North Korea Watch 2013-2019

them same old same old english.yonhapnews.co.kr... from the link

N. Korea again condemns S. Korea's shooting on defection-seeker
SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea again condemned South Korea Saturday for shooting to death a defection-seeker earlier this month, asking the international community to pass its own judgement on the case.
2013/09/28 19:05

Seoul willing to help Pyongyang if denuclearized: FM
NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- The Park Geun-hye administration of South Korea is willing to help North Korea should it avert its course of nuclear weapons development, Seoul's top diplomat said Friday, addressing a U.N. General Assembly meeting.
2013/09/28 15:02

China urges S. Korea to resume nuclear talks with N. Korea
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Yonhap) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged his South Korean counterpart to reopen long-stalled multilateral nuclear talks with North Korea, state media said Saturday.
2013/09/28 12:06

No sign of N. Korea's seriousness on dialogue, U.S. officials say
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- The Obama administration puts a "significant priority" on the North Korean nuclear problem and the communist nation has not shown any signs that it is serious about denuclearization talks, top U.S. officials said Friday.
2013/09/28 06:59

it never changes

Wirral Bagpuss
Well I agree with you to a point. What I think is interesting is that western goods are being smuggled in ie the DVDs of films and so forth via the black market.

Same as with the mobile phones it is mostly the higher middle classes and the rich ( which also happens to be the one's which are allowed to get rich because they 'support' the government) that will have access to the phones and, their kids or grandkids, access to the black market given the high prices. Reform in many ways comes from this very group as they themselves are in the end changed ( corrupted if you will) by these products&ideas and eventually fail to see the danger to their privilege that these changes may create...

Sooner or later the mobile phones will also wend their way to the black market and more and more people in North Korea will wake up to the Grand Deception that is the Kim Dynasty.

Oh people can forgive their government almost any crime as long as they are generally left alone to pursue the acquisition of personal security and enrichment. I mean what are Americans liberals and or progressives doing to stop the crimes of the Obama regime? Are'nt they doing even less than they did to stop Bush when Obama's ( or i should say the machinery he know pretends to lead) assault on the constitution is as great and far better organized and executed? People in North Korea is probably no better or worse informed about the crimes of their government than people in the US and go to just about the same/equivalent social risks to stop it as people anywhere.

People said the USSR would never collapse.

Some did but opinions varied wildly!

Not quite panned out the way I hoped though, with a quasi dictatorship Government in power and with Tsar Putin on the throne but still there is much more relative freedom now than was back in the USSR.

Putin did ( as far as i know, please tell me if i am mistaken) as far as i know actually win his elections thus far and while her certainly manipulated the Russian people and no doubt broke a number of laws in the process when it got to election day he DID win. Bush essentially did the same by breaking numerous election laws beforehand ( and perhaps the Kerry campaign did the same; i would not be surprised) but actually lost the election and his backers ended up having to overtly steal the first election with the second one being more contested but, as i recall, no less stolen. Perhaps you are unaware but i can tell you that much of developed world have watched documentaries 'proving' this to be the case and believe it whether you do or don't.

What North Korea needs is their own Glasnot and Peristrokia. Exciting words back in the days with the end of the Cold War. We all owe Gorby a huge debt of gratitude for saving us from impending nuclear war.

The very significant difference would be that by the time the USSR broke apart it had very real economic and strategy power and depending on who you believe had strategic parity ( superiority in Europe itself) or superiority. Countries may crumble under massive external pressure and the resulting economic or cultural 'attrition' or, in my reading, reach a point where they feel that they can 'change' , or at least allow change, without risking national security. Either way despite knowing the oft cited reasons for the collapse of the USSR i am still not sure why it really went the way it did or why so few could and did predict that it could or would happen that way. It was certainly not a given and despite the economic decline of the 80's the USSR could have gone existed on inertia alone for decades.

As the risk of a large global nuclear war did not lead to the collapse of the USSR so it have not yet and probably never will lead to the fall of the North Korean regime so perhaps it is time the USA normalize relation and start trying to use carrots instead of tree trunks and the like?

I would humbly suggest a strategy of benign neglect where the South Koreans are generously supported in purely economic terms while being allowed to pursue a truly independent political program and a real democracy. Since the South Koreans are much more numerous and much better equipped and, imo, trained they will not be offered military protection ( if they are attacked they can take their case to the UN where they will no doubt gain numerous allies with UN sanction) while any threats the North Koreans make will be completely ignored by one and all in western press. If a war does take place South Korea isn't likely to 'lose' unless China intervenes and if that happens the US national security state will have the war it's spoiling for perhaps without involving the Russian nuclear arsenal which would be a good thing for Americans in general; better to lose a dozen/several dozen major cities than your country, right?

