North Korea, Sanctions, and Kim Jong-un

[Alex.]

Why would they do something on his birthday? Surely that'd be a pretty good reason for them not to do anything. He was probably smashed off his head lying on the floor of his old man's Hennessy storeroom by midday.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Why would they do something on his birthday? Surely that'd be a pretty good reason for them not to do anything.

Because they traditionally do. They like to mark their leaders' birthdays with shows of military force. Kim Il-sung's is particularly important, seeing as how he founded North Korea as is Eternal President (which means he's still officially running the country, even though he's been dead for nineteen years).

Although I do find it odd that it's 8pm on the evening of Il-sung's birthday and the North Koreans haven't blown anything up yet. Today was touted as the day for that sort of thing.

 

[gokartman78]

Why would they do something on his birthday? Surely that'd be a pretty good reason for them not to do anything. He was probably smashed off his head lying on the floor of his old man's Hennessy storeroom by midday.

Because he is NK's eternal president, and he is viewed as a kind of creator. So doing something on his birthday might 'please' him.

 

[Alex.]

Fair enough, fellas. Quite looking forward to the controversial BBC documentry this evening.

 

[Touring Mars]

Same here...

... had to laugh at The One Show last week*. Andy Kershaw was explaining to guest presented Michael Ball that Kim Il Sung is still the president of North Korea and is the only dead head of state in the world, to which Ball (who was clearly not listening) replied "Good on him!"... #fail



* before anyone asks, I wasn't "watching" it, it was just on while I ate my dinner

 

[DK]

When this is over with, Trey Parker and Matt Stone should make an entire play based solely on what happened. That, would be comical.

Well, there's always "Team America".

 

[Dotini]

China's biggest concern I think is the fall of NK, as its acted as a nice buffer zone between the west and China (part of the reason why the USSR and China assisted the NK's during the Korean war), something that China would be reluctant to loose.

Yes indeed, what China wants certainly matters. Another thing China wants is increased sovereignty over regional littoral zones and minerals. North Korea is a very convenient catspaw in this quest. China is opposed in this quest by South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and other SE Asia nations. I assume the recently ballyhooed "Pacific Pivot" by US military strategists is our attempt to support our brave and trusting regional allies against Chinese encroachments.

Respectfully,
Steve


A recent NY Times link that reinforces much of GTP's discussion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/world/asia/kim-jong-un-tests-relations-with-china.html?_r=1&

 

[MisterWhiskers]

Judging off what you have posting on the last few pages, the only thing going in your mouth is your foot !

That deserves two laughs! 👍

 

[homeforsummer]

Related to the thread but unrelated to the topic, I thought some people may be interested in this.

There's an Associated Press photographer living in NK at the moment, called David Guttenfelder. He has twitter and instagram profiles (both dguttenfelder) and they're quite fascinating - basically an insight to life in Pyongyang (from the outside, at least).

 

[dhandeh]

That person in between the two on the right, looks like he shouldn't be there. And as for the medals, slight overkill.

 

[Pagey279]

Currently watching the documentary on NK, BBC2 20:30pm for those who want to catch up on the iPlayer.

Eye opening stuff, I didn't really know much about North Korea, apart from the stuff you hear in the news, about the Kims and the other usual things. A very interesting program, worth a watch 👍

 

[sumbrownkid]

That person in between the two on the right, looks like he shouldn't be there. And as for the medals, slight overkill.

Clearly for all those wars they valiantly fought and won.

 

[Spagetti69]

Clearly for all those wars they valiantly fought and won.

He didn't prestige then lol.

 

[sumbrownkid]

He didn't prestige then lol.

Apparently Jong Un doesn't want to take the time to re-unlock everything again.

 

[DK]

Apparently Jong Un doesn't want to take the time to re-unlock everything again.

Oh, so that's how North Korea used footage from CoD for a propaganda video!

 

[The Stig Farmer]

Damn, that Panorama was... creepy, to say the least... the fully-functioning (when the power was on ) hospital, fully staffed but completely empty of patients was just bizarre...

