All Things North Korea Thread

[Kilmer17]

Nah, mostly we give them surplus grain (with the nice side effect for grain producers of propping up grain prices in this country). If North Korea doesn't get that grain, we have to find somewhere else to dump it.

Usually we dump it in Africa, which ensures that local African farmers can't make a profit (no one can compete with free stuff), which ensures that the farmers will go out of business, which ensures that Africa will have another famine, which ensures that we can send more grain there and keep our grain prices propped up. It's just business.

Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.

[Predicto]

Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.

Good for Iowa, anyway.

[mojo]

North Korea is the only nation that can stage a war for its people through strictly closed media, defeat the enemy, declare victory, and proclaim its Leader a hero, all without firing a shot. Big Head Littleman mayactually pull this off.

You might be right. I can see the front page of the North Korean Times now, a photoshop image of Kim Jong Jr in the Oval office with his foot on Obama's throat.

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/03/us-korea-north-idUSBRE93002620130403

North Korea delays access to Kaesong industrial zone

North Korea stepped up pressure on Seoul by delaying access to a joint industrial park in a move that could trap hundreds of South Korean workers on the northern side of the world's most militarized border.

It was not immediately clear if the move was aimed at closing the Kaesong Industrial zone, which generates $2 billion a year in trade for the impoverished North and $80 million in cash wages that go straight to its government. North Korean delays to accessing the zone are very rare.

The delay came after Pyongyang said it would restart a nuclear reactor that it uses to produce plutonium for its nuclear weapons program and as Washington deployed military resources in South Korea amid growing tensions with the North.

As of 8:54 p.m. ET, 861 South Korean workers were in the zone that is home to 123 South Korean firms just inside North Korea. They employ more than 50,000 North Koreans to make low grade household goods.

https://twitter.com/AuskarSurbakti

DEVELOPING:North Korea tells South Korea it's banning access to shared Kaesong industrial park; says South Koreans will be allowed to leave

10:43 PM

Edited April 3, 2013 by visionary

[Jumbo]

One of the fun things about seeing Olympus Has Fallen was wanting to nuke NK after the movie. :evilg:

[grhqofb5]

The thing it, t's not BS to you when you've accepted it to be true for decades, everyone around you also accepts it, and you have outside sources to give you a different perspective.

Right, it's the "Truman Show" effect. Which is actually pretty unsettling understanding the weaponry now possessed by NK. Don't expect much pushback from the citizens on that one. With the technology of the present age, their has to be a way to crack the information block. Drop cases of Iphones from 50,000 feet up. Send a satellite feed directly down to that region. Get them connected to facebook, cnn.com, espn, whatever it takes.

EDIT: BTW, if I was an NK citizen and was told that the president shot a 35 on his first 18 hole round of golf, with several holes-in-one, my BS meter would go off. Sorry, but there has to be a line somewhere.

Edited April 3, 2013 by grhqofb5

[renaissance]

Right, it's the "Truman Show" effect. Which is actually pretty unsettling understanding the weaponry now possessed by NK. Don't expect much pushback from the citizens on that one. With the technology of the present age, their has to be a way to crack the information block. Drop cases of Iphones from 50,000 feet up. Send a satellite feed directly down to that region. Get them connected to facebook, cnn.com, espn, whatever it takes.

EDIT: BTW, if I was an NK citizen and was told that the president shot a 35 on his first 18 hole round of golf, with several holes-in-one, my BS meter would go off. Sorry, but there has to be a line somewhere.

I don't remember where, but online the other day I read that as Chinese citizens started making the switch from VCRs to DVD players, a lot of the tossed VCRs ended up in NK, allowing an increasing number of North Koreans to watch outside media. But let's be realistic here, when your country looks like this at night

It's not like everyone is flocking around the TV to watch last week's episode of Dancing With the Stars that your long lost South Korean cousin sent to you.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

I have to think that a lot of this is an attempt by Kim Jong-Un to hold off some kind of coup. He was a surpise choice to be the new leader and this all feels like showmanship to say, "I'm really in charge! Look! I'm leading."

Granted, this is the kind of showmanship that can end up accidently killing a million people (The first 24 hours of a true hot war on that peninsula would be gruesome, I fear). But this is for an audience.

I'm honestly not sure who the audience is though.

[RichmondRedskin88]

so did the psycho say anything crazy today yet?

[RVAbrendan]

North Korea Blocks Workers From South at the Border

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/world/asia/north-korea-blocks-workers-from-south-at-border.html?_r=0

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea blocked South Koreans on Wednesday from crossing the heavily armed border to a jointly operated industrial park, raising doubt about the future of the last remaining major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.

The move came four days after North Korea threatened to shut down the industrial park, in the North Korean town of Kaesong, out of anger over United Nations sanctions and joint military drills that the United States and South Korea are conducting on the Korean Peninsula.

More than 480 South Koreans — many with their trucks — who showed up at a border crossing Wednesday morning were denied permission to cross and had to turn around, said the Unification Ministry of South Korea, which is in charge of relations with the North. But North Korea promised to allow 861 South Koreans currently staying in Kaesong to return home if they wished, the ministry said. But with no replacements arriving, only 33 decided to return home on Wednesday.

More at link...

Anonymous threatens cyberwar on North Korea, steals 15,000 passwords

http://bgr.com/2013/04/02/anonymous-north-korea-cyber-warefare-410854/

Go Anonymous!

Notorious hacking group Anonymous has targeted pedophiles, corrupt governments and financial institutions, however its latest target may be its most audacious yet. The group says that it has begun a new initiative called “Operation Free Korea” and is demanding controversial leader Kim Jong-un resign and install free democracy in the Asian country. Other demands include having North Korea abandon its nuclear ambitions and for the government to give universal and uncensored Internet access to its citizens. Anonymous hackers claim to have access to the country’s local intranets, mail servers and Web servers and are threatening to wage war if their demands are not met.

