N. Korea

[Jesuscookies]

This kind of crap, quite frankly, scares the hell out of me. It is little, seemingly, innocous run-ins like this that turn to world wars.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101127/ts_nm/us_korea_north1

South Korea Marines vow "thousand-fold" revenge

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea's Marine commander on Saturday vowed "thousand -fold" retaliation days after a North Korean attack that killed two servicemen as protesters demanded tougher action by the government against its reclusive neighbor.

The two Marines were honored with a gun salute into the sunny autumn sky as families wailed and grim-faced officials saluted the funeral cortege, days after North Korea rained shells on a tiny island in the heaviest attack on South Korea since the 1950-53 civil war.

"All Marines, including Marines on service and reserve Marines, will avenge the two at any cost, keeping today's anger and hostility in mind," Lieutenant General Yoo Nak Joon, commander of the South Korean Marine Corps, said, speaking in front of a hearse lightly dusted by snow.

"We will put our feelings of rage and animosity in our bones and take our revenge on North Korea."

The funeral was followed by three separate anti-North Korea protests in the capital as a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier headed for joint maneuvers with South Korea on Sunday, infuriating North Korea and prompting a warning from its only major ally, China.

"It's time for action. Time for retaliation. Let's hit the presidential palace in Pyongyang," shouted close to 1,000 Marine veterans in downtown Seoul.

President Lee Myung-bak was holding a meeting of security officials, Yonhap news agency said. South Korea's new defense minister called for tougher action against North Korea, local media reported. A Seoul newspaper also reported the government plans to sharply increase defense spending next year.

"We need to deal with North Korea's provocations strongly," Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin was quoted as telling presidential aides by the Chosun Ilbo newspaper. "We need to hit back multiple times as hard."

The Korea Economic Daily said the government had proposed a 5.8 percent increase in the 2011 defense budget to about $27 billion to buy more self-propelled artillery and fighter-bombers, far more than the 3.6 percent rise this year.

It said parliament could approve an even higher amount, given this week's shelling by North Korean forces of Yeonpyeong island near the disputed maritime boundary.

NOT STRONG ENOUGH

Lawmakers have blasted President Lee Myung-bak's government for not responding strongly enough. The defense minister resigned, taking responsibility, and Kim, a career soldier, was appointed in his place.

Regional giant China has said it is determined to prevent an escalation of the violence but warned against military acts near its coast as U.S. and South Korean forces prepare for exercises in the Yellow Sea.

A North Korean website (http://www.uriminzokkiri) operated by the government propaganda agency said the war drills were "another unforgivable military provocation."

"(The North) will make the stronghold of the enemy a sheet of flames if they violate its territory even by 0.01 mm."

The U.S. military said the exercises, planned long before Tuesday's attack, were designed to deter North Korea and were not aimed at China.

The United States is sending an aircraft carrier group led by the nuclear-powered USS George Washington for the maneuvers with South Korea.

"We've routinely operated in waters off the Korean peninsula for years," said Captain Darryn James, a Pentagon spokesman. "These latest provocations have been by the North and they need to take ownership of those, not us."

U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said North Korea's nuclear ambitions and leader Kim Jong-il's unpredictability increased the threat of regional instability.

"It's hard to know why China doesn't push harder," Mullen told CNN television's Fareed Zakaria GPS in comments due to air on Sunday. "My sense is they try to control this guy. And I'm not sure he is controllable."

North Korea has entered an unpredictable period of leadership transition with the elevation of Kim Jong-il's youngest son, Kim Jong-un, in September to the rank of general -- in a clear sign he is the chosen successor.

Mullen has said he believes the artillery attack and the sinking in March of a South Korean warship, which the United States and South Korea blamed on the North, are likely linked to Kim Jong-il's "posturing" to allow the eventual succession.

Calling for calm after the attack, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met North Korean ambassador Ji Jae Ryong in Beijing and talked by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan.

"The top priority now is to keep the situation under control and to ensure such events do not happen again," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

[shrink]

N. Korea, So is this the beginning of the end?

We can only hope.

[mykeuva]

It's definitely not a good situation. China needs to take some responsibility, and fast, before it has a real ugly situation on its border.

[cigcars]

*Boy, I sure hope it doesn't lead to "The End"! There's some speculation by educated observers that this might be Kim Jong IL's attempt to transition to manhood-test his son & successor Seriously IL (stolen from Jay Leno's show), whom he has appointed a 4 star general The north Koreans are truly starving to death over there. There was some wildlife there, small & large, that have totally disappeared. Birds and crawling things - disappeared. They're eating anything they can find. ALL resources are spent on the military forces there. It's almost like ANYTHING that happens over there could make for some change as far as the regular population that's suffering. But what do I know...I'm only a casual observer of world events who'd like to see everyone have the basics of survival and some recreation to unwind from the brutal, harsh realities of survival - and be able to start livin', lovin' and laughin'

[Jesuscookies]

It's definitely not a good situation. China needs to take some responsibility, and fast, before it has a real ugly situation on its border.

With China's new found world position, I wonder if they will be more inclined to do a little test flexing of their muscles against the evil west, rather than pull the leash back on the North?

[mykeuva]

With China's new found world position, I wonder if they will be more inclined to do a little test flexing of their muscles against the evil west, rather than pull the leash back on the North?

