North Korea (Superthread)

[karl28]

          In my own opinion I think it's horrible that the ship was sunk and all those sailors died .  Unfortunately the politic structure of most of South Korea  allies we will never see more than sanctions against North Korea as those allied government do not have the stomach for anything harsher .

 

[57Chevy]

do not have the stomach for anything harsher .

A sure sign of weakness. Media coverage is the major cause of so many protests of just about
anything on the world scene. The slightest stir and half the world flips out.
If you do this..........protest. If you do that..........protest.
A real... :worms:

 

[karl28]

57Chevy


          I here you on that seems like every time you turn the news on there are protesters some where . 

 

[Edward Campbell]

What would you suggest the West do, if they had the stomach for it?

How would the US and its allies fight and win a major land war in Asia? How long would it take? How much would it cost? How would we mobilize the millions and millions of soldiers required IF the Chinese decide to enter the fray?

Just asking ...

 

[57Chevy]

What would you suggest the West do, if they had the stomach for it?

How would the US and its allies fight and win a major land war in Asia? How long would it take? How much would it cost? How would we mobilize the millions and millions of soldiers required IF the Chinese decide to enter the fray?

Just asking ...

I'm not talking about war with China.
I was stating the fact that no matter what happens on the world scene there are protests for and against any particular decision taken by governments. This is the way the world has become.

The media input (which at times is biased) caters toward one side or the other. One must therfore
read a multitude of news articles of the given topic to get a true idea of what is really happening.
Most people don't go that far, and are somewhat manipulated into believing that what they read is the whole truth....and nothing but the truth. As they say, "BS baffles brains". End result....people
protesting things that they know very little about. Some are follower protesters, who protest for the
simple reason of protesting. And then there are the "hate" protesters, who protest anything government.
Personally speaking, I don't take part in protests of any kind. No matter what the issue.

 

[CougarKing]

An update about the DPRK submarine fleet:

Between 70 and 80 percent of North Korea's submarine fleet is stationed along the eastern coast, where four shark-class submarines disappeared recently from South Korean radars. Compared to the shallow waters of the West Sea, conditions in the East Sea are so favorable to submarines that it has been referred to as a "paradise" for them.

North Korea has around 70 submarines -- 20 Romeo-class subs weighing 1,800 tons, 40 shark-class subs (325 tons) and 10 salmon-class subs (130 tons). A salmon-class sub is believed to be responsible for sinking the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan.

There are four North Korean submarine bases along the east coast, including Chaho Base where the four shark-class subs that vanished are stationed, as well as Mayangdo, Toejo and Wonsan, all in South Hamgyong Province.

Chaho and Mayangdo are the main bases. Chaho is equipped with a cave to protect submarines from aerial attacks as well as a canal that can transport submarines faster to the ocean. A Google Earth image unveiled a few years ago shows eight Romeo-class and three shark-class submarines at Chaho.

The Mayangdo Base is near the site of an abortive light-water reactor project in Sinpo and is ideal for safe docking and hiding submarines. It apparently houses Romeo, shark and even whiskey-class training submarines. The base in Toejo is home to North Korea's eastern naval command and the shark-class submarine that was stranded off the coast of Gangneung in 1996 carrying 25 North Korean spies.

Using the East Sea, which makes it difficult to detect submarines, small North Korean submarines apparently infiltrated South Korean waters regularly during the 1990s. A log found aboard a yugo-class North Korean submarine captured off the coast of Sokcho in 1998 showed records of numerous infiltrations. South Korea's First Naval Command, which covers the East Sea, has dispatched destroyers, convoys and corvettes to search for the four submarines that have disappeared from radars.

link

 

[57Chevy]

UN council 'gravely concerned' at Korea ship sinking:

      UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council expressed grave concern Monday over the deadly sinking of a South Korean naval ship in March that has heightened tension on the Korean peninsula.

Seoul, which has accused North Korea of torpedoing the corvette Cheonan on March 26, killing 46 sailors, brought the dispute to the Security Council this month, asking the 15-nation body to take action to deter "further provocation."

Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller, president of the council this month, read out an agreed statement to reporters after two separate informal briefings from South and North Korean delegations on the incident.

"The Security Council is gravely concerned with this incident that caused the death of 46 sailors and its impact on peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," Heller said. The careful wording did not say who was to blame for the incident.

"The Security Council makes a strong call to the parties to refrain from any act that could escalate tensions in the region and makes an appeal to preserve peace and stability in the Korean peninsula," he said. "The Security Council will continue its consultations on this incident."

(article continues)

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/council+gravely+concerned+Korea+ship+sinking/3154021/story.html#ixzz0qvqkpUZt

              (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)

 

[CougarKing]

Chosun link


North Korea asked China to provide it with the latest J-10 fighter jets and other hardware but was rejected, it emerged Wednesday.

According to a high-ranking source in the North, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il made the request to Chinese President Hu Jintao when he visited China in early May. But Hu apparently told Kim that China will protect and support him if attacked.
Observers guess this is the reason why Kim left a day earlier than scheduled.