Stellar

Rumors swirl after Ri retires to the shadows

Ri Sol-ju, the first lady of North Korea, has not been shown at any public occasions by the state media following rumors that she was involved in the recent executions of some orchestra members charged with sexual misconduct and praising capitalism.

In addition, the Unhasu Orchestra, a state-run orchestra that Ri used to sing with, has not participated in any public events publicized by the state-run media.

Joongang Daily

This story is still shrouded in mystery, although bit by bit more details seem to be coming out.

Park vows stong defence for DPRK nuks
english.yonhapnews.co.kr... from the link

Park pledges strong defense to render N. Korean nukes useless
2013/10/01 15:22

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SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Park Geun-hye said Tuesday South Korea will build strong defense capabilities to deter threats from North Korea and render its nuclear weapons useless.

Park made the remark during an Armed Forces Day ceremony, saying the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia is "very grave" as North Korea is persistently pursuing nuclear weapons development in an effort to build more sophisticated bombs.

"We have to build strong deterrence against North Korea until the North abandons its nuclear program and makes the right choice for the people of North Korea and peace on the Korean Peninsula," Park said during the ceremony at an airbase in Seongnam, just south of Seoul.

Park also stressed that the reason for the military's existence lies in preventing war.

"While maintaining strong (South) Korea-U.S. joint defense system, the government will secure anti-weapons of mass destruction capabilities, such as kill chain and the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system, at an early date to make North Korea realize on its own that its nuclear weapons and missiles ... are useless."

The kill chain system is designed to detect signs of impending missile or nuclear attacks and launch pre-emptive strikes. The KAMD calls for arming Seoul with the ability to track and shoot down the North's low-flying, short- and medium-range missiles.

and if that is not enough top push Un's buttons here is this english.yonhapnews.co.kr... from the link

U.S. aircraft carrier to visit S. Korea for joint drills next week
2013/09/30 17:26

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By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- American aircraft carrier USS George Washington is due at South Korea's southern port city of Busan next week to participate in joint naval drills as part of their routine training, a military source in Seoul said Monday.

The nuclear-powered 97,000-ton supercarrier, forward deployed to Japan's Yokosuka as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet, is expected to carry out joint drills with the South Korean Navy in the East Sea, the source said.

seems we just like pushing Un's buttons

reply to post by bekod


They are sending an aircraft carrier? This is completely stupid. Once again North Korea will be portrayed as the aggressor when they threaten nuclear strikes. The American public doesn't understand that the US is the aggressor and that the crazy statements coming out of North Korea happen after the US does something that threatens them. Why would you provoke a paranoid state? It is crazy. It seems to me that the US always tries to get the North Koreans to launch an attack requiring a US response. I wouldn't be happy with the US if I were a South Korean.

US SK have defense plan for DPRK use of nukes english.yonhapnews.co.kr... from the link

LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. sign contingency plan against N. Korean nukes
2013/10/02 14:18

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By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States on Wednesday signed a joint military strategy that outlines how to handle the North Korean nuclear threat and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to strengthen the American nuclear umbrella on the Korean Peninsula in light of the communist state's third nuclear test.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his U.S. counterpart, Chuck Hagel, officially signed the bilateral "Tailored Deterrence Strategy against North Korea Nuclear and other WMD Threats" during their annual Security Consultative Meeting.



South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin (R) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (L) during the annual Security Consultative Meeting held in Seoul on Oct. 2, 2013. (Yonhap)
The Pentagon chief reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to support deterrence capabilities with its full range of military capabilities, including the nuclear umbrella, conventional strike and missile defense.

"This strategy establishes a strategic alliance framework for tailoring deterrence against key North Korean nuclear threat scenarios across armistice and wartime, and strengthens the integration of alliance capabilities to maximize their deterrence effects," the joint communique said.

"The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States are committed to maintaining close consultation on deterrence matters to ensure that extended deterrence for the ROK remains credible, capable and enduring."

The plan details contingency counter-actions against various nuclear provocations, calling for pre-emptive strikes against the origin of attack if the North were to use its nuclear weapons, a senior ministry official said, without elaborating on the details of the classified military information.

and the navy drills kick off english.yonhapnews.co.kr... from the link

S. Korea, U.S., Japan carry out joint naval drills
2013/10/02 12:14

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By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has been jointly carrying out naval drills with United States and Japan in waters off the Korean Peninsula's southern coast to bolster interoperability between the nations, a military source in Seoul said Wednesday.

