North Korea Watch 2013-2019

The 7 last workers form Kaesong will be back Friday at 5;30 SK time, linky english.yonhapnews.co.kr...

2013/05/03 16:12 KST
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(3rd LD) Last S. Koreans to return from Kaesong Friday
SEOUL, May 3 (Yonhap) -- Seven South Korean personnel staying at an inter-Korean complex in North Korea will be able to return home later Friday after completing negotiations for the settlement of various accounts, a government official said Friday.

"An understanding was reached during talks with the North Korean side with the South Koreans to cross over the demilitarized zone at 5:30 p.m.," he said.

will Kaesong be closed for good? Will Un do more belly aching, and whining? we shall see.

reply to post by bekod


It kind of is. What SK company would want to go back there after this? Would you? Knowing that some crazy little dictator could shut your production facility down on a whim? No thanks. I'm sure they'll seek more solid investments. NK's moves seem more and more suicidal by the day. I'm really at a loss to explain it, other than sheer insanity. My only guess is that Un is now completely delusional....that's the only thing that seems to explain it, that he has completely lost his grip on reality, and if so, a coup is sure to follow.

reply to post by Gazrok


It is worrying, yes. This isn't so bad for the South Koreans - but for the North, this complex was a great source of income and help to their income. This isn't a shot in the foot, this is a shot in the chest - I would venture to go further and say that NK is now a rapidly sinking ship - if they weren't already!

Yes Un is Mad!!! not just mad about US SK war drills, but insane mad, He did everything posible to have sanctions imposed on his Country if it not him then it is the DPRK leadership calling the shots and then they are the insane ones come to think of it they insane any way for letting it happen. UN SK US and for the first time China have all said no to nukes speaking of nukes www3.nhk.or.jp...

Pentagon: N.Korea moving toward nuclear missile

The US Defense Department says North Korea will move closer to its announced goal of being able to strike the US homeland with a nuclear weapon if it continues to develop nuclear technology and ballistic missiles.

The Pentagon made this clear in a report submitted to Congress on Thursday. It was compiled for the first time based on a law enacted last year.

The report says North Korea has deployed ballistic missiles capable of reaching targets throughout South Korea, Japan and the Pacific region.

It says the advances in ballistic-missile delivery systems, coupled with developments in nuclear technology, are in line with North Korea's stated objective of being able to strike the US homeland.
The report says North Korea will move closer to this goal if it continues testing and devoting scarce resources to these programs.

The Pentagon report also refers to North Korea's 3 nuclear tests. It says the country could conduct additional nuclear tests at any time.

The report also warns of possible chemical weapons attacks. It says Pyongyang has probably had a longstanding chemical weapons program with the capability of producing various types of weapons.

The report says North Korea could probably employ chemical weapons agents by modifying munitions, including artillery and ballistic missiles.

May 3, 2013 - Updated 05:01 UTC

and then China saying No once again, are they hoping Un is listening ?/ er maybe reading? english.yonhapnews.co.kr...

2013/05/03 17:08 KST
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China will not accept N. Korea as 'nuclear-armed state': official
SEOUL, May 3 (Yonhap) -- China's chief nuclear envoy has told his South Korean counterpart that Beijing will not accept North Korea as a "nuclear-armed state," a high-ranking Seoul official said Friday, adding that Seoul, Washington and Beijing reached a consensus on the stance.

The Chinese envoy Wu Dawei made the remarks when he held talks on Thursday in Beijing with his Seoul counterpart Lim Sung-nam, said the official at Seoul's foreign ministry who is familiar with the Lim-Wu talks.

read the link for full reading of the China SK meeting. oh one last thing last 7 returned from Kaesong, from the same above link

2013/05/03 18:54 KST
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(5th LD) Last S. Koreans return from Kaesong complex
SEOUL, May 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's seven remaining workers at an inter-Korean complex in North Korea returned home Friday, wrapping up a pullout from the zone amid high tensions on the peninsula.

