Blog 10: North Korea and South Korea

On Tuesday, North Korea warned foreigners that they might want to leave South Korea because the peninsula was on the brink of nuclear war. The American commander feels that the North’s young leader didn’t leave himself an easy exit to reduce tensions. The Obama administration has settled on a strategy of refusing to make concessions to the North and has adopted a new plan to deter any hostilities by promising a proportionate response. It hopes to revers what is now considered a long-term pattern in which the West offers aid to calm tensions and then North Korea breaks its promises to halt its nuclear program. They think it will only work if the leader backs down and satisfies him with a token show of force. At this time they don’t understand his motivations. South no longer wants to give North compromises or aid. Experts have called the new threat “psychological warfare” analysts say that the threats have been said to cause jitters among businesses and investors in South Korea. South Korea have begun to ignore signs and continue on with daily lives. The Korea Tourism Organization said that the latest threat of North Korea has so far had little effect on that industry, and the number of Chinese visitors is actually doubling. People in South Korea believe that it is time they start defending their own self and want to start building their own nuclear weapons but as of now no endorsed has been made to begin making the weapons.

            To this day it is still all about power, prestige, and property. The grandfather and father of the North Korea leader was trying to take away the nuclear missions when they were in office but as soon as they allowed Kim in office he brought weapons, information, technology with him to being not only making more weapons but creating a catastrophe for him and his people. Everyone seems against him, the thoughts are still that he won’t proceed and he is bluffing and the fact that he is just trying to scare everyone at South Korea and make them suffer, but according to the information their businesses are still doing good they are still getting foreigners and people are still coming over. The leader of South Korea did say she was getting calls wondering if it was safe to cross the border into that city but the US has not started taking their people out that live there and that is a very good sign. The US is still taking the right precautions and also doing the right thing by trying to get North Korea to stop but when South Korea said they wanted to start making their own nuclear weapons it seems to be a good thing, because they should have something that they can protect themselves with. I hope North Korea doesn’t continue on with their unnecessary threats but only time will tell. 

LeeAnna Souther

4-09-13

 9:34pm

 

North Korea Warns It Is on Brink of Nuclear War With South

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/world/asia/south-korean-leader-seeks-to-end-vicious-cycle-with-north.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

Blog 9: US and North Korea

            On Monday April1 the White House believes that there is no evidence that Kim Jong-un, the country’s leaders was mobilizing troops or military forces for any imminent attack. The White House took actions to emphasize the disconnectedness between Mr. Kim’s rhetoric and action. They used this strategy to ease tensions after a fraught few days in which Mr. Kim threatened to rain missiles on the American mainland and the US responded by flying nuclear-capable bombers over the Korean Peninsula. Even though the White House tried to ease the tensions the Pentagon still moved a Navy missile-defense ship from its home port in Japan to waters closer to the Korean Peninsula, this was to give North warnings about putting its rockets in a higher alert. The US has taken unusual public steps to demonstrate its commitment to defend itself and protect South Korea and Japan, the Obama administration appeared to be trying to defuse the situation because of the fears of war.

            In analyzing this article just like all the other ones, you still see the main problem the North Korean ruler wants to show his power, and prestige and he is doing that by showing what he is capable of. You see that the United States is doing everything in their power to stay committed to their promises to South Korea and Japan and they are doing that by moving a Navy ship and by flying jets over there. You see that they are trying to take precautions but they are also trying to not cause fear to the public because North Korea is trying to start a war with us and eventually the world will be in a state of fear.  It states in the article that North Korea has had their new ruler since late 2011 and has done 3 nuclear missile tests, threaten to hit America’s major cities, and reverted to a state of war. It sounds like North Korea needs to get a new ruler. South Korea’s leader is taking the precautions to protect her people like a leader/ruler should be doing. I still think like the United States does I think North Korea is just saying words and not actually going to follow through with their actions but you never know what people are capable of doing these days. I also believe the United States are taking the right precautions to do what is right and protecting not only us but also South Korea and Japan. 

LeeAnna Souther

04.01.13

10:37pm

U.S. Sees Only Words in Threats From North Korea

 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/world/asia/south-korea-gives-military-leeway-to-answer-north.html?ref=world

 

 

Blog 8: North Korea threatens U.S bases

            On Thursday North Korea threatened to attack American military bases in Japan and on the Pacific islands of Guam in retaliation for recent training missions by American B-52 bombers over South Korea. North Korea has threatened American forces before but the latest warning comes with heightened tension this time. The tension may begin to rise because on Thursday The United Nations Human rights council created a commission to look into allegations of human rights violations in North Korea including the incarceration of political prisoners at labor camps and torture. The United Nations high commissioner for human rights has been calling for an investigation for months but they were fearful that the world’s preoccupation with the North’s growing nuclear arsenal overshadowed discussions of a human rights situation. This situation is called “the worst in the whole world”. The threats against American troops on Thursday were the latest in a stream of hatred from the North in the wake of the United Nations sanctions. According to South Korean officials the medium-range missiles that North Korea has are in range to hit the Japanese and American Pacific bases. Seoul and Washington remain alert over the possibility that the North might follow up on some of its loosely worded threats to attack the allies.                                                                                                                             North Korea continues to pronounce that they are going to attack South Korea and the United States. It still is clear that North Korea is trying to cause a preempted strike and that this is all about power, prestige, and property. From the beginning, from what was told in the articles, the United States did gave North Korea everything they wanted and North Korea let The United States know when they were going to have a test nuclear launch and now it has turned into threatens of killing people and killing our soldiers at that. The United States is doing the right thing by coming into an agreement with South Korea because they both can help each other out because they are both being threatened. The United States is also doing the right thing by also keeping track of the threats and what is going on and “getting ready “ just in case these threatens become true and actually happen. I still don’t understand why North Korea is doing what they are doing because we as the United States have helped out and that I know of there is no negative history between the US and North Korea. Hopefully with the UN getting involved something will get resolved and all this mess can just be forgotten and we won’t have to worry about getting bomb or even our soldiers getting harmed. 

