North Korea (Superthread)

[SeaKingTacco]

In regards to ICBM interseption, or lack thereof maybe, do we have any weapon platforms that could do the job? Seen recently that a missile launched from North Korea would take approximately 25 minutes to reach Vancouver. I've also seen an example of an F15 shooting down an orbiting satellite but never heard of the ability to do the same to an incoming ICMB. Do our frigates have the capability?

No.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Keep poking, buddy, keep poking ...

North Korea has fired a missile that passed over northern Japan early on Tuesday, the Japanese government said.

The government’s J-Alert warning system advised people in the area to take precautions, but the public broadcaster NHK said there was no sign of damage.

The unprecedented move is the latest act of aggression by the communist state since it fired several short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan three days ago following comments from President Trump that he would meet any threats from North Korea with “fire and fury”.

The Japanese military did not attempt to shoot down the missile which was fired from Pyongyang and passed over Japanese territory at about 6.06am local time (2106 GMT) towards the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Despite early reports urging people in Tohoku to take refuge in solid buildings or underground shelters, the missile landed in the sea and is understood to have broken into three pieces.

Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he would do all in his power to protect the Japanese public. “We will make utmost efforts to firmly protect the lives of the people,” Abe told reporters in brief remarks as he entered his office for emergency meetings about the missile firing.

South Korea said the North had fired an unidentified projectile early on Tuesday from a region near its capital eastwards towards the sea ...

More via Google News, Bing.ca News & Yahoo News.  Meanwhile, in North Korean media (non-PRK archive link here) ...

DPRK Will Sharpen Its Just Nuclear Treasured Sword: Rodong Sinmun

Rodong Sinmun in an article on August 27 ridicules the U.S. and its vassal forces for being flustered due to such pluck of the DPRK as reacting to the hard-line steps with the toughest ones.

The article goes on:

The DPRK is showing no mercy, making the outrageous forces being at its beck and call with just nukes in order to have the country free from the nuclear threat.

Upset by the toughest will of the DPRK, the U.S. is talking not only about military counter-measures but also about what it calls "diplomatic settlement".

Trump, who said he would not "rule out war", suddenly made in official appearance the remarks that he will take into account "the negotiations with the north" and that there will be no one who wants peaceful settlement more than him.

The U.S. Secretary of State, the national security advisor to the President and other VIPs vied with each other in claiming that "the U.S. is willing to have negotiations with the north" and that "dialogue is also one of the proposals for settling the north's nuclear issue."

This is nothing but a revelation of the sinister intention to continue resorting to the moves for stifling the DPRK under the signboards of "dialogue", "negotiations" and "diplomatic settlement" so as to escape merciless punishment by the DPRK.

Such foolish attempt does not work on the DPRK.

If the U.S. persists in the reckless anti-DPRK moves, sanctions and pressure, it will eventually meet a miserable fate while spending hard time.

So long as the U.S. and its vassal forces persist with such actions and imperialism, the root cause of injustice and evils, remains, the DPRK will further sharpen its just nuclear treasured sword in its hand and defend independence and justice with nukes and usher in a new era of national prosperity with their might.

 

[7thghoul]

"This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it."
- Admiral Painter, The Hunt for Red October 1990

Anyone else feel like this is ramping up way too fast? I feel like their perennial posturing has become less of a joke since they developed the hwasong-12. Could be media bias but for the first time in my life I am actually terrified of the resumption of the Korean War.

 

[a_majoor]

The ROK steps up its posture. Reminding the DPRK that there will be costs associated with crossing the line is probably more important now than ever. Sabre rattling by the DPRK from the 1990's was used to extract "Danegeld", but as Kipling reminded us, paying the Danegeld never gets rid of the Dane......

