Korean Peninsula On The Brink Of War

[BRVoice]

Japan, US call for North's denuclearization




The Japanese Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State have confirmed that they will work with China and other countries to seek a halt to North Korea's provocative words and actions, and to take concrete steps to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

Fumio Kishida and John Kerry spoke to reporters in Tokyo on Sunday after their meeting. This is Kerry's first visit to Japan as Secretary of State.

Kishida said Japan and its allies will not accept the North's possession of any nuclear weapons. He said Japanese and US officials will hold working-level talks in the near future to seek ways to stop the North's nuclear development program.

Kerry said it is essential for the relevant countries to see what kind of steps must be taken in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

He said he believes China and other countries will take effective measures to resolve the current crisis.

Kerry met with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping in Beijing on Saturday.

Kishida, referring to the territorial dispute between Japan and China over the Senkaku Islands, said Japan cannot compromise on the issue of sovereignty.

But he said his country's ties with China is among its most important. He said Japan is seeking a dialogue with the Chinese side, and that his country's doors are always open to China.

Kerry said the United States is neutral on the Senkaku issue. But he said he recognizes that the islands are administered by Japan. He added that the US opposes any unilateral action to try to change the current situation.
Apr. 14, 2013 - Updated 15:48 UTC

[BRVoice]

Defiant North Korea celebrates founder's anniversary

By David Chance

SEOUL | Sun Apr 14, 2013 11:07pm EDT

(Reuters) - North Korea celebrated the 101st anniversary of its founder's birth on Monday with no signs of tension easing on the peninsula after it rejected talks with South Korea aimed at normalizing ties and re-opening a joint industrial park.
The United States has also offered talks, but on the pre-condition that North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons ambitions. North Korea deems its nuclear arms a "treasured sword" and has vowed never to give them up.
The North has threatened for weeks to attack the United States, South Korea and Japan since new U.N. sanctions were imposed in response to its latest nuclear arms test in February.
South Korea's Defence Ministry said it remained on guard against a possible new missile launch to coincide with the Day of the Sun, the date state founder Kim Il-Sung was born. But officials discounted speculation that the North would proceed with a launch or a new nuclear test on the anniversary itself.
"North Korea is not believed to have launched a missile on the occasion of the Day of the Sun, of which today's is the 101st," ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a briefing.
"But the military is not easing up on its vigilance on the activities of the North's military with the view that they can conduct a provocation at any time."
Kim Il-Sung was born in 1912 and led his country from its founding in 1948, through the 1950-53 Korean War and until he died in 1994. His son, Kim Jong-il, then took over.
The South Korean Unification Ministry, which oversees relations with the North, said it was "regrettable" that the North had rejected an offer of talks, made last week by President Park Geun-hye. It said the offer would remain on the table.
Missile launches and nuclear tests by North Korea are both banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions, that were expanded after its third nuclear test, in February.
The aim of the North's aggressive acts, analysts say, is to bolster the leadership of Kim Jong-un, 30, the grandson of the reclusive state's founder, or to force the United States to hold talks with the North.
THIRD IN FAMILY DYNASTY
The third Kim to rule in Pyongyang attended a midnight celebration of his father and grandfather's rule with top officials, including his kingmaker uncle Jang Song-thaek and the country's top generals.
In Tokyo, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was meeting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after making a weekend offer to hold talks with the North if it abandoned its nuclear weapons program.
Japan also said it was willing for talks with North Korea if Pyongyang took steps toward de-nuclearisation.
Kerry's trip to South Korea, China and Japan was aimed at reassuring its allies and putting pressure on Beijing to act decisively to implement the U.N. sanctions.
Kerry said he believes China, the North's sole economic and political benefactor, should put "some teeth" in efforts to persuade Pyongyang to alter its policies.
The Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, the People's Daily, warned on Monday that tensions could get out of control.
"Bad things will always happen if a bowstring is drawn for too long," the paper wrote in a commentary.
"It does not matter if it is intentional or accidental, even the smallest thing could cause the situation to change rapidly and perhaps get totally out of control."
If matters did go out of control, it said, "no party will be able to stand on the side".
North Korea has repeatedly stressed that it fears the United States wants to invade it and has manipulated the United Nations to weaken it. At the weekend, the North rejected the overture by new South Korean President Park as a "cunning" ploy.
"We will expand in quantity our nuclear weapons capability, which is the treasure of a unified Korea ... that we would never barter at any price," Kim Yong-nam, North Korea's titular head of state, told a gathering of officials and service personnel applauding the achievements of Kim Il-Sung.
Kim Il-Sung's birthday is usually marked with a mass parade to showcase the North's military might. In 2012, following the death of his father, Kim Jong-un made a public speech, the first in living memory for a North Korean leader.
(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed and Kiyoshi Takenaka in TOKYO, Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Writing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Robert Birsel and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

