North Korea says/does surprising and alarming thing - Page…

On October 24 2014 08:50 KwarK wrote:
They have nukes and they don't need a very advanced system to get them in range of Seoul. Seoul is close to the border and they have tunnels. Hell, if they detonated it airbourne on their side of the border with the wind going the right way they'd still get the job done with fallout. The fear is that NK get the tech to nuke Japan or the US, they already have the tech to get SK.

On October 24 2014 22:59 AutoEngineer wrote:


I hope you're not being serious.

North Korea will never nuke South Korea, ever.

The reason why North and South Korea are not reunified is because of a huge conflict of interest between the governments. Also even if North Korea ever decides to nuke South Korea, South Korea has missile defense systems which will pretty much counter any decades-old nuke delivery systems that North Korea has.

Remember North Korean military technology is decades old, mostly based on Soviet military technology.

Sure, North Korea developed its own nuclear devices, however I highly doubt that it will be even up to standard as to what the Soviets had in the Cold War.

And detonated it airborne with the wind going the right way? Firstly why would the North Koreans do that in the first place? It's a waste of a nuclear warhead. Why not just let it land? I don't see the logic in your argument and you're considering very specific scenarios which would never actually take place in reality.

On October 24 2014 22:59 AutoEngineer wrote:


I hope you're not being serious.

North Korea will never nuke South Korea, ever.

The reason why North and South Korea are not reunified is because of a huge conflict of interest between the governments. Also even if North Korea ever decides to nuke South Korea, South Korea has missile defense systems which will pretty much counter any decades-old nuke delivery systems that North Korea has.

Remember North Korean military technology is decades old, mostly based on Soviet military technology.

Sure, North Korea developed its own nuclear devices, however I highly doubt that it will be even up to standard as to what the Soviets had in the Cold War.

And detonated it airborne with the wind going the right way? Firstly why would the North Koreans do that in the first place? It's a waste of a nuclear warhead. Why not just let it land? I don't see the logic in your argument and you're considering very specific scenarios which would never actually take place in reality.

On October 24 2014 22:59 AutoEngineer wrote:


I hope you're not being serious.

North Korea will never nuke South Korea, ever.

The reason why North and South Korea are not reunified is because of a huge conflict of interest between the governments. Also even if North Korea ever decides to nuke South Korea, South Korea has missile defense systems which will pretty much counter any decades-old nuke delivery systems that North Korea has.

Remember North Korean military technology is decades old, mostly based on Soviet military technology.

Sure, North Korea developed its own nuclear devices, however I highly doubt that it will be even up to standard as to what the Soviets had in the Cold War.

And detonated it airborne with the wind going the right way? Firstly why would the North Koreans do that in the first place? It's a waste of a nuclear warhead. Why not just let it land? I don't see the logic in your argument and you're considering very specific scenarios which would never actually take place in reality.

On October 24 2014 23:05 Yurie wrote:
They don't need to use a missile to launch a nuke at Seoul. It is in normal artillery range. They can launch a barrage of 1000 artillery pieces whereof 3 are nukes. SK would be lucky to take down half of them.

On October 24 2014 22:59 AutoEngineer wrote:


I hope you're not being serious.

North Korea will never nuke South Korea, ever.

The reason why North and South Korea are not reunified is because of a huge conflict of interest between the governments. Also even if North Korea ever decides to nuke South Korea, South Korea has missile defense systems which will pretty much counter any decades-old nuke delivery systems that North Korea has.

Remember North Korean military technology is decades old, mostly based on Soviet military technology.

Sure, North Korea developed its own nuclear devices, however I highly doubt that it will be even up to standard as to what the Soviets had in the Cold War.

And detonated it airborne with the wind going the right way? Firstly why would the North Koreans do that in the first place? It's a waste of a nuclear warhead. Why not just let it land? I don't see the logic in your argument and you're considering very specific scenarios which would never actually take place in reality.