The drills began earlier this week to carry out maritime maneuvering to enhance missile detection capabilities, involving American aircraft carrier USS George Washington and Aegis destroyers of South Korea and Japan, the source said.

The training also includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam CG-54 and guided-missile destroyer USS Preble DDG 88, as well as fighter jets, anti-submarine helicopters and early warning aircraft.

Following the trilateral training, the nuclear-powered 97,000-ton supercarrier is expected to carry out joint drills with the South Korean Navy in the East Sea.

The ship will arrive in the South Korean port city of Busan on Friday, and carry out maritime training exercises with South Korean warships and Aegis destroyers for two or three days next week, he said.

"The training is expected to include aircraft carrier maneuvers, anti-submarine drills and maritime training," the source said, speaking under anonymity as he is not authorized to talk to the media. "It is a routine training conducted two or three times when a U.S. carrier makes a port call here."

more news here english.yonhapnews.co.kr...

tonights new news DPRK not happy with SK over Mil parade english.yonhapnews.co.kr... from the link

LEAD) N. Korea slams Seoul's Armed Forces Day parade
2013/10/02 21:32

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SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Wednesday lambasted South Korea's large-scale Armed Forces Day parade as evidence of Seoul's hostility against it and said such provocations "will get them nowhere."

South Korea's military mobilized some 11,000 troops, 190 pieces of various equipment and 120 aircraft for the ceremony held at an airbase south of the capital city on Tuesday. The event, which was the largest organized in a decade, also included a parade by troops and military hardware through the center of Seoul.

"The puppet warmongers' action is little short of a poor farce to tighten military tie-up with their U.S. master, escalate the confrontation with compatriots and fan up the anti-north war fever," said an article carried by the Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

The North has always insisted that South Korea and the United States started the 1950-53 Korean War by invading the communist country and has never acknowledged that it started the bloody conflict that devastated the entire peninsula.

and then US sets guidelines of DPRK talks english.yonhapnews.co.kr...

(LEAD) U.S. mulls conditions for talks with N. Korea
2013/10/03 05:44


By Lee Chi-dong

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Yonhap) -- After months of strategic disregard of North Korea, the Obama administration appears to be listing specific actions North Korea should take for the resumption of talks.

A senior State Department official described it as a "credible threshold" for North Korea on diplomacy.

Secretary of State John Kerry will confer with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, "on what that means in terms of specific steps," the official told reporters on background, as they were heading to Tokyo, according to a transcript released by the department.

Kerry will attend the Security Consultative Committee (SCC) meeting on Thursday, in which Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will also participate. The SCC is widely called the two-plus-two session between the allies.

The department official said North Korea will be a main agenda item, along with territorial disputes in the South China and East China seas as well as Syria and other pending global issues.

Pyongyang has called for the resumption of any type of dialogue with Washington. The Obama administration remains firm in its position that it won't have talks for talks' sake.

But many express worries that the unpredictable communist nation will turn to another provocation cycle if its peace offensive bears no fruit.

things seem to be getting hot there

Commercial satellite imagery indicates that North Korea has restarted its five-megawatt gas-graphite reactor in Yongbyon.

A photo taken on Sept. 19 shows hot wastewater being released into the Kuryong River from a recently installed drainpipe, part of a new secondary cooling system completed in the summer, according to the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

"The release of hot water indicates that the reactor is in operation and the turbine powered electrical generators are producing power," the institute said on its website, 38 North.

The U.S. has also come under growing pressure from China to lower the bar and sit down with the North Koreans.

Adding to the pressure, China recently published a list of dual-use items to be banned from export to North Korea that could be used for its nuclear weapons program.

Chinese officials say it's Washington's turn to do something to resume the six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons drive.

oh but wait there more, China is in on the act as well

In the two-plus-two meeting, the top policymakers of the U.S. and Japan will "compare notes on the recent actions by China, including their decision to impose an export ban in an effort to prevent North Korea from obtaining material that could facilitate its WMD program," the State Department official said. "We will also explore what more we need in terms of both cooperation from China on the pressure track and what we would consider a credible threshold for North Korea on the diplomatic track."

On his trip to Washington in September, meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he was confident of reaching a "new, important" deal with Kerry on ways to resume six-way talks. Still, there has been no news of significant progress.