[American Patriot]

No nukes, no missiles, no war, no shit....

lol

[vector7]

Potrait of Kim II Sung removed from Pyongang Square? Coup?

http://instagram.com/p/YIA8lXOCuW/

or before the fireworks begin.

[American Patriot]

Oh oh.

LOL

Must protect gods!

[American Patriot]

Found this posted to my blog this morning. Thought I'd share:

Reality Check Korea

Reality Check Korea
April 9, 2013
By Ray Coughenour, Colonel U.S. Army (Retired)


In my 30+ years of military experience and status as a self-recognized international political-socio and military expert, I am flat out scared there is a new war coming in Korea.


It is with great misgiving that I write this article about the aspect of what another war in Korea may look like and why people in the United States need to be prepared for it. This article will not be like what you are hearing on the nightly news or on the right wing blogs.


In my military career I had the experience of being in South Korea 19 years ago during a very heated period of time between North and South Korea. During that time in South Korea we were running the annual war game exercises. This time we actually ran 10 war scenarios most of which involved a surprise massive attack from North Korea (NK) on South Korea. According to the computer models, the combined U.S. / Republic of South Korea (ROK) forces lost nine out of ten of these game scenarios. The only time we won was when we used tactical nuclear weapons to stop the communist hordes coming from the north. This was also a period when lots of rhetoric was coming from NK about attacking the South and the tension and fear I saw in the faces of U.S. and Republic of South Korean Generals was the most intense in my lifetime.


Now 19 years later the rhetoric from NK has ramped up again to levels that I have never seen before. This begs the question of what has changed in the last 19 years on both sides of the Korean Peninsula and what would happen if another war broke out between North and South Korea?


First of all make no mistake, the United States has advanced in its war fighting capabilities exponentially since then. Our ability to project military force quickly anywhere in the world with our Army, Navy and Air Force is the most lethal force in the history of the world and there is no one who can stand up to us one on one. We can immediately fire cruise missiles at any target in the world and delivery them to a specific location like delivering the mail there.


That is the good news, but now let’s quit pounding on our chests and explore the current situation in Korea. Granted North Korea is full of starving people including a million underfed soldiers. They are led by a third generation despot who has so many peculiarities that he cannot be considered to be sane or rational. NK’s military equipment is old and outdated and could not sustain large scale combat operations for more than a couple weeks at best. So why worry about North Korea starting another war?


First let’s examine the current military situation on the Korean Peninsula as it was in 1994 compared with today. Over the last 19 years the North Koreans have steadily built up the number of military troops they have at or near the Demilitarized Zone or DMZ on the border with South Korea. Today the estimates are that NK has at least 700,000 troops at or near the DMZ. Some estimates have this total near one million troops. The NK forces also include over 4,000 tanks, while older models they are still lethal. These numbers are several times what they were in 1994.


The number of NK troops near the DMZ while indeed foreboding and scary is nothing compared to the current number of artillery / missile systems that North Korea currently has deployed near the border with South Korea. Well documented reports state there are now over 14,000 delivery systems near the DMZ, most in well dug in protected positions, even in solid rock. Every one of these systems has a pre-selected target ranging from the DMZ all the way up to and including the South Korea capital city of Seoul. I have seen estimates that the NK forces could rain down a million rounds from the DMZ to Seoul within the first 24 hours of a conflict starting. Is this just propaganda bluster or over-blown estimates? Well let’s take 14,000 delivery systems and be very conservative and assume that each one can fire five rounds per hour times 24 hours totaling 1.68 million rounds. Cut that in half after the initial U.S. military counter response and let’s cut it another 25% for ammunition resupply and maintenance problems. That still leaves 630,000 rounds that make it down range. Every round with a specified target including every single location where U.S. / ROK troops are located in the target fan area stretching from the DMZ going south into the entire city of Seoul, one of most populace cities in the world. Also realize that many, many of these rounds could be loaded with chemical or biological weapons.