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/south-korea-north-korea-heavy-bombs-border-38th-parallel-pyongyang-japan-hokkaido-moon-jae-in-a7917496.html

South Korea drops eight heavy bombs near North Korea border to show 'overwhelming force'
Pyongyang's latest missile test an 'unprecedented, serious and grave threat,' says Tokyo
Jon Sharman Tuesday 29 August 2017 08:00 BST

South Korea's military has dropped eight heavy bombs near its border with the North in a show of what local media called "overwhelming force" following Pyongyang's latest missile test.

President Moon Jae-in ordered the strike, by four F-15K fighter-bombers, at a firing range in the country's east to "display a strong capability to punish" North Korea if it were to attack.

The MK-84 multi-purpose bomb is a 2,000lb munition that can penetrate some 11m of earth and 11ft of concrete. South Korea said all eight hit their targets at a testing ground on the country's own soil.

The Yonhap news agency said government officials wanted to show Seoul's ability to overwhelm its belligerent neighbour in the case of all-out hostility.

Pyongyang's test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan's northern Hokkaido island was condemned by Tokyo as an "unprecedented, serious and grave threat" to the region. "We will do our utmost to protect people's lives," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.

It came amid joint US-South Korean war games.

The launch was the first-ever reported from Sunan, home to Pyongyang's international airport, prompting speculation the North had fired a road-mobile missile from an airport runway.

Runways could provide the ideal space to launch a road-mobile missile like the Hwasong-12, while also demonstrating that the North can launch its missiles from anywhere, according to Moon Seong Mook, a former South Korean military official and current analyst for the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.

In an unusual move, South Korea's military released footage of its own missile tests it said were conducted last week. The videos showed two types of new missiles with ranges of 800km (497 miles) and 500km (310 miles) being fired from truck-mounted launchers during three tests conducted on 24 August.

South Korea's Agency for Defense Development said the launches represented the last flight test for the longer-range missile before it is operationally deployed.

Such projectiles, which would be the latest additions to South Korea's Hyumoo family of missiles, are considered key components of the so-called "kill chain" pre-emptive strike capability the South is pursuing to counter the North's nuclear and missile threat.

 

[tomahawk6]

JSDF air defense commander sets up a PAC3 demonstration after the DPRK launched its latest missile over Japan.

https://www.stripes.com/news/japan-demonstrates-pac-3-system-in-tokyo-hours-after-missile-flies-over-hokkaido-1.484918#.WaWX-8u0m70

https://www.stripes.com/news/japan-demonstrates-pac-3-system-in-tokyo-hours-after-missile-flies-over-hokkaido-1.484918#gallery

 

[Good2Golf]

"This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it."
- Admiral Painter, The Hunt for Red October 1990

Anyone else feel like this is ramping up way too fast? I feel like their perennial posturing has become less of a joke since they developed the hwasong-12. Could be media bias but for the first time in my life I am actually terrified of the resumption of the Korean War.

Literally showed that 0:13 sec clip to a colleague this morning. :nod:

 

[The Bread Guy]

Latest from PRK Info-machine (safer alternate archive link here - screen capture also attached)...

Kim Jong Un Guides Strategic Ballistic Rocket Launching Drill of KPA Strategic Force

Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, guided an intermediate-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket launching drill of the KPA Strategic Force on the spot.

The drill was observed by senior officials of the Central Committee of the WPK including Ri Pyong Chol, Kim Jong Sik, Jo Yong Won and Yu Jin, and officials in the field of defence scientific research including Jang Chang Ha and Jon Il Ho.

Respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was greeted by commanding officers of the KPA Strategic Force including its General Kim Rak Gyom, commander of the KPA Strategic Force.

Involved in the drill were Hwasong artillery units of the KPA Strategic Force tasked with striking the bases of the U.S. imperialist aggressor forces located in the Pacific operational theater in contingency and intermediate-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12.

As known to the world, the intermediate-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket launching drill of the KPA Strategic Force was conducted as a part of the muscle-flexing to counter the Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military drills the U.S. and the south Korean puppet forces finally kicked off in disregard of the DPRK's meaningful and crucial warning.