The complete withdrawal cast clouds over the fate of the Kaesong Industrial Complex just north of the heavily fortified border -- the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean cooperation -- raising concern over the possibility of permanent closure.

thus cutting all ties with the north

2013/05/03 18:59 KST
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(News Focus) Pullout of S. Korean personnel from Kaesong severs all inter-Korean ties
By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, May 3 (Yonhap) -- The complete withdrawal of South Korean personnel from the joint industrial zone of Kaesong marks the severing of all cross-border ties that had been painstakingly forged over several decades, fueling uncertainty at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, analysts said Friday.

The four vehicles carrying seven people that arrived at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine office in Paju, about 50 kilometers northwest of Seoul, represent the end of 15 years of permanent presence of South Koreans in the communist country.

well not all things are meant to last , when this first opened i thought it would be closed in the first year.

Not if china has agreed to feed nk if they would keep their heads cool while allowing them to continue their nuclear agenda silently and without openly threatening half the world.

So it makes sense they closed kaesong. NK doesnt need it anymore. They have no wish to continue to support any ties with SK.

I firmly believe that China has offered them a way out while preserving their sustainability.

Now the current conversation is making sense since they're clearly opting for a defensive stance and calling others out as aggressors and provocative. China and NK always cooperated in defense, security and intel issues since the korean war so if anyone attacks NK, China will honor their defense pact. So right now, anything that happens, NK will cry out loud for China to hear that NK is doing nothing while the evil SK/US axis are still provoking.

And you still think Un is stupid...

Stupid was his grandfather who ran to china asking them for military support to invade SK in 1975 (well ok he was 63... maybe he had some beginning of Alzheimer's or something) because thats not the way to deal with China. Or his father (who hes probably ashamed of) who kept acting like the world's clown for almost two decades letting NK's name be the very synonym of the world's greatest and saddest anecdote. Un already knows that China doesnt attack anyone, only defends. And hes only 30. His power trip is just beginning.

This is getting far more interesting now that North Korea turned to a more silent player, with more thought out moves, with far more interesting separated bursts of communications towards the exterior, not with brutal threats but with facts and some actual reasoning behind them (and even, gotta admit - sometimes they're even right) leaving everyone thinking "what the hell... why is he doing that? What is he thinking? He is crazy? What is going on".

Right now I dont see anyone laughing and saying "little kim" or making cartoons with pigs and mickey mouse, talking relentlessly about how we nuke here, nuke there, nuke every where, turn this and there into a glass parking lot and other stupid things we could all hear everywhere.

The US is now probably thinking "why the hell did we send all that crap there... those guys must be bored to death... the burkes must be doing target practicing with those ceramic discs so they dont fall asleep... money wasted for nothing... why why why... we should charge south korea for this..."

Its interesting to say the least.

EDIT:

bekod,

mate, since when you trust China? What... since they stole your predator plans and made their own? And the people went "damn they need to copy US tech"... well.. heres what Project 2049 Institute, an Arlington, Va based think tank guy (Ian Easton) said:

"Chinese UAV technology is a woefully understudied topic," he says, adding that there's reason to believe that China has either already surpassed U.S. prowess in unmanned air technology or will soon do so. "They're certainly far more advanced than I expected them to be. You get the impression they're doing very advanced, cutting-edge research."

"the Chinese see drones as a platform to wage war at the "highest level of conflict." Chinese documents suggest that the country's People's Liberation Army "envision[s] attacking U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups with swarms of multi-mission UAVs."

"While the American military has mainly used drones for reconnaissance in the Middle East and Northern Africa and precision strikes against small groups of insurgents or terrorists, Chinese reports suggest that they plan to use the drones in the event of a conventional war. While American drones are rarely lost overseas, China envisions attacks "with initial waves of decoy drones" followed by swarms of strike drones that would often be shot down during their mission."

"When the Chinese look at UAVs, they see tremendous capabilities for high-end conflict. We've been using them for low-intensity situations," Easton says. "The Chinese have done an overwhelming number of studies discussing using UAVs as having the capabilities of hitting U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups. That's what they're planning to do."