Other major changes since 1994 are the advances in quantity and quality of missile technology that NK has developed internally or acquired from countries like China and Iran. The North’s defensive missile technology such as air defenses are still suspect and not capable of stopping U.S. attacks. However, the North’s array of offensive missile delivery systems has grown to become a threat to the entire region including all of South Korea, Japan and even Guam which are all locations with substantial U.S. military presence. It is doubtful but not impossible that they can delivery nuclear weapons on these missile systems, but very conceivable they can be armed to deliver chemical and biological weapons.

In 1994 NK had a significant Special Forces capability, but that force is now reported to be several times larger at around 80,000 strong and better trained and equipped to carry out its assigned insurgency mission of disrupting critical infrastructure in South Korea. This includes disrupting, hampering or destroying transportation systems, bridges, railroads, airports, communications including telephone, cell phones and internet, manufacturing plants and of course the electrical grid. New threats from internet hackers and the potential of using small nuclear weapons including an electronic magnetic pulse weapon make significant infrastructure disruption an issue of grave concern to U.S. / ROK military planners. Remember NK Special Forces will look and walk and talk just like the people in South Korea and blend into the country with ease.


Over the last twenty years the North Korean military has also increased its quantity, while not so much the quality of its Air Force and Naval capabilities including low flying troop transports, small attack boats and even a few very quiet stealthy diesel powered submarines.


You may notice I did not mention a lot about North Korea’s nuclear weapon capabilities. This was by design as I do not consider NK currently capable of delivering nuclear weapons either in a tactical or strategic method. Also, even the crazies running NK know that delivery of a crude nuclear weapon would produce a much larger retaliatory nuclear response from the United States.


In contrast since 1994, the United States military posture in South Korea has also changed. It has decreased substantially. From a decades long presence of over 40,000 military personnel in country, today the U.S. has 28,800 personnel stationed there. The reductions in force have included ground troops and air force capabilities. A very large majority of the remaining U.S. forces are at or near the DMZ and the capital of Seoul. Also understand since the early 1990s the overall U.S. military is around half the size it was when the cold war ended. That means only half the Army combat divisions, half the Navy combat ships, half the Air Force combat squadrons and half the Reserve Forces exist today that existed back in 1994 and are available to react to a new war in Korea.


Now you have the current situation, let’s discuss what in my opinion a new war in Korea may look like. There are many scenarios they may trigger this conflict including NK just attacking or a military incident that causes both sides to overreact. But’s let’s assume that any scenario will assume a full assault by North Korea on South Korea with little or no warning and will include all the military capabilities in NK arsenal. So with that scenario, let me present what an account of the next war in Korea may read like.


The attack by NK forces was immense and intense. So as not to tip off the U.S. / ROK forces too much, the attack was initiated without a lot of the supposed necessary logistical and movement preparations put in place. The NK forces attacked with only what they had on hand in the way of ammunition, fuel, and food. As with many modern warfare assaults, the initial attack included a massive nighttime artillery bombardment with every delivery system near the DMZ firing as many rounds as possible before the U.S. / ROK forces could retaliate with counter-fire and aerial attack. The results were that every single military target within range from the DMZ to Seoul received multiple hits for several hours. Every location where they were U.S. / ROK military personnel, every electrical power plant, every rail line, airport, and of course the entire DMZ were hit very hard. Population centers were hit with low level short duration chemical weapons to cause a panic effect which clogged all major roadways with millions of people fleeing in terror.


Simultaneous with the artillery attack the NK Special Forces deployed into pre-planned no fire areas by air assault, land movement and sea borne attack boats and joined up with insurgents already planted within the South. Some were in NK uniforms, while many blended in the populace dressed in ROK military uniforms or civilian clothes. Using maps, intelligence and plans in place for decades they attacked their pre-assigned targets including hundreds of critical infrastructure targets. Within 24 hours they effectively shut down the power, transportation and communications systems in all of South Korea.


Immediately after and in some cases during the initial massive artillery barrage, dozens of NK army combat divisions with over 400,000 troops poured into the DMZ with thousands of tanks and headed south. The massive NK invasion supported by the largest artillery barrage in history and massive insurgency operations against the ROK infrastructure and panic and terror stricken populace in the South, allowed the NK invasion forces to move fast. They steadily advanced along the short 35 mile distance to Seoul against heavy to medium resistance from the U.S. / ROK soldiers and reached Seoul within 24 hours. By the end of the second day, and for the third time since the end of World War Two, the great city of Seoul was captured by North Korean troops.