Observers here say the U.S. may agree to hold "exploratory talks" with North Korea to weigh its intentions.

[email protected]

[email protected]

(END)

well what will the next move be ?? Un calls Rod man for a visit ? DPRK put down SK again?, or does it become a war?

reply to post by Adaluncatif


I wanted to wait and see what Un had to say ,seems he is more upset by SK's parde than a US CVN. seems SK upstaged him in their parade, more toys than him. here is the link for it english.yonhapnews.co.kr... the war games go on and on , Un ueses them as a soap box , just wait he have one of his own soon . war drill and parade.

North rejects South’s offer at UN

UNITED NATIONS - North Korea spurned South Korea’s offer of development aid in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons Tuesday, saying “this can never, ever, be a political bargaining chip.”

North Korean counselor Sang Beom-lim was speaking in the “right of reply” session at the end of the annual General Assembly speeches, when countries unleash their most outspoken diplomats to counter arguments made by other countries in their high-level speeches.

He spoke a few hours after North Korea’s vice foreign minister, Pak Kil-yon, blamed the “hostile policy” of the United States for continuing tension on the divided Korean Peninsula.

Pak told the UN General Assembly the United States is aiming at military domination of Northeast Asia and has designated North Korea as “its first attack target.”

Joongang Daily


`Roh failed to hand over 2007 minutes'

The prosecution announced Wednesday that the minutes of the second inter-Korean summit in 2007 were not handed over to the National Archives of Korea (NAK).

Pertinent regulations require the handover of all presidential data to the NAK at the end of a president’s term.

The finding is putting the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on the defensive in a truth game triggered over an allegation that the late President Roh Moo-hyun expressed a willingness to give up South Korea’s western maritime border in the summit with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Korea Times

After many months of searching for the missing minutes, the Prosecution Office has finally found them.
If those minutes are the same as the ones from the NIS, I expect that NK will try to claim a new NLL.

reply to post by -Rugged Shark-

This just proves that Un wants nukes no matter what , he would let his people starve or eat each other than give up weapons of war. There is no hope of peace in the Koreas as long as Un wants or thinks he needs nukes.

reply to post by bekod


Yeah, I can see more sanctions coming their way in the near future.
Unfortunately, it's their people who will pay the price for the sanctions.

reply to post by -Rugged Shark-

and that might be the tipping point to a hot war and Un would use nukes. you can only push some one so far before he gives or fights back, and Un will not give in. China will have to force him to give them up

Rations Absent for Potato Workers

With the exception of teachers, reports suggest that citizens mobilized for the potato harvest in Daehongdan County in Yangkang Province will not receive their anticipated rations.

A source in Yangkang Province conveyed that, “In previous years after the harvest was completed, the mobilized citizens were given one or two months worth of potatoes. However this year their workplaces informed them that only teachers can expect rations. Normal laborers are already worrying about having enough to eat as winter approaches.”

The source added that most of the processed starch from the potatoes harvested at the cooperative farm in Daehongdan will be distributed in Pyongyang, leaving locals deeply concerned.

“Those going around with their faces all aglow come from households with teachers. Everyone else is so worried. Some are even unsure if they can make basic kimchi this year.”

“Every year for around 20 days the people of Yangkang Province mobilize to harvest the potatoes. It’s hard labor, and they suffer. Some found a little solace in that they could expect rations at the end of it, but this year they’re not even getting that.”

According to the source, both Daehongdan and Baekam Counties are expected to produce comparatively bumper crops this year. This is of little consequence for locals however, as most of the newly-harvested potatoes are needed to make potato starch destined for Pyongyang.

DailyNK

North Slams Park Geun Hye Speech

North Korea has criticized President Park Geun Hye by name in response to an Armed Forces Day speech during which President Park emphasized elements of South Korea’s military strength and criticized the North’s adherence to a policy of simultaneously developing its nuclear and economic strength.

A representative for the National Defense Commission told KCNA, "If Park Geun Hye and her party cooperates with foreign forces trying to topple our system and terminate our nuclear program they will in effect be digging their own grave.”

"Our nuclear weapons are peaceful tools used to completely eradicate the ongoing American nuclear threat and lead the Korean Peninsula on a path of denuclearization along with the rest of the world.,” the piece went on. “Park Geun Hye and her party should refrain from thoughtlessly trying to bring ‘change’ to others.”