The drill was carried out through the combination of sudden maneuvers and strike in order to estimate and examine the posture of the KPA Strategic Force for prompt counteraction in contingency on the Korean peninsula and to confirm the actual war operation capacity of the intermediate-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket newly equipped by it.

The Hwasong artillery personnel, who were to conduct the launching drill for the first time in the capital city of the DPRK by order of Kim Jong Un, were all filled with strong militant enthusiasm.

Kim Jong Un arrived at the launching ground early at dawn and watched the artillerymen promptly moving and deploying the Hwasong-12 rocket launcher, praising them for their smart and accurate movement.

He learned in detail about the launch plan, preset flight track and target waters and issued an order to launch the rocket.

The fired ballistic rocket reflecting the dignity and might of the Juche-based nuclear power crossed the sky above Oshima peninsula of Hokkaido and Cape Erimo of Japan along the preset flight track and accurately hit the preset target waters in northern Pacific.

The drill had no impact on the security of the neighboring countries.

In the drill the rocket operational capacity of the Hwasong artillery units of the KPA Strategic Force for an actual war and the combat efficiency of the intermediate-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket it is newly equipped with were all proved perfect.

Kim Jong Un expressed great satisfaction over the successful launching.

Praising the Hwasong artillerymen of the Strategic Force for being well versed in the new ultra-modern rocket system and properly operating it, he said the drill would offer them an opportunity for gaining a good experience in their rocket operation for an actual war.

Noting that the current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam, advanced base of invasion, he said that it is necessary to positively push forward the work for putting the strategic force on a modern basis by conducting more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future.

Sternly saying that the U.S. answered the DPRK's warning that it will closely watch the U.S. behavior with the bellicose war exercises for aggression, he added that the drill conducted by the Strategic Force is a curtain-raiser of its resolute countermeasures against the Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises being conducted by the U.S. and its stooges.

Noting that it is a lesson the DPRK drew this time again that it should show action, not talk, to the U.S. imprudently denying the DPRK's initiative measure for easing the extreme tension, he stressed that the DPRK will continue to watch the U.S. demeanors as was already declared and decide its future action according to them.

He expressed great belief and conviction that the officers and men of the Strategic Force will further strengthen the combat preparations of Hwasong artillery pieces as required by the grim situation, be fully ready to go into action for decisive battle so as to launch powerful ballistic rockets anytime and thus check military racket of the U.S. imperialists and their followers and firmly guarantee the security of the country and the happiness of the people.

Officers and men of the KPA Strategic Force extended the warmest thanks to Kim Jong Un, peerless patriot and hero of the nation, who gave vent to the long-pent grudge of the Korean people by mapping out a bold plan to make the cruel Japanese islanders insensible on Aug. 29 when the disgraceful "Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty" was proclaimed 107 years ago and approving ballistic rocket launching in the capital region, and pledged that once the Party Central Committee issues an order, they will fulfill their sacred mission and duty as the reliable nuclear force of the WPK in the van of the final sacred war which will win victory in the standoff with the imperialists and the U.S.

Official photo also attached.

 

[The Bread Guy]

More pix from the PRK info-machine reportedly from the latest launch (note screen behind Boss Boy w/trajectory).

 

[Eland2]

The situation on the Korean peninsula and surrounding environs isn't looking too good. By launching one of its missiles over Japanese airspace, North Korea just committed an act of war against Japan. It's a lucky thing, I suppose, that fragments from the disintegrating missile didn't land on Japanese soil and kill anyone or destroy anything, or hit any shipping in the strait between Hokkaido and the mainland. Japan might not be so lucky the next time this happens.

Trump hasn't done much beyond issuing a stern rebuke to North Korea. It will be interesting to see if he makes any more substantive moves than this. I can't help but wonder how much longer this is going to go on before war finally breaks out. Kim Jong-un must be totally confident of achieving victory, given his irresponsible actions and threats. The only way I can see him potentially winning is if he has the full military backing of China and Russia if the US attacks.