Within the first few hours of the start of the conflict the combined U.S./ ROK forces mounted a strong offensive attack using cruise missiles and aircraft launched against NK forces coming across the DMZ, enemy supply lines in the North supporting the attack and multiple command and control NK military headquarters and bases of operations. A large and very specific attack against the NK leadership was conducted but the success of it was hard to assess. The NK political and military leadership had gone underground. The massive NK attack forced the U.S. / ROK forces to use a majority of their overall combat power in a defensive mode to try and slow or stop the massive North Korean invasion forces and protect the U.S. military assets in South Korea, Japan, and Guam.


On day 3 after the NK attack U.S. / ROK forces continued large scale aerial attacks using aircraft and cruise missiles but found it difficult due to the millions of refugees all over South Korea. On the ground and after the fall of the South Korean capital city of Seoul, the U.S. / ROK forces were in full retreat and survival mode. At the end of the fifth day, the anticipated lull in fighting occurred. Part of the reason the U.S. response to try and stop the invasion failed is that for the last 60 years the NK forces have standing order of battle with specific military goals and targets for which they have prepared for several decades. This is why the U.S. attack on the supply lines and NK command / control and political leadership sites did not stop the invasion in its tracks. The NK forces had standing orders to advance with the supplies they had and could acquire as they advanced south until they captured and controlled all of South Korea or they died trying. Stopping or retreating were not options.


So after five days of heavy fighting and similar to war games conducted 19 years ago, the forces of North Korea had gained control of 90% of South Korea. The devastation to life and property was enormous. Seoul, Korea, one of the greatest cities in the world had been effectively totally destroyed. All critical infrastructure in South Korea was damaged or destroyed including the entire electrical grid, roadways, bridges, airports, rail lines, seaports, and all forms of communications. South Korea as a functioning country was no more and was now under NK military occupation.


The loss of life was staggering. On the military side U.S. causalities were 15,000 dead 6,000 wounded with 75% of those losses occurring within first 24 hours. ROK Army causalities were 125,000 dead, 80,000 wounded and 150,000 taken prisoner which totaled over half the ROK Army. The NK forces took incredible losses as all armies who conduct full frontal assaults normally do with 180,000 dead and 60,000 wounded, and none captured. Civilian causalities were hard to judge but initial estimates are 150,000 South Koreans, 75,000 North Koreans and 15,000 foreigners killed with tens of thousands wounded and millions homeless and refugees.


At this point in time the political and military situation was still very fluid and very scary. NK leader Kim Ill Un was still alive and hidden underground along with much of the senior NK military commanders. North Korea’s nuclear weapons capability while heavily attacked could not be considered destroyed and they still had the ability to deploy chemical and biological weapons. NK troops occupy most of South Korea and U.S. / ROK troops have been evacuated to Japan and Guam and other locations.


On the international side, China stayed out of the fight just like it did in the beginning of the last Korean War. Russia is also sitting on the sidelines and shows little interest in getting involved militarily. The United Nations is announcing their normal blustery proclamations and condemnations but military support for the U.S. / ROK forces is not forthcoming in large numbers except from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and a few others.


World financial markets are in total disarray with worries that the conflict will spread throughout the region into China, Japan and the entire pacific.


The United States was now mobilizing its entire military might, transferring troops and equipment, ships, planes and support to the Far East. A coalition was being formed and long ago drawn up plans were dusted off on how to take back South Korea from the communist hordes from the north.


So there is the situation. The question is what does the U.S. actually do at this point? What would be the cost in U.S. military causalities to take back South Korea from a now entrenched North Korean Army? As previously stated, currently the U.S. Army has half the combat divisions, Navy combat ships and Air Force squadrons it used to have. In my opinion once NK gained control of South Korea, we do not have the forces available to retake it and it would take us several years to create one. If we did mount an invasion force would NK use their nuclear or chemical or biological weapons in a scorched earth defense? Is America willing to lose possibly 100,000 troops killed in action for such an invasion? Is the U.S. or the world willing to risk a larger regional conflict with China?


I have presented this scenario in what I believe is a reality check on Korea. Not the sugar coated one you are hearing on the news channels about how North Korea is only bluffing or bloggers who just think we will just kick their butts if they try anything. The reality is I am scared and you should be also.


