What to do about N. Korea?

Flagg

Yeah, is this more of their saber-rattling attention getting, or are they being more serious this time?

tybird

It would be an ecological/environmental disaster if North Korea would attempt an invasion of the South via the DMZ....as the DMZ has through the decades become of the great natural wildlife refuges on the planet. :evil:

WaveCameCrashin

If the united nations,and the powers it represents,is as important as was the League in the 1930's,it will send the same signal to the other would-be proliferators:that the rest of the world will sit by and do nothing. By so blatantly flouting international opinion and U.N. resolutions, N.Korea has essentially said to the rest of the wold put up or shut up.

The irony of course, is that N.Korea is probably the single state in the world most vulnerable to international sanctions;it produces no energy of it's own. If China chose to bring it's country to it's knees ,it could do so in a heart beat

The most important Is Obama. It is really he who is being tested. If he simply settles for ineffectual sanctions or a round or international condemnation, he will be showing a weakness that virtually invites exploitation by the rest of the world. If he only pursues diplomatic negotiations without economic or military clout behind them,the other aggressors-the latter day Hitlers and Tojo's will draw their own conclusions

Military action is off the table since it already has nukes, But if the United States stiffen Japanese and Chinese resolve and takes the lead,there is no doubt that economic sanctions-real sanctions which include economic would put a stop to N.Korea.

TheHill.com

jlew24asu

tybird wrote:

It would be an ecological/environmental disaster if North Korea would attempt an invasion of the South via the DMZ....as the DMZ has through the decades become of the great natural wildlife refuges on the planet. :evil:

you are joking right? with the possibility of a nuclear powered country invading another one, you are worried about a few trees and shrubs getting trampled? :roll:

tybird

jlew24asu wrote:

tybird wrote:

It would be an ecological/environmental disaster if North Korea would attempt an invasion of the South via the DMZ....as the DMZ has through the decades become of the great natural wildlife refuges on the planet. :evil:

you are joking right? with the possibility of a nuclear powered country invading another one, you are worried about a few trees and shrubs getting trampled? :roll:

Animals mostly....endangered and rare....yes, I worry about them....just add to the reasons that this conflict should be avoided...there's enough collateral damage these days.

jlew24asu

tybird wrote:

jlew24asu wrote:

tybird wrote:

It would be an ecological/environmental disaster if North Korea would attempt an invasion of the South via the DMZ....as the DMZ has through the decades become of the great natural wildlife refuges on the planet. :evil:

you are joking right? with the possibility of a nuclear powered country invading another one, you are worried about a few trees and shrubs getting trampled? :roll:

Animals mostly....endangered and rare....yes, I worry about them....just add to the reasons that this conflict should be avoided...there's enough collateral damage these days.

thats nice. but that should be the last thing on anyone list of what to worry about.


this is actually getting dangerous, IMO.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090528/ap_ ... as_nuclear

SEOUL, South Korea – The U.S. and South Korea put their military forces on high alert Thursday after North Korea renounced the truce keeping the peace between the two Koreas since 1953.

keeponrockin

We sit there with every missle aimed at their direction. If they do something stupid, well then..

pickupyourwill

nuke the fuckers----ha ha ha, just kidding

OffHeGoes29

Hugs, lots and lots of hug....

But seriously, its not worth going to war with just yet. They do this every couple of years so the US, South Korea, and Japan will give them a shit load of money to shut them up for a while. Eventually, their government will fall, because no communist government has been sucessfull in the long run. (China is not a truely communist goverment anymore)

jlew24asu

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Hugs, lots and lots of hug....

But seriously, its not worth going to war with just yet. They do this every couple of years so the US, South Korea, and Japan will give them a shit load of money to shut them up for a while. Eventually, their government will fall, because no communist government has been sucessfull in the long run. (China is not a truely communist goverment anymore)

NK is far more the a communist government. they are a totalitarianism dictatorship. that will last as long as Kim is alive or overthrown.

Commy

the reason they haven't been invaded yet has a lot to do with the fact they have nuclear weapons.


it has deterred a US invasion.


what a wonderful byproduct of US foreign policy, encouraging countries to get nukes. Why do you think Iran is so intent on getting one? its a great way to keep US troops off your soil.

jlew24asu

Kotov Syndrome wrote:

the reason they haven't been invaded yet has a lot to do with the fact they have nuclear weapons.


it has deterred a US invasion.


what a wonderful byproduct of US foreign policy, encouraging countries to get nukes. Why do you think Iran is so intent on getting one? its a great way to keep US troops off your soil.