If that's what China is thinking, then the West simply needs to hint to China that it will allow South Korea and Japan to have more responsibility in their own defenses, meaning allowing them to both become nuclear powers (which they could easily do.) China would then have to decide whether allowing North Korea to play these games is worth allowing two nations in China's sphere, with no fondness for China, to become nuclear powers. I'd guess that China would prefer simply pressuring North Korea to cool it.

I honestly don't see another way out of this. The only way to settle this situation nonviolently that I can see is through China. And the only way to get China to put serious pressure on NKorea is threaten China with something that it doesn't want.

[dicko]

It's definitely not a good situation. China needs to take some responsibility, and fast, before it has a real ugly situation on its border.

100 % agree. Are they going to be a benevolent and responsible world power ? Let's hope so.

[jawofboston]

If that's what China is thinking, then the West simply needs to hint to China that it will allow South Korea and Japan to have more responsibility in their own defenses, meaning allowing them to both become nuclear powers (which they could easily do.) China would then have to decide whether allowing North Korea to play these games is worth allowing two nations in China's sphere, with no fondness for China, to become nuclear powers. I'd guess that China would prefer simply pressuring North Korea to cool it.

I honestly don't see another way out of this. The only way to settle this situation nonviolently that I can see is through China. And the only way to get China to put serious pressure on NKorea is threaten China with something that it doesn't want.

Well, China doesn't want US aircraft carriers tooling around its neighborhood, so maybe that will motivate them enough to do something. Short of that maybe it is time we gave Japan the bomb.

[mykeuva]

Well, China doesn't want US aircraft carriers tooling around its neighborhood, so maybe that will motivate them enough to do something. Short of that maybe it is time we gave Japan the bomb.

Nah, that's not motivation enough. Yes, China would rather the US not be there, but it knows the US doesn't want to enter into the conflict, and that the US has no particular hatred towards China. Japan and Korea both have histories with China that aren't too friendly, and they are nations that compete for power within the same area as China. China definitely does not want to have those two nations become nuclear powers on China's doorstep. As for the US China knows that the US will go home and prefers not to be there.

[Jesuscookies]

More shenanigans.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101128/ts_nm/us_korea_north1

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea has placed surface-to-surface missiles on launch pads in the Yellow Sea, Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday.

It said also the reclusive state had moved surface-to-air missiles near frontline areas.

The reports came as the United States and South Korea began joint military exercises in waters west of the Korean Peninsula in the face of opposition by regional giant China and threats of "consequences" from Pyongyang.

South Korea also ordered residents of an island shelled by North Korea last Tuesday to evacuate to shelters, a Reuters witness said.

"They ordered people here to move to shelters saying there is an emergency situation," the witness said, adding there were no details available.

(Reporting by Kim Do-gyun, Writing by Cheon Jong-woo; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

[MIKA27]

Easier said than done but why doesn't someone send in a 'splinter cell' and take out Kim Jong and son?

[CanuckSARTech]

Easier said than done but why doesn't someone send in a 'splinter cell' and take out Kim Jong and son?

Oooooh, so agreed. If only. But, you'd almost have to take out more of the upper eschelons of the military hierarchy there - they're all off their rockers likely, after so many years of fanatical isolationism and warmongering paranoia.

[Daidemo]

Easier said than done but why doesn't someone send in a 'splinter cell' and take out Kim Jong and son?

LOL - like American "intelligence" tried with explosive cigars for Fidel?

I was living in China for four years and been in North Korea at least five times.

Chinese will never jeopardize their relation with NK - it is too valuable for their influence in NE Asia (and leverage over USA and Japan).

[jawofboston]

LOL - like American "intelligence" tried with explosive cigars for Fidel?

I was living in China for four years and been in North Korea at least five times.

Chinese will never jeopardize their relation with NK - it is too valuable for their influence in NE Asia (and leverage over USA and Japan).

William F. Buckley once commented on the attempted assassination of a dictator by saying that "it had all the marks of a CIA operation; everyone in the room was killed except the target." I've always found that funny.

[thechenman]

Personally I don't think it is a major concern. N. Korea does that every now and then to get concessions by promising to step down its military activity. As has been pointed out, the N. Koreans are starving. They need food, medicine, fuel, forgiveness of debt, hard currency and the list goes on and on. They will continue to try and get China, S. Korea, Japan and the U.S. around the bargaining table and then make their demands. Its the same old, same old. Some things seem to never change. If N. Korea really wanted to start a conflict, it would have just launched against U.S. forces along the DMZ.

[winelover]

I lived in Korea for nearly two years and it always amazed me quite how indifferent people were to the North Korean threat and how they saw any incidents or provocations as merely efforts to extract more aid out of the South. These days the current South Korean President has taken a hardline on North Korean matters since taking office moving away from a 'sunshine policy' where South Korea provided very generous support to the North.

I still think that the recent attacks on a remote island and the sinking of the Cheonan were also deliberately calculated conflagrations that North Korea knows it can get away with, without provoking an all out war. I don't think it is just to extract negotiating concessions from the South, it is also because N. Korea needs to flex its military muscle every now and then to show its might and to boost nationalistic sentiment which is especially important when there is little else going for the regime when the economy is in the doldrums and the population are starving.

My concern right now is that a small act by a low-ranking officer taken outside of his authority could start off a war as tensions are running so high at the moment and a small spark could light up the tinder box. I very much hope I am wrong because the prospect of another Korean war does not bear thinking about. Also I do not think that China has as much influence over the war-mongering North Korean generals as they do over the leadership, so I don't think we can rely too much on them reining in the DPRK.