 

[Spagetti69]

Damn, that Panorama was... creepy, to say the least... the fully-functioning (when the power was on ) hospital, fully staffed but completely empty of patients was just bizarre...

I'm just tuning in to that now.

 

[The Stig Farmer]

The excuses they made for there being no patients were quite funny

"They are treated in the mornings. In the afternoons they do social activities."

What a bizarre half hour... there's still a part of me that doubts the North can exist in today's 'civilized' world... I'm sure it's all an act.

 

[Spagetti69]

The lights going off every two minutes was odd.

I'm sure they'd have to bump start any nukes.

 

[Wiegert]

I knew people are executed for ridiculous reasons in North Korea or defy how the regime is managed, but simply asking for some more medical supplies wasn't one I counted on.

Damn, that Panorama was... creepy, to say the least... the fully-functioning (when the power was on ) hospital, fully staffed but completely empty of patients was just bizarre...

It's also ironic that the lights goes out at an industrial complex that manufactures electricity generators. A real show of power there.

 

[a6m5]

I really think China puts up with North Korea only because they have to, and there isn't a better alternative.

I can see that.

If the news articles that I'm reading are correct, then there is none going on right now.

China is obviously pretty upset with Kim Jong-Un. My understanding is that he never paid his respects to China, unlike Kim Jong-Il and Kim Il-Sung, and now China just feels disrespected, that North Korea isn't paying its dues and if anything, is biting the hand that feeds.

a6, you know how Asian cultures work. The fact that China is publicly criticizing a friend instead of saving face and privately criticizing them is very telling in and of itself how unhappy the current Chinese government is with North Korea.

Officially, at face value, it is exactly as you say. However, with China being one of the most tactful government in the world, and both them & North Korea being couple of the most secretive military powers in the world, perhaps I'm giving them too much credit, but I tend to believe that North Korea has a game plan, and China isn't the loser that fed & protected this nation that drove itself to the ground, then have it publicly disrespect them in front of the Americans. Of course, really no more than just a suspicion on my part.

 

[Submerged]

Currently watching the documentary on NK, BBC2 20:30pm for those who want to catch up on the iPlayer.

Eye opening stuff, I didn't really know much about North Korea, apart from the stuff you hear in the news, about the Kims and the other usual things. A very interesting program, worth a watch 👍

That documentary was apparently done without the LSE students knowledge.

As the BBC supposedly told them that 1 journalist was going, but it turned out to be three and a camera.

So there were some debate about that.

 

[DK]

From watching that Panorama documentary, seeing the lack of preparation for war on the North Korean side makes me question whether they'll actually do something.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

North Korea has been eerily silent for the past few days ...

 

[Blitz24]

North Korea has been eerily silent for the past few days ...

Yesterday there was a report that they had announced (or warned, depending on what you want to believe) that they will attack without warning. I think they have been quiet now because:
1) They are preparing to attack.
or
2) They realized that they just ruined their cover making that statement.

 

[Liquid]

Too busy self-adulating while marking Il-Sung's birthday.

 

[G.T.Ace]

For anyone who missed it, like me:

 

[prisonermonkeys]

He's not a particularly interesting narrator ...

Yesterday there was a report that they had announced (or warned, depending on what you want to believe) that they will attack without warning.

I didn't see that. I imagine it got lost in the coverage of the Boston bombing down here.

 

[Touring Mars]

Yesterday there was a report that they had announced (or warned, depending on what you want to believe) that they will attack without warning.

How can you warn that you will attack without warning*?

Incidentally, they've been saying this for weeks - years if you count previous periods of a similar nature.

* although atleast they are being consistent with the daftness of their threats.

 

[Blitz24]

How can you warn that you will attack without warning*?

Incidentally, they've been saying this for weeks - years if you count previous periods of a similar nature.

* although atleast they are being consistent with the daftness of their threats.

Its akin to warning Japan that if they shoot down one of NK's missiles, they will attack Tokyo (with another missile). Whoever is in charge of their PR could be a 5 year old.