There is no doubt many will dismiss my comments here as a defeatist attitude instead of the arm chair general cheerleading for America I hear every day. However I am sick and tired of the bloggers and war mongers who think that every American soldier is Rambo or our Special Forces can actually win wars. American Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, and Marines are the best in the world. But we bleed like everyone else. Air power, sea power, cruise missiles, and Special Forces support combat operations. Troops on the ground win wars and we do not have enough of them anymore.


I used to tell the Lt. Colonels who worked for me don’t come to me with problems unless you can also bring some solutions. Therefore following my own advice, I would be remiss if I did not give my assessment of how to avoid ending up in the scenario I just presented.


So here is what I propose. The U.S / ROK governments must employ a trip wire defensive plan. They need to present a very clear plan to the leaders of North Korea outlining those actions that if taken by the North will result in an immediate military attack against them, or in essence a trip wire. The difference on my plan with a similar plan that the U.S. / ROK have in place now to deal with NK aggression is simple. I propose a plan that warns and indeed threatens the North Korean leadership and military forces on the DMZ with their personal destruction if they “trip the wire”. I would use all the weapons at our disposal including nuclear weapons to destroy the sickos who are currently in control in North Korea and to stop the hordes of NK troops from invading through the DMZ. I would also tell them upfront, effectively point the gun in their face, that if the North fires a rocket over Japan, arms a missile with a nuclear, chemical or biological weapon, conducts a cyber-attack against South Korea or the United States, moves its combat forces towards the south or does not dismantle its nuclear weapons program we will conduct a massive attack against them without warning.


I am not willing to sacrifice the beautiful nation of South Korea, a country that is our ally and our best friend in the Far East, because we were hesitant to take pre-emptive military action against a rogue communist nation with all the power we possess. The world missed our chance to save millions of lives in 1919 with the communists in Russia, in 1933 with Hitler, in 1946 with the Chinese communist Mao and the Cambodian communist Pol Pot in 1969. We cannot wait this time. We do not have too.
Ray Coughenour is a retired Army Colonel and combat veteran. After retirement from the Army he hosted a radio show, The Daily Report with Colonel Ray for several years in South Texas where he discussed political issues. He has interviewed numerous elected officials including Texas Governor Rick Perry and Attorney General Greg Abbott, Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, and many U.S. Federal and Military officials. He is currently semi-retired and living in Victoria, Texas. He can be reached by email at; colonelray@sbcglobal.net.

[vector7]

Oh oh.

LOL

Must protect gods!

I was thinking if they fire that missile, US/ROK sortie fireworks.

No Military Parade At North Korea’s Annual Holiday Celebration

Meanwhile South Korean defense official says North Korea is ready to fire missiles


April 15, 2013

WASHINGTON DC – North Korean authorities refrained this year from conducting a military parade at the annual “Day of The Sun” celebration, held today to commemorate the birth of founding leader Kim Il Sung.

A Kyodo News dispatch from Pyongyang today reported on the festivities, noting that unlike the previous year, ”no military parades or other grandiose events were scheduled for the occasion”.

South Korean government officials earlier told Yonhap News that they had been expecting North Korea to conduct a large military parade, noting that soldiers and equipment had been seen amassing near Pyongyang.

Although there was no military parade, South Korea’s defense chief Kim Kwan-jin told lawmakers in Seoul today that it seemed North Korea was ready to launch its mid-range Musudan missiles. As of 7pm KST, North Korea had not yet conducted a missile launch, despite fears it might use the annual holiday as an occasion to fire.

In recent weeks North Korea’s armed forces have been on high-alert, conducting numerous exercises as tensions have risen on the peninsula. The International Crisis Group’s Daniel Pinkston today told NK NEWS that because of the scope and duration of these preparations, the Korean People’s Army may not have had capacity to simultaneously conduct large scale military parades at today’s celebrations.

On the subject of the “imminent” North Korean missile launch, Pinkston said that while he couldn’t predict when it would happen, it would make “no sense” to launch today.

“Too many people have to work when they test, especially high-level people who have other responsibilities and priorities on the holiday. The symbolism is important, they have ceremonial responsibilities, and they want a couple of days off. It’s a voluntary action they can schedule any time. It would be like the Pope scheduling his annual physical exam on Christmas Day,” Pinkston explained.

Earlier today Kim Jong Un initiated a national commemoration of his grandfather’s birth by visiting the Kumsusan Memorial Palace at midnight, laying a floral tribute before the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

In pictures released by Yonhap News, Kim is seen at the palace accompanied exclusively by military officials, while representatives of the Korean Workers Party seen at previous “Day of the Sun” palace visits not visible attending this year.