One North Korean defector who used to be a high-ranking official said, "Kim is increasingly afraid of an attack by South Korean and U.S. forces" following the North's sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette in March. The North Korean leader therefore wanted to get his hands on the latest Chinese fighter jets to counter South Korea's F-15 and F-16 fighter planes.

"Kim wouldn't have visited China with such a large entourage if he merely wanted economic assistance," the defector said. Another North Korean defector and former soldier said Pyongyang may have bolstered its so-called asymmetric warfare capabilities by strengthening special forces "but still lags behind South Korea in terms of naval and air force capabilities and feels threatened."

There is speculation that North Korea is forced to lean on China because it does not have the money to buy expensive Sukhoi fighters from Russia.

 

[CougarKing]

Defense News link

The leaked secrets include a military operation to be carried out in case of all-out war with North Korea, Yonhap said.

The arrest of the general followed the June 3 detention of two people accused of handing over military secrets to North Korea, Yonhap said.

It said one of them was a former spy for South Korea who acquired military secrets through the general and handed them to a North Korean agent in China in return for an unspecified payment.

The South periodically detains people accused of spying for its communist neighbor.

A female North Korean spy arrested last month used sex to secure sensitive information on Seoul's subway system, prosecutors have said.

In another case, a female North Korean spy was arrested and jailed for five years in 2008. She had admitted having sex with a South Korean army officer to secure secret information."

Also note this older thread below about another N.Korean female spy who used sex to get military secrets:

link

 

[57Chevy]

North Korea issues no-sail warning; missile eyed: report

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has issued a no-sail warning off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula in what may be preparations for a missile launch, a South Korean news report said on Friday.
Tensions between the two Koreas have grown since the South blamed the North of torpedoing one of its navy ships in March killing 46 sailors. The North denies involvement in the sinking, saying the accusation is a fabricated political ploy.

"North Korea has designated a north-west area of the (Yellow Sea) as a no-sail zone for June 19th to 27th," the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper quoted a government official as saying.

"This could be a measure aimed at launching a short range missile," the official said.

North Korea test launched a barrage of missiles last year including a long-range ballistic missile, defying calls by the South and the United Nations to halt them.

Analysts said the moves were aimed at boosting leader Kim Jong-il's political standing at home and were also military grandstanding intended to gain a better bargaining position as regional powers tried to coax Pyongyang back to nuclear negotiations

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65O00F20100625?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FworldNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+International%29

    (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)

 

[GAP]

  North Korea to pick new leader
By Jack Kim, REUTERS
Article Link

North Korea will hold a ruling Workers' Party convention in September to choose a new leadership, state media said on Saturday, as leader Kim Jong-il seeks to pave the way for his youngest son to succeed him.

Kim suffered a stroke in 2008 and his son Jong-un is widely believed to be his favoured choice as the dynastic state's next leader.

"The Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee decides to convene early in September ... a conference of the WPK for electing its highest leading body reflecting the new requirements of the WPK," the North's official KCNA news agency reported.

The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is the ruling body of the reclusive state and Kim Jong-il serves as the general secretary, besides his official role as the chairman of the increasingly powerful National Defence Commission.

Analysts said the role of the Workers' Party has diminished over the past decades as the North put increasing focus on its military power, but the party's ideology dictates political legitimacy of its leadership.

Kim, 68, has also reshuffled the Defence Commission to put close aides sympathetic to dynastic succession on the panel.

At the same time, Pyongyang is under intense diplomatic pressure to concede responsibility in the sinking of a South Korean navy ship in March that killed 46 sailors and drove security tensions on the Korean peninsula to new heights.

GROOMING A NEW LEADER

Jong-un has been tipped as the most likely successor to his father, but he has little experience and is believed to be only in his 20s.

But South Korea's spy chief has been quoted as telling a closed-door session of a parliamentary committee this week that a campaign to boost his image has been ongoing behind the scenes due to concerns in Pyongyang about Kim's poor health.

Kim himself began his official role to succeed his father and state founder by taking on a Workers Party title at a convention in 1980 when he was 38.

Becoming a standing member of the Political Bureau that year was widely believed to be the first step in establishing himself as an heir to Kim Il-sung, who died suddenly in the summer of 1994.
More on link

 

[OldSolduer]

Will this one be as ronry as his fajer?

 

[spear]

Just can't imagine how great would these 2 countries become if they ever reunited in peace with one armed forces.

 

[midget-boyd91]

Just can't imagine how great would these 2 countries become if they ever reunited in peace with one armed forces.

Seems like someone has already had that thought cross their mind...
http://article.wn.com/view/2010/06/11/Homefront_E3_2010_Trailer_Shows_Chilling_Future_War/

Oddball

 

[karl28]

Oddball
                  Hey there interesting link is that for an upcoming movie that is coming out ?

 

[midget-boyd91]

Oddball
                  Hey there interesting link is that for an upcoming movie that is coming out ?