South Korean police officers deployed near border with North before leaflet launch

PAJU, South Korea (AFP) - Hundreds of South Korean police were deployed near the border with North Korea on Saturday before the proposed launch of propaganda leaflets by activists, following threats of violent retaliation from Pyongyang.

The deployment of more than 300 police came after the activists vowed to push ahead with their political leaflet launch at a park in the border town of Paju, some 40km north of Seoul. The activists plan to release balloons carrying around 40,000 leaflets criticising the North's government across the heavily-militarised frontier.

Near the park, some 20 local residents set up a road block with two tractors, carrying a placard reading: "Stop anti-North leaflet launch jeopardising our lives!"

"We will become the victims of shelling if leaflets are scattered," read another placard put up in a tree.

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Two Americans freed by North Korea are on their way home

(Reuters) - North Korea freed two Americans from prison and they were returning to the United States on Saturday after the surprise involvement of the top-ranking U.S. intelligence official in their release.

Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller, who had been doing hard labor for months in the reclusive country, were being accompanied home by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, his office said. Their release comes less than three weeks after another American was freed by Pyongyang.

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North Korea has been on a diplomatic campaign to counter charges by a U.N. body that highlighted widespread human rights abuses and a move by some U.N. members to refer the state to an international tribunal. But it was not clear what prompted Pyongyang to free the two men at this time.

Their release did not constitute an opening in relations with North Korea, said a senior State Department official, who declined to be identified. The official said for that to happen, Pyongyang must fulfill its commitments on denuclearization and human rights.

"He (Clapper) was not there to negotiate. And our position hasn't changed."

The men were released just hours before President Barack Obama was to start a trip to Asia that will include talks with Chinese leaders about how Beijing can use its influence with North Korea to rein in its nuclear weapons program, U.S. officials have said.

"It's a wonderful day for them and their families," Obama said at the White House. "Obviously we are very grateful for their safe return and I appreciate Director Clapper doing a great job on what was obviously a challenging mission."

A senior U.S. official said: "The DNI (Clapper) did carry a brief message from the President indicating that Director Clapper was his personal envoy to bring the two Americans home."

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An Obama administration official, who declined to be identified, said there was no connection between Clapper's trip and the issue of North Korean nuclear weapons but that he acted as a presidential envoy with a broader mandate to listen to what North Korea had to say.

Arrangements for the release had come together in the past several days and North Korea had asked for a high-ranking envoy to be involved, the official said.

Clapper went to Pyongyang but there was no indication that he met personally with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement: "We're pleased that this humanitarian gesture has taken place and that Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller will soon be reunited with their families."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also welcomed the release, his office said in a statement, adding, "The Secretary-General hopes that this positive momentum for improving relations among the concerned parties for peace and security on
the Korean Peninsula and beyond will be built on."

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Victor Cha of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the release could indicate North Korea wants to press Obama on the eve of his Asian trip and that Pyongyang is feeling international heat from the U.N. resolution.

"This is worrying to them," Cha said. "They have never seen anything like this before. Moreover, it is not coming from the U.S. but from the entire international community. They are trying to blunt criticism and perhaps water down the resolution with these actions."

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On November 10 2014 00:15 NIJ wrote:
inb4 some stupid book about my life in the north korean hard labor camp inc

On November 10 2014 00:07 PassiveAce wrote:
what business does america have advocating for their citizens internationally?

On November 10 2014 01:18 radscorpion9 wrote:
I'm sure they'll be interviewed at the very least, and you'll have several people calling them heroes for no apparent reason

Freed American Matthew Miller: 'I wanted to stay in North Korea'

For most people visiting North Korea, the prospect of being arrested during their trip is a source of some concern. But for 25-year old Californian Matthew Miller, it’s exactly what he hoped for.