During the day, mass dancing events and picnics took place, while thousands of North Koreans paid tribute to a Kim Il Sung statue at Mansu Hill and elsewhere. State media outlet KCNA also reported that North Korean authorities also conducted a reception for foreign visitors at Pyongyang’s international class Koryo Hotel.

Yesterday KCNA reported that an unnamed Ethiopian man and North Korean women came first in the annual Pyongyang marathon, an event that underscored a visible difference between foreign perceptions of imminent war and the situation on the ground in North Korea. Instagram photos posted by Hannah Barraclough of Koryo Tours today also showed a festive and relaxed mood, absent of any impending preparations for war.

Despite increasing threats from North Korea, South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye made clear in recent days that her country would be open to dialogue with Kim Jong Un’s government. Pyongyang however responded by denouncing her proposal as a “cunning ploy”, though it has refrained from issuing any overtly aggressive threats in recent days.

Inter-Korean relations are at a low point following weeks of recriminations between Seoul and Pyongyang.

Relations spiraled out of control following UN condemnation of North Korea’s third nuclear test in February.

[American Patriot]

You know, everyone considers this guy in Korea a joke. But you know, they attacked South Korea years ago. I'm not so sure they wouldn't do the same crap again myself.

[vector7]

In 'ultimatum,' N. Korea urges Seoul to apologize for 'all hostile acts'


SEOUL, April 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's military on Tuesday issued what it called an "ultimatum" calling for South Korea to offer an apology for "anti-North" activities, according to the communist nation's media.

"The supreme command of the Korean People's Army Tuesday issued an ultimatum to the South Korean puppet group," Pyongyang's official news agency, KCNA, said in an English-version article.

[American Patriot]

I guess Lil' Kim hasn't been seen for something like two weeks now.

Is that right?

A rumor is going around he's dead and his generals killed him in the last few days (or more likely put him into seclusion or a prison camp of some sort).

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

[American Patriot]

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/45...rthday-kim.htm

North Korea's Kim Jong-un Missing in Public for Two Weeks

Kim missing amid escalating threats against the US and South Korea

By Vasudevan Sridharan: Subscribe to Vasudevan's RSS feed
April 14, 2013 6:42 AM GMT
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un watches soldiers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) taking part in landing and anti-landing drills, in the eastern sector of the front and the east coastal area. - Reuters



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public for the past two weeks sparking widespread speculation amid escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

Unconfirmed reports which suggested a coup against the leader have been rubbished by experts in Seoul citing no unusual military movement in the country.


Alongside a flurry of threats from North Korea, Kim's absence has set rumour mills rolling. One question being asked is whether Pyongyang has been forced to tone down its war rhetoric against the US and South Korea.


Kim was last seen in public on 1 April when he headed a parliamentary session. The leader has been missing in action for the last 15 days at a time when the country is set to mark the birth anniversary of his grandfather and former leader of North Korea Kim Il-sung.



It is widely speculated that North Korea will launch a ballistic missile to mark the occasion.


A source familiar with matter told the Seoul-based Yonhap news agency that Kim's absence is a "psychological warfare that could grab attention from South Korea and the United States".


Experts also believe that Pyongyang will not scale down its provocative posture against the US.


Meanwhile, North Korea's staunch ally China has pledged to work together with the US in a bid to restrain Pyongyang.


US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in Beijing holding talks with top Chinese leaders, said the two largest economies are looking forward to peacefully defusing the tensions.


"To properly address the Korean nuclear issue serves the common interests of all parties. China will work with other relevant parties including the United States to play a constructive role," said Beijing's State Councillor Yang Jiechi.


Neither Washington nor Beijing has spelt out the steps the parties intend taking against North Korea if the situation turns worse.


Kerry, who earlier visited Seoul, is on the last leg of his Asia tour and will shortly visit Japan. Tokyo has also deployed several Patriot missiles to defend its territory in the wake of the North Korean threats.

[American Patriot]

North Korea’s Leader Missing from Public Eye for Two Weeks – Report

Topic: Crisis on the Korean Peninsula (2013)

North Korea’s Leader Missing from Public Eye for Two Weeks – Report
© AFP 2013/ KCNA via KNS


12:04 14/04/2013

SEOUL, April 14 (RIA Novosti) - North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public for the past two weeks, sparking speculation amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday.


