North Korea would use nuclear weapons in a 'merciless offensive'

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

North Korea would use nuclear weapons in a 'merciless offensive'

North Korea today said it would use nuclear weapons in a "merciless offensive" if provoked — its latest bellicose rhetoric apparently aimed at deterring any international punishment for its recent atomic test blast.

The tensions emanating from Pyongyang are beginning to hit nascent business ties with the South: a Seoul-based fur manufacturer became the first South Korean company to announce Monday it was pulling out of an industrial complex in the North's border town of Kaesong.

The complex, which opened in 2004, is a key symbol of rapprochement between the two Koreas but the goodwill is evaporating quickly in the wake of North Korea's nuclear test on May 25 and subsequent missile tests.

Pyongyang raised tensions a notch by reviving its rhetoric in a commentary in the state-run Minju Joson newspaper today.

"Our nuclear deterrent will be a strong defensive means...as well as a merciless offensive means to deal a just retaliatory strike to those who touch the country's dignity and sovereignty even a bit," said the commentary, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

It appeared to be the first time that North Korea referred to its nuclear arsenal as "offensive" in nature. Pyongyang has long claimed that its nuclear weapons program is a deterrent and only for self-defense against what it calls US attempts to invade it.

The tough talk came as South Korea and the US lead an effort at the UN Security Council to have the North punished for its nuclear test with tough sanctions.

Seoul's Yonhap news agency reported today that South Korea had doubled the number of naval ships around the disputed sea border with the North amid concern the communist neighbor could provoke an armed clash there — the scene of skirmishes in 1999 and 2002.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff declined to confirm the report, but said the North has not shown any unusual military moves.

Relations between the two Koreas have significantly worsened since a pro-US, conservative government took office in Seoul last year, advocating a tougher policy on the North. Since then, reconciliation talks have been cut off and all key joint projects except the factory park in Kaesong have been suspended.

Some 40,000 North Koreans are employed at the zone, making everything from electronics and watches to shoes and utensils, providing a major source of revenue for the cash-strapped North. The park combines South Korean technology and management expertise with cheap North Korean labor.

A total of 106 South Korean companies operate in the park. That number will go down by the end of the month when Skinnet, the fur-maker, completes its pullout.

A Skinnet company official said the decision was primarily over "security concerns" for its employees, and also because of a decline in orders from clients concerned over possible disruptions to operations amid the soaring tensions.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with reporters.

The industrial park's fate has been in doubt since last month when North Korea threatened to scrap all contracts on running the joint complex and said it would write new rules of its own and the South must accept them or pull out of the zone.

The companies have also been concerned by the detention of a South Korean man working at the complex by North Korean authorities since late March for allegedly denouncing the regime's political system.

The two sides are to hold talks on the fate of the park Thursday.

Intensifying its confrontation with the US, North Korea handed down 12-year prison terms to two detained American journalists on Monday.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/as...ve-1700590.html

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Bye bye alaska?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Bye bye alaska?

Baked Alaska. I wonder what is under all that ice.

Edited June 9, 2009 by Mister_Bill

[mRx 16]

I'm genuinely curious what is on the minds of the citizenry on NK.

Clearly the regime has used the weapon of fear against it's people, but are they in agreement with the decisions of their despotic dictator? If not, do they have any means to resist?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I'm genuinely curious what is on the minds of the citizenry on NK.

Clearly the regime has used the weapon of fear against it's people, but are they in agreement with the decisions of their despotic dictator? If not, do they have any means to resist?

I have see a few documentaries where they smuggled video footage out of North Korea. If there is a resistance, it is very well hidden. They truly believe that any good that comes to their lives is solely because of their beloved leader. Education has done its job well.

Edited June 9, 2009 by Mister_Bill

[GaryC 7]

Bye bye alaska?

Alaska really doesn't have much to worry about. The west coast is still to far for NK to touch. But Soul should really be worried. That would be the target if NK decides to do something really stupid. NK would see nuking Soul as attacking America and I think that is a very real possibility.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Bye bye alaska?

Alaska really doesn't have much to worry about. The west coast is still to far for NK to touch. But Soul should really be worried. That would be the target if NK decides to do something really stupid. NK would see nuking Soul as attacking America and I think that is a very real possibility.

I don't know. Korea was my unit's primary mission and all our exercises where based on a scenario of the North invading the South. Our briefers told us that it would be unlikely that WMD would be used on the Korean Peninsula, since the Koreans consider all Koreans family and indeed, famliy ties exist across the border. Missinformed brethren might be the catch phrase.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I'm genuinely curious what is on the minds of the citizenry on NK.

Clearly the regime has used the weapon of fear against it's people, but are they in agreement with the decisions of their despotic dictator? If not, do they have any means to resist?