“We got all over 15k membership records of Uriminzokkiri.com and many more,” the group wrote. “First we gonna wipe your data, then we gonna wipe your badass dictatorship ‘government.’”

Anonymous’ threats towards North Korea come amid increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula with South Korea and the United States. The group explicitly stated, however, that it does not support the U.S. and is instead a fighter for freedom.

Edited April 3, 2013 by RVAbrendan

[S.T.real,lights,out]

^^I hope they do it.

[LeesburgSkinFan]

I lived in Seoul for three years in the 90s. I listened to the bellicose rantings of their leadership, picked up propaganda that had blown by in the streets, and watched the re-unification protests outside the gates of Yongsan. I can't really explain it, but this time around feels different. By what I'm reading, I can't tell if this is to bolster Lil' Kim's standing at home, a test for Park Guen Hye, the ROK's first female president, trying to get more food aid, or actual military action.

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/Reuters

Pentagon confirms that U.S. military will deploy a THAAD ballistic missile defense system to Guam

2:28 PM

http://www.bnowire.com/inbox/?id=1808

The Department of Defense will deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) ballistic missile defense system to Guam in the coming weeks as a precautionary move to strengthen our regional defense posture against the North Korean regional ballistic missile threat.

The THAAD system is a land-based missile defense system that includes a truck-mounted launcher, a complement of interceptor missiles, an AN/TPY-2 tracking radar, and an integrated fire control system. This deployment will strengthen defense capabilities for American citizens in the U.S. Territory of Guam and U.S. forces stationed there.

Edited April 3, 2013 by visionary

[Jumbo]

Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System

http://www.defense.gov/specials/missiledefense/tmd-thaad.html

[RichmondRedskin88]

You know I know Anonymous do some weird things but you can tell they do have their heart in the right place quite a bit. Tracking down stalkers, killers,etc.

[DaGoonie55]

I lived in Seoul for three years in the 90s. I listened to the bellicose rantings of their leadership, picked up propaganda that had blown by in the streets, and watched the re-unification protests outside the gates of Yongsan. I can't really explain it, but this time around feels different. By what I'm reading, I can't tell if this is to bolster Lil' Kim's standing at home, a test for Park Guen Hye, the ROK's first female president, trying to get more food aid, or actual military action.

Yeah, this completely feels different. Before, KJI would cry and throw a tantrum and we'd smack his wrist and he'd go play in his corner. I'm not sure there's any getting through to this numbskull. A lot of people will die if he tries to take more than the world is willing to give him. Cut ties to SK, blatantly expressing an attack on the US....this guy might start something terrible.

[S.T.real,lights,out]

[Dan T.]

Considering the timing of all this, I blame Dennis Rodman.

[Jumbo]

North Korea's leadership is like "that guy" in the tailgate. You give a ton of rope, but it's never appreciated. And he never changes or "gets it."

In the end, you do what you figured was going to be inevitable (and should have done earlier) and just perma-punt 'em.

Edited April 3, 2013 by Jumbo

[S.T.real,lights,out]

North Korea's leadership is like "that guy" in the tailgate. You give a ton of rope, but it's never appreciated. And he never changes or "gets it."

In the end, you do what you figured was going to be inevitable (and should have done earlier) and just perma-punt 'em.

He seems like he's the type that was never told no. He will continue to push us until we have no choice but to remove him and his military from power.

[RichmondRedskin88]

He seems like he's the type that was never told no. He will continue to push us until we have no choice but to remove him and his military from power.

This is isn't Iraq or Afghan. We can't simply invade. Him and military might not be the only removed from the face of the Earth if he keeps pushing.

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak

AFP: North Korean Army has approval to launch "mercilesss" nuclear strike on U.S. involving possible use of "cutting edge" nuclear weapons

3:53 PM

[Mad Mike]

EDIT: BTW, if I was an NK citizen and was told that the president shot a 35 on his first 18 hole round of golf, with several holes-in-one, my BS meter would go off. Sorry, but there has to be a line somewhere.

One of the amazing things about human behavior IMO is our inability to understand different perspectives. You have 10,000 times the information that a typical NK citizen has about any subject other than whatever menial job they have. They don't play golf and likely have never even seen the game played. Sorry but if you were a NK citizen, your BS meter would be calibrated to whatever the "dear leader told you.

[ixcuincle]

Their missiles supposedly don't have the capability to reach deep inside the US, but they might be able to hit Alaska, and definitely Hawaii. The West Coast is the most vulnerable.

We do have the defenses necessary to fend the missiles off, but they're not 100% reliable.

[Mad Mike]

This is isn't Iraq or Afghan. We can't simply invade. Him and military might not be the only removed from the face of the Earth if he keeps pushing.

Sadly, we may not be given the choice for peace. That makes things really tough because if I had a crystal ball and knew for a fact that NK was going to attack, I would MUCH rather strike first because although they cannot win, if *they* strike first, they will do a lot more damage and kill more people.

---------- Post added April-3rd-2013 at 08:06 PM ----------

Their missiles supposedly don't have the capability to reach deep inside the US, but they might be able to hit Alaska, and definitely Hawaii. The West Coast is the most vulnerable.

We do have the defenses necessary to fend the missiles off, but they're not 100% reliable.

They just put something into space. IMO they likely have the capability to hit targets at fairly long range, accuracy and reliability are the biggest questions.

Edited April 3, 2013 by Mad Mike