“My main fear was that they would not arrest me when I arrived,” Miller told NK News in a series of interviews after he and fellow American Kenneth Bae were released during a high-profile visit to the North Korean capital by James Clapper, US Director of National Intelligence, earlier this month. “I was trying to stay in the country,” said Miller. “They wanted me to leave. The very first night they said, ‘We want you to leave on the next flight.’ But I refused. I just did not leave.”

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His plan had involved much preparation. Originally from the city of Bakersfield, Miller says he had been dissatisfied with the western media’s reporting on events in the pariah state, and had decided to arrange a trip to see the country for himself.

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Snapshots of pages torn from Miller’s notebook were circulated by state media, after his show trial, revealing statements he now describes as strategic lies to help with his attempt to remain in North Korea. In it, entries appeared to show support for removing “the American military from South Korea” and included claims that Miller was a “hacker” with some involvement with Wikileaks.

It was full of abbreviations such as “RAC,” which Miller says stood for “Renounce American Citizenship.” His inclusion of phrases such as “no involvement” referred to his initial hope that the United States government would stay out of the case, he said. “I wrote the notebook in China just before going to North Korea,” said Miller. “The purpose was just having it written is easier than explaining in person. Since it was filled with a number of extravagant things… perhaps the notebook was a little too much over the top, they instantly knew it was false and wanted to know my true purpose of visiting.”

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“I was not there to give secret information or anything like that. I just wanted to speak to an ordinary North Korean person about normal things,” he said. “I think it was mistake but it was successful,” he said over several days of interviews.

“I was in control of my situation. I knew the risks and consequences. My trip has probably resulted in no change for anyone, except for me. I do feel guilt for the crime. It was a crime. I wasted a lot of time of the North Koreans’ and the Americans’, of all of the officials who spent time with my case.”

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North Korea has refused to deny involvement in a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures that came ahead of the release of a film about leader Kim Jong-un.

Sony is investigating after its computers were attacked and unreleased films made available on the internet.

When asked if it was involved in the attack a spokesman for the North Korean government replied: "Wait and see."

[...]

California-based Sony Pictures' computer system went down last week and hackers then published a number of as-yet un-released films on online download sites.

[...]

When asked about the cyber-attack, a spokesman for North Korea's UN mission said: "The hostile forces are relating everything to the DPRK (North Korea). I kindly advise you to just wait and see."

On Monday Sony Pictures said it had restored a number of important services that had to be shut down after the attack.

It said it was working closely with law enforcement officials to investigate the matter but made no mention of North Korea.

The FBI has confirmed that it is investigating. It has also warned other US businesses that unknown hackers have launched a cyberattack with destructive malware.

Kim Jong-un's aunt died of stroke during 'heated argument on phone with leader'

The previously powerful aunt of Kim Jong-un died of a stroke during a heated telephone conversation with the North Korean dictator over the execution of her husband, according to a defector from the North.

Kang Myung-do, son-in-law of a former North Korean prime minister, claimed in an interview with CNN that Kim Kyung-hui collapsed while she was arguing on the phone with her nephew after Jang Sang-thaek was publicly denounced in December 2013 for crimes against the state and subsequently executed.
Kang said 68-year-old Mrs Kim - who has frequently been reported to be in poor health - was admitted to a hospital where she later died.

Mrs Kim's fate has not been announced by the regime because the government does not want the public to link her death with the execution by firing squad of Jang. Mrs Kim has not been seen in public since September 10, 2013, lending weight to Mr Kang's claim.

She missed a number of key dates on the North Korean calendar, including events to mark the death of Kim Jong-il, her brother, in December. She also did not retain her seat in the election to the Supreme People's Assembly in March.
Mrs Kim underwent surgery for cancer in Moscow, with her health problems reportedly made worse by diabetes and alcoholism and depression brought on by the suicide of her daughter in Paris in September 2006 after she was refused permission to marry a foreign national.

South Korean media speculated as early as January that Mrs Kim had died, suggesting she had either suffered a heart attack of committed suicide after Jang's execution.

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