Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Corea del Norte. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Corea del Norte. Mostrar todas las entradas
jueves, abril 11, 2013
sábado, abril 06, 2013
viernes, abril 05, 2013
Nine ’facts’ about North Korea’s Kim Jong Un: He loves the NBA, disco and his grandfather
worldnews
North Korean media calls Kim Jong Un "the greatest-ever commander." Dennis Rodman says he is "a normal guy."
Neither description seems fitting, but little is known about the third-generation leader now locked in a showdown with the U.S. and South Korea that some fear could lead to war.
Before Kim took over from his father, Kim Jong Il, he had barely been seen in public. And even though he's been in charge for more than a year, there's been only a trickle of information about his personality and habits.
The most recent details about the man threatening to send missiles to the U.S. come from Rodman, who made a trip to Pyongyang earlier this year. Here are some tidbits about Kim that have emerged outside the North Korean propaganda machine:
He shares a birthday with Elvis Presley ... maybe: Kim has been reported to be somewhere between 29 and 30 years old. But Kenji Fujimoto, a sushi chef who worked for his family until 2001 and later wrote a tell-all, claims he was born Jan. 8, 1983 — the same date as The King.
He has a first lady: North Korean media revealed Kim was married last July when it announced his fashionable female companion at the opening of an amusement park was his wife, Ri Sol-ju. No one is certain when they tied the knot or whether they have children. South Korean media say she's a former cheerleader and singer.
He was educated in the West: Kim attended a state school in Switzerland from 1998 to 2000, posing as a diplomat's son named Pak Un, according to the Washington Post. "I never saw his father or mother," Principal Peter Burri told the paper. Another official described him as "well-integrated, diligent, ambitious." Kim reportedly later attended the Kim Il Sung Military University in Pyongyang, named after his grandfather.
He's crazy about basketball: He idolized Michael Jordan and was no slouch on the court himself. One high-school buddy described him as "explosive" and a "playmaker." Another said he was fiercely competitive: "He hated to lose."
He's brand-conscious: Teenage buddies recalled he had a collection of expensive Nike sneakers. A recent photo of him plotting military action against the U.S. showed an Apple iMac computer on his desk. His wife supposedly carries a Dior clutch, though some think it's a knock-off.
His hairstyle is unsanctioned: North Korea reportedly has 28 "recommended" hairstyles for its people. Kim's 'do — shaved on the sides, floppy on top — is not among them, according to a Hong Kong TV network that obtained photos of the approved looks.
He's a song-and-dance man: High-school classmates told London's Daily Telegraph his favorite song was "Brother Louie" by the German pop duo Modern Talking. Rodman told London's Sun that Kim digs 1980s disco. "There was an all-girl band playing and we were definitely getting down," Rodman said of their visit.
He's a heavyweight: South Korea's Yonhap news agency has reported that after the 2004 death of his mother from cancer, Kim went on a drinking and eating binge, ballooning to almost 200 pounds. He remains plump in a country ravaged by famine and suffers from diabetes and hypertension.
He's a chip off the old block: Kim looks so much like his grandfather, national founder Kim Il Sung, that North Korea's official news agency had to deny rumors he had gone under the knife. Analysts say he hoped to model himself on his grandfather, who was more liked by his people than Kim's much-feared father.
VICE via Reuters file
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former NBA star Dennis Rodman watch an exhibition basketball game in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Feb. 28.
Neither description seems fitting, but little is known about the third-generation leader now locked in a showdown with the U.S. and South Korea that some fear could lead to war.
Before Kim took over from his father, Kim Jong Il, he had barely been seen in public. And even though he's been in charge for more than a year, there's been only a trickle of information about his personality and habits.
The most recent details about the man threatening to send missiles to the U.S. come from Rodman, who made a trip to Pyongyang earlier this year. Here are some tidbits about Kim that have emerged outside the North Korean propaganda machine:
He shares a birthday with Elvis Presley ... maybe: Kim has been reported to be somewhere between 29 and 30 years old. But Kenji Fujimoto, a sushi chef who worked for his family until 2001 and later wrote a tell-all, claims he was born Jan. 8, 1983 — the same date as The King.
KCNA via Reuters file
Kim Jong Un and wife Ri Sol-Ju last July.
He was educated in the West: Kim attended a state school in Switzerland from 1998 to 2000, posing as a diplomat's son named Pak Un, according to the Washington Post. "I never saw his father or mother," Principal Peter Burri told the paper. Another official described him as "well-integrated, diligent, ambitious." Kim reportedly later attended the Kim Il Sung Military University in Pyongyang, named after his grandfather.
He's crazy about basketball: He idolized Michael Jordan and was no slouch on the court himself. One high-school buddy described him as "explosive" and a "playmaker." Another said he was fiercely competitive: "He hated to lose."
KCNA via EPA
Kim Jong Un and his iMac.
His hairstyle is unsanctioned: North Korea reportedly has 28 "recommended" hairstyles for its people. Kim's 'do — shaved on the sides, floppy on top — is not among them, according to a Hong Kong TV network that obtained photos of the approved looks.