"Chinese drone industry might lead the country to innovate faster than the U.S. can."

"We generally don't worry about the Chinese building a better submarine, fighter plane, or aircraft carrier than us, but with UAVs, I think it might be a little different," he says. "They have organized their UAV programs in such a way where they could be very innovative in terms of weapon systems."

Go ahead and trust China

reply to post by FraternitasSaturni
I do not trust China!!! I was pointing out how they say they will not allow Un, DPRK er North Korea have nukes, and are willing to back US SK on the subject.

China could have said,as they have in the past, it is North Korea's decision let them be, or they have the right to test them as in 2006 2009 so why the change???

It is of my opinion that Un is showing that he is a threat not only to SK and US but to China as well. thus is the question will China us force, or let the US SK use force to keep North Korea nukes weapons free? this is the question we should be asking and seeking the answers to

reply to post by bekod


That's a lot of "ifs" and "could haves" for a Pentagon report. I can see me giving my boss a report of "ifs" and "could haves"......

reply to post by Gazrok
Did we not go it too Iraq over them what if's and could haves ? You missed probable as well. let me interpret for you, in other words,
"they could use it, if they wanted, and probably will do at some unknown time. this includes Chemical, Bio and Nuke weapons."

Notice they did not use word term WMD. so this means they, the US SK Japan China need more Intel to tell if they do or do not have nukes, but they will put it out there for the Masses to read and hope they the masses will get on the "no nukes for DPRK band wagon" The more no's the more of US SK Japan China will be doing something about it, besides talking about doing something.

By the time they do decide SK will be under SK control and US will be the side bar partner, not the leader as it is now, thus keeping SK form acting on first strike thinking, as park has said they SK would do.

reply to post by bekod


bek... SK will attack NK first as much as Israel will attack Iran first... going in without US giving the OK first would be suicide...

reply to post by FraternitasSaturni
It seems i spoke before placing link so here is link to help understand my view why SK would attack first with out the US approvel or blessing, SK would not need it

2013/05/03 10:54 KST
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U.S. 8th Army commander says OPCON transfer preparation 'on track'
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, May 3 (Yonhap) -- The commanding general of the U.S. Eighth Army said Friday his military has been working together with South Korean forces to transfer wartime operational control to Seoul as agreed, saying preparations are "on track."

Lt. Gen. John Johnson reaffirmed the 60-year alliance between South Korea and the U.S. and vowed to help deter North Korean aggression even after Seoul takes over wartime control in December 2015.

"Our plans to achieve OPCON transfer are on track," Johnson said in a lecture hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "The ROK (South Korean) military is more than capable and understands the complex battlefield to be able to direct the combined forces as necessary to defend (South) Korea."
Lt. Gen. John Johnson, the U.S. commander of Eighth Army, speaks during a lecture on the South Korea-U.S. alliance in Seoul on May 3, 2013. (Yonhap)

His remarks come as calls have grown for delaying the planned OPCON transition as tensions are running high on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang has repeatedly threatened nuclear strikes against the South and the U.S. in response to their joint drills that ended recently.

form the link english.yonhapnews.co.kr... so a self defensive first strike could happen if SK wanted to take the threat out before it takes you out, US has done it, Israel has and says it would again, it would not be nothing new as far as the world stage goes, but it would be a first for SK though. There are no new news lines so far tonight, but if one comes up ill post it up.

SK police stop a leaflet barge aimed at North Korea, it was to tell the people of DPRK to up rise against Un

2013/05/04 15:01 KST
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S. Korean police stop defectors from releasing anti-Pyongyang leaflets
PAJU, South Korea, May 4 (Yonhap) -- Hundreds of South Korean police officers stopped dozens of North Korean defectors and activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border via balloon on Saturday as North Korea warned of "unimaginable consequences."

About 500 police officers prevented a truck carrying balloons and about 200,000 leaflets from accessing the defectors' launch site of Imjingak near the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas.