Kim has been absent from the public eye since April 1 when he presided over an annual parliamentary session. His absence was not unusual in the past but this month’s disappearance comes at a time when Pyongyang is expected to launch a mid-range ballistic missile, the agency said.


According to Yonhap, an official at Seoul's intelligence authority denied rumors of a coup against Kim, saying no unusual movement surrounding the North's leader had been detected.


Another source specializing on North Korea told Yonhap that Kim's absence is part of the North's "psychological warfare that could grab attention from South Korea and the United States."


Tensions rose sharply on the Korean Peninsula in December after North Korea tested a Taepodong 2 missile and again in February when it carried out its third nuclear test.

The UN hit back with sanctions, and the start of joint military drills between South Korea and the United States last month further irritated the North, which threatened to carry out a nuclear attack on the US mainland, as well as on US forces in the region.


Chang Yong-seok, senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies of Seoul National University, told Yonhap that Pyongyang was unlikely to scale down its provocative stand against the US.


"Rather than attempting to change the current situation, North Korea is likely to keep raising tensions, while there is a possibility of slightly adjusting the level of tensions," Chang said.


According to Yonhap, Kim may appear in public on Monday, when Pyongyang marks the birthday of its founder, Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of the current leader. Seoul's military officials have said that a missile launch by Pyongyang could happen on Monday.

[vector7]

Wonder what happened here...https://mobile.twitter.com/theorigin...864128/photo/1

[American Patriot]

Bombs at Boston Marathon?

[BRVoice]

North Korea vows to attack

8:17 AM Tuesday Apr 16, 2013
The New Zealand Herald

North Korea's military has issued an "ultimatum'' saying it would attack without warning if anti-North Korean activities continued in the South.

The warning came after protestors in Seoul burned portraits of North Korea's founder Kim Il-Sung, his son Kim Jong-Il and grandson and current leader Kim Jong-Un.

The act coincided with national celebrations in North Korea for the 101st anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-Sung, a day it reveres as "The Day of the Sun''.

"All the service personnel and people of the DPRK (North Korea) are simmering with towering resentment at this monstrous criminal act," the army's supreme command said in a release carried on the official Korean Central News Agency.

In an "ultimatum" to the South, it warned: "Our retaliatory action will start without any notice from now as such a thrice-cursed criminal act of hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK is being openly committed in the heart of Seoul under the patronage of the puppet authorities."

It added that the armed forces "will start immediately their just military actions to show how the service personnel and people of the DPRK value and protect the dignity of the supreme leadership.

"The military demonstration of the DPRK's revolutionary armed forces will be powerful sledge-hammer blows at all hostile forces hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK.''

The threat came as North Korea was expected to carry out a missile launch to mark Monday's anniversary of its founder's birth.

The Korean peninsula has been in a state of heightened military tension since the North carried out its third nuclear test in February.

Incensed by fresh UN sanctions and joint South Korea-US military exercises, Pyongyang has spent weeks issuing blistering threats of missile strikes and nuclear war.

In an attempt to defuse tensions, South Korea's new president, Park Geun-Hye, in recent days has signalled the need to open a dialogue and "listen to what North Korea thinks''.

But the North has rejected her proposals as a "crafty trick" to conceal Seoul's aggressive intentions.

North Korea's army supreme command Tuesday said that if South Korea really wanted dialogue and negotiations, "they should apologise for all anti-DPRK hostile acts, big and small".

The North has a habit of linking high-profile military tests with key dates, and expectations had been high of a mid-range missile test to coincide with Monday's celebrations marking the birth of Kim Il-Sung.

But unlike the centennial birth anniversary last year, there was no muscular military parade through the centre of Pyongyang and officials in Seoul said the ``missile watch'' could drag on for days.