For a man who says he only wants to defend North Korea against the US and guaranteeing the survival of his regime, he seems to be behaving rather suicidally at this point. Does anyone seriously think Trump is going to acquiesce to North Korea acquiring hundreds of warheads, all of them pointed at the US? I can't see that happening.

If war erupts, I can see Canada's role being relatively minimal as we don't currently have the wherewithal to contribute anything more than a brigade-sized force, a couple of fighter squadrons and a few naval vessels. And all that is with the proviso that we will have the time to properly ramp up such a contribution.

We're certainly not going to be sending over 25,000+ troops like we did under the auspices of 25 CIB.

 

[MilEME09]

If war erupts, I can see Canada's role being relatively minimal as we don't currently have the wherewithal to contribute anything more than a brigade-sized force, a couple of fighter squadrons and a few naval vessels. And all that is with the proviso that we will have the time to properly ramp up such a contribution.

We're certainly not going to be sending over 25,000+ troops like we did under the auspices of 25 CIB.

If we got pulled into the full war (which we are still part of UN command so chances are high), 1 CMBG who is our high readiness brigade right now if i remember correctly would be mobilized, any naval assets in the pacific would probably be redirected to japan, aircraft wise, we jets all over europe, could we even commit airforce assets without stretching our selves thin? We really will have a capability gap if we are doing baltic air patrols, Iraq operations, and fighter a peer to peer engagement in Korea. God help us if China gets involved.

 

[Old Sweat]

We're certainly not going to be sending over 25,000+ troops like we did under the auspices of 25 CIB.

Don't forget the 25,000 + was over a number of years with units rotating yearly. At the same time we also deployed a brigade group to Europe. In a fairly short period the regular army went from 3 to 15 (later 13) infantry battalions with major increases in the other corps as well. And the RCN and RCAF also underwent large increases.

 

[Eland2]

Don't forget the 25,000 + was over a number of years with units rotating yearly. At the same time we also deployed a brigade group to Europe. In a fairly short period the regular army went from 3 to 15 (later 13) infantry battalions with major increases in the other corps as well. And the RCN and RCAF also underwent large increases.

You're right, of course. The 25K I mentioned did go over in rotations. One of my great uncles, who was a member of an artillery regiment at the time, was one of the 25,000, although he went over relatively late in the war when things were cooling down and the Canadian contingent was starting to operate more like an ICCS-style observer force.

Given the lethality and power of modern weaponry, though, I suspect a war with North Korea (provided the Chinese and the Russians don't jump in) will likely be very short-lived. Short-lived enough that Canada might be able to do nothing more than deploying a small naval flotilla and a couple of squadrons of CF-18s before the war is concluded.

 

[Old Sweat]

Wars have a tendency of not being over by Christmas.

 

[CBH99]

I'm honestly surprised the US hasn't stealthily flown in, or perhaps smuggled into Norther Korea via underground drilling...a nuke, set it off, and then blamed it on one of North Korea's own unstable designs having a malfunction.  Or found a way to covertly detonate an EMP device somehow, and taken away their ability to launch anything

As costly as either of those plans may be, it'll be a lot cheaper than a hyper-violent war that will surely leave South Korea in need of rebuilding. 

 

[MilEME09]

Wars have a tendency of not being over by Christmas.

Why do you think they never say what year

 

[jmt18325]

I wasn't worried about the situation in North Korea until they shot the missile over Japan.  Now I'm not sure where this is going.

 

[The Bread Guy]

One wonders what'll happen to the price of this book - "North Korea Confidential: Private Markets, Fashion Trends, Prison Camps, Dissenters and Defectors" - with this announcement (PRK Supreme Court passes in-absentia death sentences against Korean journalists quoting from the book) from the PRK info-machine ...

DPRK Central Court Sentences S. Korean Provokers to Death

Pyongyang, August 31 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Central Court of the DPRK issued the following statement Thursday:

The hostile forces, dumbfounded by the independent spirit and tremendous capabilities of Songun Korea demonstrating its might as a nuclear power of Juche and a world-level military power, are more persistently resorting to sordid smear campaign against the DPRK.

