like resigning in protest of the military plans that are being drawn right now for ``forceful reunification`` or something like that...


UPDATE : Apparently it's over controversial personal financial gains he made..

South Korea's Army chief offered to retire Tuesday amid criticism over a property investment, an official said.

UPDATE 2 : Apparently that controversy was back in 2002-2003... so why bring this today as his reason for resigning? Something stinks... and it ain't my feet!

Beijing snubs Pyongyang's requests for rice, offers corn instead

Beijing, North Korea's indispensible ally, has apparently snubbed requests from Pyongyang for a large delivery of rice aid, according to South Korean government sources.

Sources said that Pyongyang has repeatedly requested 500,000 tons of rice, presumably to be doled out to the masses to celebrate enigmatic leader Kim Jong Il's birthday in February, and that of his third son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Un, in January.

Corn... NKorea got cornholed...

North Korean food shortages generally hit in April and May, indicating Pyongyang wants the rice for another reason--possibly the Jan. 8 birthday of Kim Jong Un and Feb. 16 birthday of his father Kim Jong Il.

War? He may really be thinking about going to war... well thanks to China that won't happen since his soldiers won't have enough food... GOOD!

But they might accept the corn instead... which would be a big blow to Little Kimmy image... because his regime always said that the people deserves white rice... not corn... Huge image hit + no war... Santa Claus is pissed at Little Kimmy because he's been a bad boy all year!

Looks like US Asst. Sect'y of State Campbell here in Seoul Thursday or Friday, after China stop & prior to talks in Tokyo. #Koreas 10 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Something up... hopefully peace.

And Richardson to go to NKorea thursday...

Originally posted by Vitchilo

Corn... NKorea got cornholed...

ok now that was bad!

Star.

Originally posted by SLAYER69

Originally posted by Vitchilo

Corn... NKorea got cornholed...

ok now that was bad!

Star.

LOL...

Maybe they'll sell it to the US and get subsidies to turn it into ethanyol as an "alternative fuel" to go buy more nukes.

reply to post by Vitchilo



Russia: North Korean Envoy Chastised

Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov told his North Korean counterpart on Monday that his government was deeply concerned about North Korea’s uranium enrichment efforts, and he condemned an attack on a South Korean island, the ministry said. Meeting with the North’s foreign minister, Pak Ui-chun, in Moscow, Mr. Lavrov also urged North Korea to abide by a 2005 commitment to abandon its nuclear program, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Mr. Lavrov “expressed deep concern” about North Korea’s “industrial uranium enrichment capabilities,” the statement said.

reply to post by Vitchilo

Now we know on which side Russia is...

You say this but $60 Million is nothing compared to how much Russia make from western trade. Don't get me wrong I think war between NK and SK is gonna resume I just don't think Russia would go to war over loose politcal ties and chump change.

China on the other hand could take this oppartunity to establish themself as a super-power after all they no longer need the west (or specifcally the US) to sustain their country.

Peace. (I hope)
ALS

reply to post by ALOSTSOUL


Yeah 60 million is nothing... it was kind of a joke statement...

2 Koreas Lobby Russia for Support

Senior South and North Korean foreign ministry officials are visiting Russia almost simultaneously this week to persuade Moscow of their point of view about the North's artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island and its uranium program.

South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator Wi Sung-lac is to meet Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin on Wednesday, while North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun holds held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Monday.

Russian officials did not directly blame the North for the torpedo attack on the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan in March, but Lavrov himself strongly denounced the North for the shelling of Yeonpyeong.

However, Russia, a participating nation of the six-party nuclear talks, believes China's proposal for a meeting of chief negotiators in the talks should be discussed, whereas South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have rejected the idea.

So Russia supports talks...

Lockheed dispels doubts over F-35 in S. Korea's fighter jet project

Lockheed Martin Corp. can deliver F-35 fighter jets as early as 2016 if it wins South Korea's multi-billion dollar contract for a fighter modernization program, a senior company executive said Tuesday, dismissing doubts over a delay in the new warplane's flight-test schedule.

Yeah SKorea totally needs F-35s against the mighty NKorean airforce!

U.S. expert calls for increasing American troop presence in S. Korea to stop NK provocations

The United States should seriously think about stationing more troops in South Korea to deter further North Korean provocations, a U.S. expert and former White House security official said Tuesday amid high tensions over the North's artillery shelling of a South Korean island.

Oh dear... Something that could raise the tensions a lot... something the American taxpayers doesn't want... and something that could upset China... yeah real good idea there... NOT.

Not a big surprise coming from G.W. North Korea adviser...

U.S. expert calls for increasing American troop presence in S. Korea to stop NK provocations

english.yonhapnews.co.kr...