- AFP

[BRVoice]

North Korea may still hold test missile launch - US official

Published: 9:27AM Tuesday April 16, 2013 Source: Reuters

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The Pentagon still believes North Korea may be poised for a missile test launch in the coming days even after celebration of its founder's birthday took place on Monday without incident, a senior US defense official told Reuters.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US military thinking had been that a test-launch could come before the anniversary or after but, "We've all thought this month was the zone."
When asked whether he had expected a launch by now, he said: "I was not surprised."
The North has threatened nuclear attacks on the United States, South Korea and Japan after new UN sanctions were imposed in response to its latest nuclear arms test in February.
Many Pyongyang watchers had anticipated a missile test tied to the 101st anniversary of the day the North's founder Kim Il-Sung was born, perhaps before or on the anniversary.
Most officials have publicly refused to speculate on timing, noting the unpredictable nature of the regime.
South Korea said it remained on guard against any missile launch and it regretted the North's rejection of an offer of talks made last week by President Park Geun-hye. It said the offer would remain on the table.
Missile launches and nuclear tests by North Korea are both banned under UN Security Council resolutions, that were expanded after its third nuclear test, in February.
The aim of the North's aggressive acts, analysts say, is to bolster the leadership of Kim Jong-un, the 30-year-old grandson of the nation's founder, or to force the United States to hold talks with the North.

[BRVoice]

(LEAD) No injuries reported in U.S. military chopper crash


CHERWON, South Korea, April 16 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. military helicopter crashed while landing at a front-line Army unit Tuesday, but all of three crew members and 13 U.S. soldiers on board escaped unscathed, police and military officials said.

Sikorsky's CH-53 transport helicopter crashed onto a military shooting range in Cherwon, 88 kilometers north of Seoul, while landing after completing a three-hour training exercise along with five other helicopters, according to military officials.

[American Patriot]

Today is the second day of the celebration over there. Nothing has indicated they will NOT launch (or will).

But if they attack South Korea, there won't be anything left of them.

[BRVoice]

China says US is destabilizing region by increasing presence in Asia

Published April 16, 2013
Associated Press

• 
  July 4, 2012: In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the USS Ponce transits the Persian Gulf en route to Bahrain, according to the U.S. Navy. (AP/US Navy)
  

BEIJING – In its latest account of national defense efforts, China said Tuesday that the United States is destabilizing the Asia-Pacific region by strengthening its military alliances and sending more ships, planes, and troops to the area.
The U.S. policy known as the "pivot" to Asia runs counter to regional trends and "frequently makes the situation tenser," the Defense Ministry said in its report on the state of China's defense posture and armed forces.
"Certain efforts made to highlight the military agenda, enhance military deployment and also strengthen alliances are not in line with the calling of the times and are not conducive to the upholding of peace and stability in the region," spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters at a news conference marking the report's release.
"We hope that the relevant parties would do more to enhance the mutual trust between countries in the region and contribute to peace and stability," Yang said.
China has consistently criticized Washington's deployment of additional ships and personnel to Asia, along with increasing cooperation both with treaty partners, including Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, as well other countries such as Vietnam that aren't traditional allies.
The U.S. is winding down its fighting in Afghanistan and calls the restructuring a natural reallocation of resources to the world's most economically dynamic region.
Beijing, however, sees it as specifically designed to contain China's diplomatic, military, and economic rise, and has sought to reassure Asian nations that China poses no threat to them. Despite that, China's fast-growing military and increasingly firm assertions of its territorial claims have concerned many countries, pushing them to seek stronger relations with the U.S., the region's traditional military superpower.
The pivot will see 60 percent of the Navy's fleet be deployed to the Pacific by 2020. Singapore will be home to four new U.S. Littoral Combat Ships designed to fight close to shorelines, while Indonesia is looking to buy a broad range of American hardware and take part in joint maneuvers. The Philippines is seeking to host more U.S. troops on a rotating basis and Australia has agreed to allow up to 2,500 Marines to deploy to the northern city of Darwin.
Meanwhile, in the face of natural disasters and North Korean threats, U.S. military relations with treaty partners South Korea and Japan are closer than ever.
In its report, the Defense Ministry again sought to assuage concerns about its more than 500 percent increase in defense spending over the past 14 years. China's defense budget is now the second largest in the world after the U.S., allowing it to acquire everything from better submarines and missiles to state-of-the-art fighters, aircraft carriers and electronic warfare systems, and helping spawn an arms race across Asia.
Much of the report was devoted to the military's contribution to U.N. peacekeeping efforts and disaster relief, portraying the People's Liberation Army as a force for regional and global stability.
Yet it also asserted the PLA's role as a guarantor of China's core interests, vowing to tolerate no violation of those.
"'We will not attack unless we are attacked, but we will surely counterattack if attacked. Following this principle, China will resolutely take all necessary measures to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity," the report said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/04...#ixzz2QdTstl8S

[American Patriot]

NKorea vows blitz on South 'will start without notice'...

'Sledgehammer blows'...

VIDEO: SKorea prepares for attack...

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