Taking the lead in the campaign are a group of conservatives in south Korea going helter-skelter, being unaware of their impending death.

Gentries of Dong-A Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo, newspapers speaking for the conservatives, committed a hideous crime of seriously insulting the dignity of the DPRK with the use of dishonest contents carried by "North Korea Confidential", a propaganda book authored by two British journalists.

The book was written by Daniel Tudor and James Pierson, correspondents of the British news weekly Economist and the Reuters to south Korea, two years ago. As a collection of words uttered by the riff-raffs including defectors from the north, it viciously slandered the reality of the DPRK with such sophism that "life of the north's citizens is capitalistic 100 percent".

The paid writers of the two newspapers of south Korea introduced the book as "a guide interesting to those wishing to know about the north", reeling off such sophism that "the north is a country where money has greater influence than in capitalist countries", "youngsters without mobile phones are treated losers", "army is unpaid labor unit" and that "those with money can get married to those of high positions in society any time".

They had the temerity of carrying a photo in which the red star, symbolic of the brilliant revolutionary traditions of anti-Japanese war engraved on the upper part of the national emblem of the DPRK, was replaced by $ symbol and the name of the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" was replaced by the "Capitalist Republic of Korea". They even committed such shuddering acts of replacing the title of the book called "North Korea Confidential" with "Capitalist Republic of Korea".

Dong-A Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo and other conservative media in south Korea have so far committed smear campaign against the DPRK nonstop, adding to crimes already committed. Whenever there were such things, we seriously warned that that they will be made to pay a high price for their wild acts of escalating confrontation with the north.

However, those conservative media, defying this warning, have persisted in smear campaign against the DPRK. Now they have reached the state of slandering and insulting even the inviolable name of our country and its national emblem.

Not content with viciously slandering our socialist system, the most advantageous system centered on the popular masses which can not be found in any other parts of the world, they seriously insulted the name and emblem, symbols of the inviolable dignity of the DPRK. This is a never-to-be-pardoned high treason.

It is needless to say that this is a hideous act manipulated by the group of wicked conservatives who are breathing their last after being reduced into a group of living corpses in the face of stern punishment by history and the people's mindset.

Article 60 of the DPRK Criminal Code stipulates that those who insulted the dignity of the DPRK from the anti-state purpose shall be sentenced even to maximum punishment including death, depending on the severity of the perpetration.

The Central Court of the DPRK declares that Dong-A Ilbo journalist Son Hyo Rim and Director General Kim Jae Ho and Chosun Ilbo journalist Yang Ji Ho and Director General Pang Sang Hun will be sentenced to capital punishment under the DPRK Criminal Code.

The criminals hold no right to appeal and the execution will be carried out any moment and at any place without going through any additional procedures as soon as the objects are confirmed.

We will track down to the end those who masterminded and manipulated hideous provocations of slandering and insulting the dignity of the DPRK and mete out death to them.

Taking this opportunity, we warn the south Korean authorities still conniving at the crime by hack writers of Dong-A Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo. If they do not start immediate investigation into those criminals who insulted the dignity of the DPRK and do not punish them, they will be branded as accomplices.

It should be clearly understood that neither mercy nor leniency will be shown to those who slander the inviolable dignity of the DPRK.

We will closely follow the attitude of the south Korean authorities. -0-

Screen capture of statement attached.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Ayatollah Khomeini would be proud ... Oh! Wait! Salman Rushdie is still alive.  ;D

 

[jollyjacktar]

Ayatollah Khomeini would be proud ... Oh! Wait! Salman Rushdie is still alive.  ;D

Rushdie in haste, regret in leisure.  ;D

 

[tomahawk6]

US-ROK bombing drill near the DMZ.Great images at the link.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4361741/us-nuke-capable-jets-drop-bombs-near-north-korea-border-after-donald-trump-warned-talking-was-not-the-answer/