Kinda hard to resist a dictator when the thing on top of your mind is whether your family is gonna get its ration of dry grass for dinner.

Bye bye alaska?

Alaska really doesn't have much to worry about. The west coast is still to far for NK to touch. But Soul should really be worried. That would be the target if NK decides to do something really stupid. NK would see nuking Soul as attacking America and I think that is a very real possibility.

Gates: North Korea Prepared to Launch Missile Capable of Hitting Alaska

[Peikko 1,575]

It's probably like asking why the German people didn't do more to resist the Nazi regime. Nutty dictators who have a total belief in themselves truck no disagreement and people are really very, very scared and rightly so of the consequences of any action that can be construed as disagreement with the elite.

I believe this to be the most genuine threat to security currently (has been for some time. Much more dangerous than Iraq or Iran for that matter - although on the scale, I would rate Iran higher than Iraq was but these countries are much more worried about harm that might come to themselves by actions on their part than Korea)

Edited June 9, 2009 by Madame Cleo

[My Name Is Nobody 3]

The international community has waited to long to nip this in the bud. The stakes are now higher. A lesson to be learned.

I wonder what they consider "provoked" ?

[mRx 16]

I'm genuinely curious what is on the minds of the citizenry on NK.

Clearly the regime has used the weapon of fear against it's people, but are they in agreement with the decisions of their despotic dictator? If not, do they have any means to resist?

I have see a few documentaries where they smuggled video footage out of North Korea. If there is a resistance, it is very well hidden. They truly believe that any good that comes to their lives is solely because of their beloved leader. Education has done its job well.

Hard to imagine that the views of one man are representative of 23 million.

Actually, I think this has nothing to do with North Korea; this is about one 4 ft. Asian man, angry at the world because he has a small willy. So, instead of directing our focus on the 23 million, we should focus on the man.

Here's my plan: Put out advertisements for anyone who has secretly killed over 20 people (i.e. Zodiac Killer) and hire said killer to covertly take down baby d!(k. Then we doctor up a Bin Laden tape, present it to the mourning NK's and blame it on Al Qaeda.

Edited June 9, 2009 by -Matt-

[Peikko 1,575]

The international community has already had a go at Korea, they are naturally pretty unenthusiastic by the prospect of having another go. What they would really like is for China to step in and actually embargo exports. That might have a good effect. On the other hand, it might tip the scale as well.

[Peikko 1,575]

I'm genuinely curious what is on the minds of the citizenry on NK.

Clearly the regime has used the weapon of fear against it's people, but are they in agreement with the decisions of their despotic dictator? If not, do they have any means to resist?

I have see a few documentaries where they smuggled video footage out of North Korea. If there is a resistance, it is very well hidden. They truly believe that any good that comes to their lives is solely because of their beloved leader. Education has done its job well.

Hard to imagine that the views of one man are representative of 23 million.

Actually, I think this has nothing to do with North Korea; this is about one 4 ft. Asian man, angry at the world because he has a small willy. So, instead of directing our focus on the 23 million, we should focus on the man.

Here's my plan: Put out advertisements for anyone who has secretly killed over 20 people (i.e. Zodiac Killer) and hire said killer to covertly take down baby d!(k. Then we doctor up a Bin Laden tape, present it to the mourning NK's and blame it on Al Qaeda.

I think we will find that this one nutty man is surrounded by some pretty fanatical supporters who belong to a well armed elite. Once that is set up, it's quite hard to get to the 'one man' who set the thing in motion. There are also probably other nutty people ready to take on the mantel should he be assassinated. Self aggrandisement in a very poor economy is a mighty fine motivation.

There were a few attempts on the life of Hitler - although I'll give you this, they were not attempted by a psychopathic killer.

Which of course could explain why they failed - or not.

[GaryC 7]

Bye bye alaska?

Alaska really doesn't have much to worry about. The west coast is still to far for NK to touch. But Soul should really be worried. That would be the target if NK decides to do something really stupid. NK would see nuking Soul as attacking America and I think that is a very real possibility.

Gates: North Korea Prepared to Launch Missile Capable of Hitting Alaska

Capable, maybe, but hardly worth the effort. Until they can reach the west coast the real target will be S Korea.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Bye bye alaska?

Alaska really doesn't have much to worry about. The west coast is still to far for NK to touch. But Soul should really be worried. That would be the target if NK decides to do something really stupid. NK would see nuking Soul as attacking America and I think that is a very real possibility.

Gates: North Korea Prepared to Launch Missile Capable of Hitting Alaska

Capable, maybe, but hardly worth the effort. Until they can reach the west coast the real target will be S Korea.

Hitting S Korea with nukes would be suicidal. It's too close.