I believe it is a videogame. Looks like a modern take of Red Dawn.

 

[CougarKing]

Well the backstory writers behind "Homefront" apparently didn't do enough research since their scenario is ludicrous.

Homefront video game trailer

No matter how charismatic the real Kim Jong Un may turn out to be when he finally assumes power, the people of South Korea will not be conned into uniting with the North and putting themselves under Pyongyang's rule in such a short time, as seen in the game trailer.

Then you have Japan summarily surrendering in 2018 and joining the "Greater Korean Republic" after 3-5 years of intimidation and threats from the Koreans? As well as the new unified/Greater Korea conquering East and Southeast Asia unchecked for a number of years before they launch their "Red Dawn" attack on North America?

Riiiiiiiight.  :

 

[midget-boyd91]

Well the backstory writers behind "Homefront" apparently didn't do enough research since their scenario is ludicrous.

Homefront video game trailer

No matter how charismatic the real Kim Jong Un may turn out to be when he finally assumes power, the people of South Korea will not be conned into uniting with the North and putting themselves under Pyongyang's rule in such a short time, as seen in the game trailer.

Then you have Japan summarily surrendering in 2018 and joining the "Greater Korean Republic" after 3-5 years of intimidation and threats from the Koreans? As well as the new unified/Greater Korea conquering East and South Asia unchecked for a number of years before they launch their "Red Dawn" attack on North America?

Riiiiiiiight.  :

There's been a couple nights where a couple friends and I sat for hours drinking a flat of Keith's while shooting Nazi Zombies in a bombed out Japanese airstrip .... realism and videogames aren't exactly synonymous. 

 

[hold_fast]

Seems like the fun-loving country isn't too happy about some G8 comments, of course. They're back to talking about nuclear war and anti-US demonstrations:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704212804575333912405879680.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

SEOUL – North Korea on Monday raised the specter of testing another nuclear explosive in a statement that leveled more criticism at the United States.

The statement used the term "nuclear deterrent," as it did before testing nuclear explosions in October 2006 and May 2009, and went a step farther by suggesting it had a new or different approach.

"The recent disturbing development on the Korean peninsula underscores the need for the DPRK to bolster its nuclear deterrent in a newly developed way to cope with the U.S. persistent hostile policy," the statement said.

It was issued by the country's foreign ministry and transmitted by its state news agency. DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

It's unclear what development North Korea was referring to and the country's authoritarian regime has long told its people that the U.S. and South Korea are poised to invade it.

But officials in Pyongyang have sharply increased the harsh statements aimed at the U.S. and South Korea since late May, when South Korea formally accused the North of the March sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors.

South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are pushing for the United Nations Security Council to recognize North Korea's culpability in the ship sinking.

The topic came up at the summit meeting of world economic leaders in Canada over the weekend. U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday said the security council should produce "a crystal clear acknowledgement that North Korea engaged in belligerent behavior that is unacceptable to the international community."

He said he used "blunt" language to try to persuade Chinese President Hu Jintao, who leads North Korea's closest political ally and economic benefactor, to also recognize that North Korea sank the South's ship. China has so far refused to blame North Korea and hasn't accepted South Korea's invitation to examine the results of its investigation into the cause of the sinking.

"I think there's a difference between restraint and willful blindness to consistent problems," Mr. Obama said. "My hope is that President Hu will recognize as well that this is an example of Pyongyang going over the line."

North Korea has repeatedly denied its involvement in the sinking and demanded that its military be allowed to examine the South's evidence, which includes the apparent remnants of a North Korean torpedo.

Last Friday, on the 60th anniversary of the North's invasion of the South that started the Korean War, a speaker at an anti-U.S. rally in Pyongyang said, "If the U.S. were to isolate and stifle our nation, we would bolster nuclear deterrent for self defense."

Reproduced with the fair dealings and copyright and all that stuff.

 

[CougarKing]

Surprise, surprise.  :  :

Reuters link

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's son and handpicked heir has been elected to parliament but he will at best become a figurehead under a military-led collective leadership, news reports said on Tuesday quoting a source.
 
Kim Jong-un was elected to the Supreme People's Assembly at the elections in March last year from district 216, South Korean media quoted a Western source familiar with the North as saying.


The election may have been kept under wraps because the North has been wary of inciting discontent by publicly promoting Kim Jong-il's son as heir during economic difficulties, analysts said.


"I have been able to confirm directly from a North Korean official that Kim Jong-un has been elected from the 216 electoral district," the unnamed Western source was quoted by the Chosun Ilbo newspaper as telling reporters.


The number 216 signifies the birthday of the current leader and is reserved for persons of special entitlement, making it likely "Kim Jong" who appears on the list of elected delegates is in fact the youngest son of Kim Jong-il, the source said.


The Supreme People's Assembly is the country's rubberstamp body that formally approves decisions by the leadership but key officials of the military and the ruling party are typically its elected members.
(...)