Police have vowed to cordon off the area to stop the leafleting campaign, citing safety concerns of South Korean residents near the border amid North Korea's recent threats.




Park Sang-hak, one of the key organizers of the botched attempt, said he will continue the campaign to tell the truth to North Koreans and eventually encourage them to rise up against their leader, Kim Jong-un.

"The leaflets are meant to tell facts and the truth to North Koreans in a peaceful manner," Park said in a news conference in Imjingak, along with other activists, including American activist Suzanne Scholte, who is in South Korea as part of a week-long event to campaign for improving human rights conditions in the North.




Park's comment came as Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda Web site, warned that "the leaflet spreading, masterminded by the United States and its puppets, will lead to unimaginable consequences."

The Web site said merciless punishments should be given to Park and other human rights activists for escalating inter-Korean tensions, citing an article by Pak Jung-suk, a former North Korean defector in Seoul who fled back to her communist homeland last year.

North Korea's Uriminzokkiri warned last month that the launch site will be immediately blown away even if a single leaflet is sent across the border.

In recent years, the North has threatened to launch a "merciless military strike" against South Korea over its propaganda leaflets, condemning them as psychological warfare. Still, no actual attack has occurred.

Park, who has led the campaign for years, said Pak had joined him in floating the propaganda leaflets about four times when she lived in Seoul.

Park said his mother in Seoul was close to Pak as they lived in nearby apartments and said Uriminzokkiri must have written the propaganda article citing Pak's name.

[email protected]
(END)

here is the important part, if you missed it

Park Sang-hak, one of the key organizers of the botched attempt, said he will continue the campaign to tell the truth to North Koreans and eventually encourage them to rise up against their leader, Kim Jong-un.

the above is from the link english.yonhapnews.co.kr...

This might be the last post here on this thread it seems DPRK and SK are no longer at War with words that is, now it be boring and dull political maneuvering For all is going back too the same old routine english.yonhapnews.co.kr... form the link

2013/05/05 13:57 KST
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N. Korea scales down military drills: sources
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have scaled down military exercises following the completion of a joint military drill by South Korea and the United States, a source in Seoul said Sunday.

The annual two-month Foal Eagle exercise, which began in March amid high inter-Korean tensions due to Pyongyang's warlike threats and its Feb. 12 nuclear test, ended on April 30.

"There are signs that the North began scaling down training flights of its war planes from the middle of last month and completely halted them after the end of Foal Eagle exercise," a military source said.

"The level of the North Korea's military exercises has also sharply decreased compared to the level before mid-April," he added.

Also, two intermediate-range Musudan missiles and several other Scud missiles that were placed by the North on its east coast in response to the exercise have also been hidden in underground facilities recently, according to the source.

Instead, the North has begun practicing for a massive military parade on July 27 to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korea War, he said.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of signing of the Armistice Agreement that ended 1950-53 Korean War. The North has claimed the three year conflict ended in a victory for the communist country.

"Military troops and equipment that were gone after the founding anniversary of the North Korean military on April 25, have recently reappeared," the source said, adding that a small number of troops have recently gathered at a Pyongyang airport.

The country has often used big parades of weapons and missile launches to mark important holidays.

[email protected]
(END)

it has been a fun and exciting thread!!, and thanks to all that had read my post and to all that had posted. I am happy this came to a peaceful end, let the bickering begin. Un your up first, what say you? well it is not a direct response, but it is a start from the link above

2013/05/05 15:12 KST
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(URGENT) N. Korea urges Seoul to abandon hostilities for resumption of Kaesong complex

what????!!!! after all the fuss you want to reopen it?SK will you go with this?

2013/05/05 13:32 KST
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Pyongyang yet to respond to Seoul's demands: official
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has yet to respond to South Korea's demands made at the conclusion of last week's working-level talks to pull out its last remaining workers from a joint industrial zone in the North, including the resumption of communications lines, a Seoul official said Sunday.

