Pyongyang to cut hotline between North Korea/South Korea and cancel nonaggression pact

[markthatcoin.livejournal.com]

North Korea responded to new U.N. sanctions aimed at starving its nuclear program by vowing to cut a Cold War-style hotline and scrap a nonaggression pact with the South.

State-run media said North Korea "abrogates all agreements on nonaggression reached between the North and the South ... and also notifies the South side that it will immediately cut off the North-South hotline."

Pyongyang's statement appears to refer to the bilateral pact signed in 1991 that endorses the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prevention of accidental military clashes. However, earlier this week the North also reiterated threats to walk away from the 1953 armistice that technically ended the Korean War.

Also this week, Pyongyang threatened to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the U.S. and its allies.

(As Reuters notes, while the threat of a strike against the U.S. is "a hollow one," South Korea and Japan are in easy range of the North's short- and medium-range missiles.)

The stepped up rhetoric from Pyongyang is the latest in a week of bellicose posturing in the lead-up to the United Nations Security Council's unanimous approval on Thursday of sanctions to tighten trade and financial restrictions on the North in an effort to force it to halt its nuclear weapons program.

Even so, as The Associated Press points out, sanctions have done little to deter Pyongyang thus far:

"Since 2006, North Korea has launched long-range rockets, tested a variety of missiles and conducted three underground nuclear explosions, the most recent on Feb. 12. Through it all, Pyongyang was undeterred by a raft of sanctions — both multilateral penalties from the United Nations and national sanctions from Washington, Tokyo and others — meant to punish the government and sidetrack its nuclear ambitions."

The war of words is testing South Korea's new president, Park Geun-hye, who campaigned on a promise to remain vigilant while keeping the door open for the possibility of ending the long conflict on the peninsula.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony for South Korean military cadets on Friday, Park promised to "deal strongly with North Korea's provocations."

The early days of Park's administration could prove dangerous, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

A CSIS analysis suggests a causal link between a change in South Korean leadership and "a military provocation of some form within weeks."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, walks with military personnel as he arrives to inspect a military unit on Mu Islet, near the border with South Korea.
(Korean Central News Agency / Associated Press / March 7, 2013)


North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) talks with officers at a guard post during his visit to the Jangjae Islet Defence Detachment and Mu Islet Hero Defence Detachment on the front, near the border with South Korea, southwest of Pyongyang.
March 7, 2013 released by the North's official KCNA news agency in Pyongyang March 8, 2013.
(Reuters / Korean Central News Agency)


A North Korean soldier reacts as he patrols along the Yalu River near the Chinese border last month.
(Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images via NPR)


More coverage on this (these are also additional sources as referenced at the source):

LA Times: North Korea vows to end nonaggression pacts with South Korea
Reuters: North Korea can't hit America, but South Korea and Japan in range
BBC News: North Korea: Will new UN sanctions persuade or provoke?
Associated Press: UN Sanctions May Play Into North Korean Propaganda
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): UN Security Council Passes New Resolution 2094 on North Korea

Source: NPR the two way

Comments

[falling-empress.livejournal.com]

NK is asking to be turned into blown glass.

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

Dennis Rodman, please call your boy and get this fixed.

[unicornios.livejournal.com]

They both need help.

[baroness.livejournal.com]

i read somewhere that these new threats are a sign of internal problems in n.korea and that kim jong-un hasn't gained such strong leadership over all the "important groups" yet... hmm, anyway, i just always feel so freaking bad for north korean citizens, because we all know they're the ones who'll suffer and are suffering the most :(

[oonalala.livejournal.com]

That makes sense because he has to know that these threats aren't likely to get the sanctions lifted, so I was wondering what he is actually trying to accomplish with all this extreme rhetoric.

[jasmineakaiumi.livejournal.com]

I hope it's that :c

[misshoa.livejournal.com]

But even if that's the case (which probably is the case, but anyways), neither NK nor the US/SK can step back again. If NK would take a step back, they would lose any credibility (mostly inside their country). If the US would take a step back, it would be pretty much the same, especially with this whole Iran-conflict (plus, Iran and NK seem to be pretty good friends too).

[celyn-jo.livejournal.com]

Yes, definitely feeling bad for the innocent North Koreans who had no choice but to believe what their government says.

[kanbinayume.livejournal.com]

That last picture must be staged. I'm not looking forward to what's going to happen if nk really decides to break the armistice

[whiteballad.livejournal.com]

Well... shiet just got real.. :/

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

I had a shouting match with this idiot in my course who was claiming this is a good move and how North Korea was standing up to the US and is a beacon of Hope. The prick.

[lightframes.livejournal.com]

Was he joking... because...

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Nope he's some Anti-Imperialism/US hater. And in alot of instances he has a point but claiming NK as some admirable regime made me snap. Claimed that the Labour camps were propaganda.

[lightframes.livejournal.com]

My head hurts.

[purekpopology.livejournal.com]

Oh god, why do people like this exist? dnw these people in my reality uuuugh. Seriously, this was a little painful to hear.

[lee-chikin.livejournal.com]

Poor guy, must have hurt falling repeatedly on the head when he was an infant.

[aures.livejournal.com]

[achan123.livejournal.com]

sorry to hear that. hopefully you managed to smack some sense into him

[hellicoptajuuce.livejournal.com]

nothing is going to happen imo. I mean they are up against...Japan who has an insane navy defense army, SK who is allied with US. China isn't going to do anything for NK possibly just sit back and watch this shit blowover while making anti-american remakes

[la-geni.livejournal.com]

IA with China. The U.S. is also like its main buyer, and I doubt they want us gone any time soon.