North Korea Threatens U.S. Military Bases in Pacific

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/world/asia/north-korea-threatens-us-military-bases-in-the-pacific.html

 LeeAnna Souther

3-26-13  6:16pm

Blog 7: North Korea fires missiles

            When reading this article the concern was that B.C. would get hit on accident because North Korea was trying to fire a missile. When North Korea did fire the short missiles the international tensions started rising. The general of North Korea recently threat North America with missile attacks and on March 15 the U.S responded with plans to beef up its anti-missile attacks. The secretary of defense stated that “14 anti-missile interceptors will be placed in Greely, Alaska and will cost 1 billion dollars”. Everyone thinks this is necessary so when North Korea decides to attack we will be ready. Recently North Korea launched their 3^rd nuclear test and launched a satellite-carrying missile with long-range potential. Even though the threats are scary as of this point they realize that North Korea doesn’t have the technology nor knowledge to build a missile that will reach North America. A professor at SFU said “threatening to attack North America is absurd; they would really have to be crazy to attack America, the world’s most powerful armed nuclear state.                                                 In looking at this news article I don’t exactly like what this article says. It starts out with concerns about B.C. It is overlooking what the big issue is. North Korea is trying to attack us and they are trying to start an unnecessary war. They have been “showing their power” for the past couple of months. Since North Korea has a young leader it’s like he is showing his power to the military and to his people. He is doing it the wrong way though he is people in harm’s way. The United Nations is going against him and he is trying to hurt us and South Korea. With following this story for the past couple of blogs I can tell he definitely wants that power and prestige and he is trying to cause a war that shouldn’t even exist or people shouldn’t even be worrying about. The United States isn’t worrying about it and they are doing the right thing by taking precautions but we shouldn’t have to and we shouldn’t be threatened. Like a professor at SFU said “anyone who would want to attack us has to be crazy because America is the world’s most powerful armed nuclear state.” It’s nice to know that our country is protecting us and trying to keep us safe and even taking precautions even if they are just precautions. It shows that they care about their people and North Korea maybe showing his power to his military people but he is looking like an idiot to everyone else and he is putting his people in harms way.

B.C. beware: North Korean missiles aimed at western U.S. would pass directly over this province

 http://www.theprovince.com/news/North+Korea+missiles+aimed+western+would+pass+directly+over/8122375/story.html

Soc 202-02

LeeAnna Souther

3.19.13 9:37pm  

Blog 6: UN and North Korea

            The United Nations Security Council said on Tuesday they were trying to expand sanctions that penalize North Korea for its nuclear and ballistic missile activities. The US and China introduced a proposition that would target North Korean bankers and overseas cash couriers, tighten inspections of suspect ship and air cargo and subject the country’s diplomats to invasive scrutiny and increased risk of removal. “When North Korea heard this they were infuriated and vowed to scrap the 1953 armistice that halted the Korean War and threatened to attack the US with what the North Korean government news agency called an arsenal of diverse lighter and smaller nukes.”  The threat that North Korea said seemed to be provocative because two days before that they conveyed a warm message of friendship to a visiting American group. The UN ambassador announces that the resolution would target “the illicit activities of North Korean diplomatic personnel, North Korean banking relationships, illicit transfers of bulk cash and new travel restrictions.” “North Korea’s particularly bellicose reaction on Tuesday to an accumulation of perceived affronts: China’s cooperation in drafting the sanctions, the annual military exercises under way between the United States and South Korea, and a hardened attitude toward the North by the South’s newly elected president, Park Geun-hye.” They think this is North Korea’s way of saying “we know what you are doing and this is what we have to say about it.”                                                                                                                                                           I have followed North Korea for a couple of weeks now, they have threatened the people they needed the most and they have caused a lot of people to be angry with them. At first I thought they were just doing it to show their power and the fact that they can protect themselves and be like everyone else. Now I think they have gone too far they keep threatening states with attacking them, and they are threatening South Korea to cut their ties. I think this is when North Korea should say “OK I surrender”. They are causing people to want a war against their own country; they are causing their people harm. They are turning people against them, people that they need the most like China and the UN is even going against them now. I think when looking at this issue North Korea is egging everything on and not trying to do anything to prevent form happen they are making themselves look stupid and eventually they are going to be left out on their own to defend for themselves because no one is going to want to help them. I understand that North Korea wants to show other states and other countries what they have and how we should “be afraid” but they have instead caused massive chaos and caused a ton of people to be against them.

U.N. Resolution to Aim at North Korean Banks and Diplomats

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/asia/china-said-to-back-new-sanctions-against-north-korea.html?ref=world

LeeAnna Souther

Soc 202-02 03/05/2013 7:03pm