Calling the Park Geun Hye administration “ignorant and depraved,” the piece concluded with reference to the rule of Park’s father, “If Park Geun Hye is really a politician, she should correctly assess world affairs and speak appropriately. If she can't, she needs to know that she will end up like the Yushin dictator and other puppet presidents."

In the speech that incited the above reaction, Park told an event held to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the South Korean military, "We need to make the North Korean regime see that their obsession with nuclear weapons and missiles is no longer useful."

Daily NK

here is the new news , nothing new , US CVN makes port of call in SK here is the link with other news english.yonhapnews.co.kr... other than that nothing new worth posting.

reply to post by -Rugged Shark-

oh and here is another Un spun point of view english.yonhapnews.co.kr... from the link

N. Korea vows not give up nuclear weapons under U.S. pressure
2013/10/05 19:25

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SEOUL, Oct. 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea reiterated its nuclear ambition Saturday, saying it will never give up its nuclear arsenal unless the United States first ends its hostility toward the communist country.

The North's acerbic rhetoric, which is not new, comes as the United States is set to launch joint naval exercises with South Korea and Japan off the Korean Peninsula's east coast next week. The U.S. naval fleet taking part in the routine drills includes nuclear-powered supercarrier USS George Washington.

"Under the condition where the United States' nuclear threat (against the North) continues, it is so reasonable for us to possess and further develop nuclear capabilities to defend its dignity and the safety of the nation," North Korea said in a statement issued through its Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, a party organization handling inter-Korean affairs.

"To fairly resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, the United States' nuclear threat, which is the very source of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula in the first place, must be removed, along with the United States' hostile policy toward the DPRK, and the U.S. forces in South Korea must withdraw with its nuclear weapons," it added, referring to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The statement, carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency, came one day after the country's top military organization, the

National Defense Commission, vehemently criticized South Korean President Park Geun-hye for urging the North to give up its nuclear ambition.

In its Saturday statement, North Korea again blasted the South Korean president, saying that Park "should keep silent if she has nothing right to say."

"For the rogues, who do not even have the basic knowledge about North-South relations and know nothing about manners or morality, to speak of manners and to call (North Korea) unreasonable are, in fact, an intolerable provocation and ridicule toward us," the statement said.

"The Park Geun-hye group must listen carefully to our rightful criticism and just warnings and stop making useless remarks, and behave itself in order to avoid a miserable fate," it added.

[email protected]

(END)

got to hand it to him er Un, and the DPRK , every one is to blame but them, well Un, er DPRK ,if you did not threaten the return of war , then we would not need to be there in the ROK

Party up, army down in the DPRK

Since the beginning of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s tenure, power in the Communist regime has shifted from the National Defense Commission, regarded as the top decision-making body of the military, to the Politburo of the ruling Workers’ Party, sources in South Korea said.

Representatives Yoon Sang-hyun of South Korea’s Saenuri Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, told the JoongAng Ilbo that he had obtained a once-secret report from several government organizations entitled “North Korea’s 30 Inner-Circle Elites.”

“After analyzing the report, in which the government investigated the power structure of the North Korean Workers’ Party, the government and the military, I found that 25 of the 30 most powerful people in North Korea have positions in the ruling party’s Politburo,” Yoon said.

According to the report, the 25 power elite include two standing members, 11 members and 12 nominated members of the Politburo.

When Kim Jong-il was in power, there were only eight high-profile officials with posts in the Politburo: Kim himself, who was the only standing member of the group, three members and five nominated members.

But under Kim Jong-un, the Politburo is emerging as a core organization. Kim Yong-nam, chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea, and Choe Ryong-hae, director of the General Political Bureau of the North Korean Army, both regarded as inner-circle aides to Kim Jong-un, have both been appointed standing members of the Politburo.

Joongang Daily

little Un is throwing a fit once again The US and SK are having war drills and Un has to threaten war once more english.yonhapnews.co.kr... ok i said this at 1550 he would be up to his old tricks once a gain 1617 is the time of it.

reply to post by bekod


It's just their way of protesting against the upcoming military drills conducted by SK/US.
They might issue 1 or 2 more threats but that will about it.

S. Korea's spy agency confirms N. Korea restarted Yongbyon reactor

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea spy agency confirmed Tuesday that the North has restarted its Yongbyon reactor that had been mothballed since 2007.

The National Intelligence Service told lawmakers that the five megawatt graphite moderated reactor has restarted operations, said Rep. Cho Won-jin.

Yonhap

Not a very wise move, that facility is in a poor condition. Even Russian experts called it "nightmarish".