Seoul paid Pyongyang US$13 million in worker wages, corporate taxes and utility charges on Friday, when the last seven South Koreans who had negotiated the settlement of accounts returned home Friday, completing a pullout from the zone amid high tensions on the peninsula.

in other words no comment.

Originally posted by Gazrok
reply to post by bekod

 

It kind of is. What SK company would want to go back there after this? Would you? Knowing that some crazy little dictator could shut your production facility down on a whim? No thanks. I'm sure they'll seek more solid investments. NK's moves seem more and more suicidal by the day. I'm really at a loss to explain it, other than sheer insanity. My only guess is that Un is now completely delusional....that's the only thing that seems to explain it, that he has completely lost his grip on reality, and if so, a coup is sure to follow.

Gazrok... I kind of decided 2 weeks ago that I understood Exactly what Un is up to and why he is doing this.

My Guess, it's an elaborate show for NK's generals that he is "with the program" of following Grandpas ideals and methods.... by and large to avoid getting shot in the face.

DPRK nixes any hope of talks over the US citizen being put in prison for 15 years english.yonhapnews.co.kr... from the link

2013/05/05 16:36 KST
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N. Korea says won't invite U.S. figures over jailed Korean-American
SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Sunday that it will not invite any U.S. figures to Pyeongang to seek the release of a jailed Korean-American, as he is not a "political bargaining chip" in any talks with Washington.

"The DPRK (North Korea) has no plan to invite anyone of the U.S. as regards the issue," a foreign ministry spokesman told the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in an English dispatch monitored in Seoul.

aslo form the link Park to visit US

Park embarks on trip to U.S. for first summit with Obama

Park embarks on trip to U.S. for first summit with Obama width= SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye left for the United States on Sunday for her first summit with President Barack Obama, an important tete-a-tete expected to focus on getting their ideas about how to deal with North Korea in sync. Full story

like is said last night boring but still news, should I still post them as I see them? or post the war worthy ones? what say yea oh ATS.

Even twitter is pretty much dead on any new info, Since we both follow the same sources it seems that well for now all is good and "well". I think this won't be long though,

I have a feeling this time SK won't back down. Its openly supported by the UN and has no reason to fear NK anymore.
Also I wouldn't be surprised if SK chose not to send workers again to the industrial complex.

But for now all just boring chatter.

reply to post by Senduko

the is the expression calm before the storm. My itchy toe says it will be $h!t storm like no other, just a few more things have got to play out Syria and Iran are connected so to is Pakistan.

reply to post by bekod


Here look at this video, I urge you to watch it.
Its in the OP
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Strange though, the thread isn't getting to much attention.

reply to post by Senduko
It is that no shots are being fired and there is no missile activity once that starts this this will come back to life, right now it is BORING and DULL who wants that stuff!!, even the ones i keep track of have no new news, have a look see english.yonhapnews.co.kr... Same MSM spin and dribble that one can get on CNN. big whoop. KCNA is just as dull if it is up even they have lost there spunk www.kcna.kp... or www.kcna.kp... and thanks for the vid

S. Korea, U.S. hold submarine drill in Yellow Sea
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States on Monday began an anti-submarine drill in the tensely guarded western sea as part of regular exercises amid high tensions with North Korea, military officials said.

The anti-submarine warfare exercise, which lasts until Friday, is the second in a planned series of this year's combined military maneuvers following the last one in February.

Steve Herman ‏@W7VOA 3h

#ROK MND confirms joint naval drill with US this week will include USS Nimitz (CVN-68) supercarrier.

and President Park flies over to the US this week. Last week I read that the US and ROK will be on heightened alert this week and also we could hear some new DPRK propaganda about the south Korean puppet gangster regime and the US imperialist air pirates and their new drill(s)

Originally posted by bekod
This might be the last post here on this thread it seems DPRK and SK are no longer at War with words

Bek!

It ain't over until a) the Fat Man sings (ref to a-bomb) b) the fat man sings (ie more rhetoric from Our Dear Leader)


There is more going on behind the curtains.