NK is the one makes the threats, not America. what the fuck is going on around here lately, its blame America month? well this is the moving train I guess.

anyway..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090601/ap_ ... as_nuclear

Reports: NKorea prepares long-range missile launch

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea has transported its most advanced missile, believed to be capable of reaching Alaska, to a launch site on its west coast near China, news reports said Monday.

The reclusive communist country was also reportedly bolstering it defenses and conducting amphibious assault exercises along its western shore, near disputed waters where deadly naval clashes with the South have occurred in the past.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missile had been sent by train to the newly completed missile facility of Dongchang-ni, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the Chinese border.

Yonhap, quoting government sources, said the missile could be ready to launch in a week or two. South Korean media have speculated that the North wants to time the launch for around June 16, when South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has a summit in Washington with President Barack Obama.

With the launch, Pyongyang could also thumb its nose at U.N. Security Council attempts to rein it in after last week's nuclear test and a series of short-range missile launches.

U.S Defense Secretary Robert Gates, speaking at a news conference in the Philippines, said North Korea appears to be working on a long-range missile but it's not clear yet what they plan to do with it.

Lee, hosting a conference of Southeast Asian leaders on the southern island of Jeju, warned the North against any provocation.

"If North Korea turns its back on dialogue and peace and dares to carry out military threats and provocations, the Republic of Korea will never tolerate that," Lee said in his regular radio address. "I want to make clear that there won't be any compromise on things that threaten our nation's security."

Adding to tensions this week, the trial starts Thursday in Pyongyang of two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, accused of entering the country illegally and engaging in "hostile acts."

North Korea faced strong international criticism after its last long-range missile launch, on April 5. The North said the launch was of a rocket intended to put a satellite in orbit. That modified version of the Taepodong-2 rocket flew about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers), crossing over Japan before crashing into the Pacific Ocean.

In late April, the North threatened to conduct nuclear and long-range missile tests unless the Security Council apologized for criticizing the launch. On Friday, it threatened to take a further "self-defense" measure if the Security Council provokes it. That threat was seen as referring to an ICBM test.

In another sign that a new launch is in the works, the North has designated a large area off its west coast as a "no-sail" zone through the end of next month, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified intelligence officials.

Yonhap said North Korean troops conducted amphibious assault maneuvers along with west coast. Other media carried similar reports. South Korean defense and intelligence officials refused to comment.

On Yeonpyeong island, one of South Korea's northernmost islands near North Korea, South Korean naval boats and a warship were patrolling waters around the disputed western sea border, but no incidents were reported.

The area is rich in fish, and May and June are the crab-catching season, meaning the waters are generally crowded with commercial ships.

Experts said the missile preparations were especially significant because the North has never launched a long-range missile from the northwestern base.

Kim Tae-woo, vice president of Seoul's state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said he thinks the North chose the site because of its proximity to China, making it more risky for the U.S. to strike.

The missile being prepared for launch is believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of up to 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers), the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported, citing an unnamed South Korean official.

That would put Alaska within striking range.

On Monday, the North said again that it is being provoked by South Korea and the United States, saying that the number of spy planes operating in its airspace has risen dramatically.

"The U.S. imperialists and the South Korean puppets perpetrated at least 200 cases of aerial espionage against the DPRK in May, or 30 cases more than those in the same month of last year," it said in a report in its official Korean Central News Agency.

The DPRK is an abbreviation of North Korea's official name.

The North's missile and nuclear programs have been considered a top regional security concern, though the regime is not yet believed to have mastered the technology to make a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a missile.

Thoughts_Arrive

Send in Hans Blix.....

musicismylife78

I know obama thinks of them as a threat and that it wouldnt bother him to send more 18 year old soldiers to die in another foreign land in another pointless and unnecessary war.

musicismylife78

jlew24asu wrote:

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Hugs, lots and lots of hug....