[hellicoptajuuce.livejournal.com]

well if the US went China would succeed with economy and military stregth(although they dont do much outside of China)

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

This is probably an attempt to appease the NK military tbh. They'll never try it, they'll be obliterated.

[burger.livejournal.com]

ia

[liaison-alley.livejournal.com]

For some reason this is big news in the States. Not enough other stuff going on I guess. Probably just more of the same ol' hissy-fit from the North.

My only concern is if they go and accidentally blow up a bunch of their own people or something to that effect. Those poor freakin' people. Ugh. There must be so much suffering with no help in sight... and a bunch of near-sighted leaders who have lost their damn minds. Suckkkkkssss.

[love4movies.livejournal.com]

Well, some lunatic threatens to nuke your country. It should be big news...

[oonalala.livejournal.com]

Hypothetically (because I don't think this will happen):

If NK drops a nuke on Seoul, do you think the US would retaliate by dropping two nukes on Pyongyang? Or does everyone stand down and try to negotiate?

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

SK will prob nuke back. NK will never do it though, they want to keep a strong hold, any physical attack would be their end. This is just their usual routine, they act aggressive for a while to show they're dangerous, hope for China to send some aid in return for calming down, waste the money. Rinse and repeat.

[4minutesluts.livejournal.com]

SK doesn't have nukes, but the US would possibly still do it (although they wouldn't want to piss off china by irradiating the countryside). If they didn't get nuked, the US would at least bomb the shit out of pretty much every military-related part of NK.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Sk doesn't have Nukes? Wow I thought they did. Regardless NK won't nuke, China won't let them. China is interesting in making money, not starting wars.

[4minutesluts.livejournal.com]

well they're incredibly unlikely to but it's not really because of any influence from china, it's been shown that they don't really have much authority over them with them denouncing their nuclear program but NK still going ahead with it

[22by7.livejournal.com]

you guys really think a nuke dropped on seoul won't have immediate impact on pyongyang too... ... ok

[4minutesluts.livejournal.com]

http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/?lat=37.566536&lng=126.97796900000003&zm=10&kt=10

no not really

i mean fallout could go north if the wind was going that way but that's about it

[22by7.livejournal.com]

WHAT IF THE WIND WAS GOING THAT WAY

but this is such a cool resource thx for the link!

[4minutesluts.livejournal.com]

then it would still mostly fall over the countryside, and i mean adding radiation poisoning to chronic starvation isn't really something I can imagine the leaders of NK caring about

[22by7.livejournal.com]

the leaders probably wouldn't even be in the country and risk their own asses getting hurt lbr

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

The reason NK is acting up is because China is supporting sanctions against them. NK is surviving due to China at this point anyway, most of their exports are to China, China gives them fuel and machinery. IF China supports sanctions then NK is done for. I would say they're being aggressive to get the Chinese to appease them.

The fact is that the Party wants to stay in power, any attack against Seoul will be it's own end. A Nuclear attack will end the party, their infrastructure will be blown to kingdom come. The party wants to stay in power so no attack is really imminent, just threats.

[jasmineakaiumi.livejournal.com]

They say not to worry until Korean citizens are worried but living in Seoul I can't help but be concerned :c
Apparently Monday is D-Day?

[ealanor.livejournal.com]

I live in Seoul too, and I'm not too worried, as no one here is any worried, at least in my Uni. My professors were kinda making fun of the situation.

But my mom went like tshit crazy when the news hit our national news channels. And so did my friends.

But I also understand how you feel. Cause it's kinda weird to actually be here and read about, than read it from my country which is far away from here and not in any relations with North Korea and poses no threat to them.

[jasmineakaiumi.livejournal.com]

No one at my uni is concerned either so I'm thinking everything will be fine.

Yeah, exactly! It's weird to think that everything is really chill in general here and yet technically they're still at war.

[love4movies.livejournal.com]

NK does not have the military power (or healthy people) to live through a full-blown war. China will never ever risk to eventually share a border with a country (SK) hosting 30,000 American soldiers. They need NK as a buffer.

Nothing will happen. :)

[jasmineakaiumi.livejournal.com]

I knew all the smart people on here would make me feel much more reassured haha thanks :)

[elizajet.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be too worried yet. I live in Korea too and nobody is remotely concerned.

Honestly? I'd feel safer here than in the US or Japan. N. Korea wants S. Korea, and if they bombed or used nuclear weapons, S. Korea would be screwed for decades, and they want the resources and land. They are much more likely to stage something electronic imo.

Don't be too worried, something like this has happened around every single installment of a president since the 90's.

[a-perfect-shade.livejournal.com]

ughh does this mean i can't visit the DMZ

[lovelyxbeauty.livejournal.com]

:/ I hope nothing happens, South Korea must be worried and especially the families of the men doing their 2 year military service, I know when the leader of North Korea died my sisters friend was really worried about her brother who had just entered the military.

[bonnieng.livejournal.com]

relevant.

[aleexnews.livejournal.com]

imgur doesnt work here

[lee-chikin.livejournal.com]

"come at me bro" Jong Un is actually cute.

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

broken :(

[misshoa.livejournal.com]

It was just a matter of time that this whole conflict blows up; and China, SK and the US have missed a good opportunity to stop the dictatorship and the madness going on in NK when they decided to "hold" NK and do nothing while there was the change of dictator.
Even China seems to get that now and turned away from NK when NK answered with threats to the sanctions given after the World Security Council meeting.

Stupid move by NK because they haven't China backing them up again and saving their asses from SK and the US.