But seriously, its not worth going to war with just yet. They do this every couple of years so the US, South Korea, and Japan will give them a shit load of money to shut them up for a while. Eventually, their government will fall, because no communist government has been sucessfull in the long run. (China is not a truely communist goverment anymore)

NK is far more the a communist government. they are a totalitarianism dictatorship. that will last as long as Kim is alive or overthrown.

you going to fight in this war? I sure as hell aint, and I dont want any of the people I care about to fight in it either.

If you are suggesting we start a war, but arent willing to fight in it, that is being a coward. Flat out. Put up or shut up friend.

I find it highly embarassing the people who saying "GO USA, LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT, but then you find out they arent in the army or navy or the military in any capacity. Pretty embarassing really.

jlew24asu

musicismylife78 wrote:

jlew24asu wrote:

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Hugs, lots and lots of hug....

But seriously, its not worth going to war with just yet. They do this every couple of years so the US, South Korea, and Japan will give them a shit load of money to shut them up for a while. Eventually, their government will fall, because no communist government has been sucessfull in the long run. (China is not a truely communist goverment anymore)

NK is far more the a communist government. they are a totalitarianism dictatorship. that will last as long as Kim is alive or overthrown.

you going to fight in this war? I sure as hell aint, and I dont want any of the people I care about to fight in it either.

If you are suggesting we start a war, but arent willing to fight in it, that is being a coward. Flat out. Put up or shut up friend.

I find it highly embarassing the people who saying "GO USA, LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT, but then you find out they arent in the army or navy or the military in any capacity. Pretty embarassing really.

what the hell are you talking about?

I'm not suggesting we go to war with NK. that is the last thing I want.

Byrnzie

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/ju ... -successor

Kim Jong names youngest son as North Korean successor

guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 2 June 2009


'Kim Jong Il's youngest son, who reportedly enjoys skiing and studied English, German and French at a Swiss school will be North Korea's next leader, a South Korean lawmaker and newspapers said today.

The secretive communist state sent the message about the 26-year-old son, Jong Un, after the nation's May 25 nuclear test, which along with a series of missile tests has greatly raised tensions in the region, the Hankook Ilbo reported.

The paper cited unnamed members of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee briefed by the spy agency.

Opposition lawmaker Park Jie-won, an intelligence committee member, said during a radio interview that he was briefed by the government on the North's move and the regime is "pledging allegiance to Kim Jong Un," according to an interview transcript provided by his office.

Another mass-market paper, Dong-a Ilbo, carried a similar report, saying the North is teaching its people a song lauding the son. The paper cited unidentified sources.

The spy agency, National Intelligence Service, said it cannot confirm the reports.

Who will eventually rule the nuclear-armed North has been the focus of intense media speculation since leader Kim, 67, reportedly suffered a stroke last summer. That sparked regional concerns about instability and a possible power struggle if he died without naming a successor.

The possible transfer of power comes at a tense time as the North escalates tensions in the region by testing the nuclear device and several short-range missiles. Media reports say the North appears to be preparing a test launch of a long-range missile.

The saber-rattling is believed to be part of the North's succession campaign, the papers said.

Most analysts have long believed Kim's youngest son has the best chance of succeeding the authoritarian leader. But little is known about Jong Un, the youngest of three sons Kim Jong Il is known to have fathered.

He studied at the International School of Berne in Switzerland until 1998 under the pseudonym Pak Chol, learning to speak English, German and French, the Swiss weekly news magazine L'Hebdo reported earlier this year, citing classmates and school officials.

A classmate recalled him as timid and introverted but an avid skier and basketball player who was a big fan of the NBA star Michael Jordan. He was humble and friendly with the children of American diplomats, a former school director said. A car arrived every day after school to pick him up, the report said.

A Japanese man who claims to know Jong Un from his years as Kim Jong Il's sushi chef says the son looks and acts just like his father and is the leader's favourite. In contrast, Kim often derided the middle son, Jong Chul, as "girlish," the chef, Kenji Fujimoto, said in a 2003 memoir.

Kim's eldest son, Jong Nam, 38, had long been considered the favorite to succeed his father until he was caught trying to enter Japan on a fake passport in 2001. He reportedly told Japanese officials he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland.

Kim considers the middle son, Jong Chol, too effeminate for the job, according to the sushi chef's 2003 memoir.

Kim succeeded his father, who died in 1994, in communism's first hereditary power succession. He rules the country with absolute authority and has allowed no opposition.