He's a song-and-dance man: High-school classmates told London's Daily Telegraph his favorite song was "Brother Louie" by the German pop duo Modern Talking. Rodman told London's Sun that Kim digs 1980s disco. "There was an all-girl band playing and we were definitely getting down," Rodman said of their visit.
KCNA via Reuters
Kim Jong Un looks at a photo of his grandfather Kim Il Sung last month.
He's a chip off the old block: Kim looks so much like his grandfather, national founder Kim Il Sung, that North Korea's official news agency had to deny rumors he had gone under the knife. Analysts say he hoped to model himself on his grandfather, who was more liked by his people than Kim's much-feared father.
Fidel Castro regaña a Kim Jong Un
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| world.kbs.co.kr |
Hace unos días me referí a los grandes desafíos que hoy enfrenta la humanidad. La vida inteligente surgió en nuestro planeta hace alrededor de 200 mil años, salvo nuevos hallazgos que demuestren otra cosa.
No confundir la existencia de la vida inteligente con la existencia de la vida que, desde sus formas elementales en nuestro sistema solar, surgió hace millones de años.
Existe un número prácticamente infinito de formas de vida. En el trabajo sofisticado de los más eminentes científicos del mundo se concibió ya la idea de reproducir los sonidos que siguieron al Big Bang, la gran explosión que tuvo lugar hace más de 13.700 millones de años.
Sería esta introducción demasiado extensa si no fuese para explicar la gravedad de un hecho tan increíble y absurdo como es la situación creada en la península de Corea, en un área geográfica donde se agrupan casi 5 mil de los 7 mil millones de personas que en este momento habitan el planeta.
Se trata de uno de los más graves riesgos de guerra nuclear después de la Crisis de Octubre en 1962 en torno a Cuba, hace 50 años.
En el año 1950 se desató allí una guerra que costó millones de vidas. Hacía apenas 5 años que dos bombas atómicas habían estallado sobre las ciudades indefensas de Hiroshima y Nagasaki, las que en cuestión de minutos mataron e irradiaron a cientos de miles de personas.
En la península coreana el General Douglas MacArthur quiso emplear las armas atómicas contra la República Popular Democrática de Corea. Ni siquiera Harry Truman se lo permitió.
Según se afirma, la República Popular China perdió un millón de valientes soldados para impedir que un ejército enemigo se instalara en la frontera de ese país con su Patria. La URSS, por su parte, suministró armas, apoyo aéreo, ayuda tecnológica y económica.
Tuve el honor de conocer a Kim Il Sung, una figura histórica, notablemente valiente y revolucionaria.
Si allí estalla una guerra, los pueblos de ambas partes de la Península serán terriblemente sacrificados, sin beneficio para ninguno de ellos. La República Popular Democrática de Corea siempre fue amistosa con Cuba, como Cuba lo ha sido siempre y lo seguirá siendo con ella.
Ahora que ha demostrado sus avances técnicos y científicos, le recordamos sus deberes con los países que han sido sus grandes amigos, y no sería justo olvidar que tal guerra afectaría de modo especial a más del 70 % de la población del planeta.
Si allí estallara un conflicto de esa índole, el Gobierno de Barack Obama en su segundo mandato quedaría sepultado por un diluvio de imágenes que lo presentarían como el más siniestro personaje de la historia de Estados Unidos. El deber de evitarlo es también suyo y del pueblo de Estados Unidos.
viernes, marzo 29, 2013
KIM CORNERED? Concern That N. Korea Leader Will Act to Save Face
With the threats billowing out of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's regime at an unusually rapid clip, concern is mounting that the young leader could be backing himself into a corner -- feeling compelled to do something or lose face.
Shortly after midnight local time, North Korean state television reported that Kim signed orders to put the nation's rockets on combat-ready status. In a photo released on state-run media, a chart titled "U.S. mainland strike plan" could be seen and a map showed missiles arcing into Hawaii, Washington, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas.
The Pentagon is worried Kim may put himself in a position where he feels he has to act on his threats.
The North Koreans, while having made progress in their ballistic missile program, still have not mastered the technology of delivering a nuclear device by a long-range missile. But they are making progress, and that is what has the Pentagon concerned. Plus there is the concern that North Korea could strike at South Korea, a top U.S. ally.
"The North Koreans seem to be headed in a different direction here. So we will unequivocally defend and we are unequivocally committed to that alliance with South Korea, as well as our other allies in that region of the world. And we will be prepared -- we have to be prepared to deal with any eventuality there," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday.
Kim warned Friday he is preparing to "settle accounts with the U.S." after the U.S. deployed B-2 stealth bombers to South Korea to participate in a training exercise Thursday.
The third-generation dictator's comments in a meeting with senior generals are part of a rising tide of threats meant to highlight anger over the drills and recent U.N. sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear test.
State media says Kim signed a rocket preparation plan and ordered rockets on standby to strike the U.S. mainland, South Korea, Guam and Hawaii.
Later Friday at the main square in Pyongyang, tens of thousands of North Koreans turned out for a 90-minute mass rally in support of Kim's call to arms.
Men and women, many of them in olive drab uniforms, stood in arrow-straight lines, fists raised as they chanted, "Death to the U.S. imperialists." Placards in the plaza bore harsh words for South Korea as well, including, "Let's rip the puppet traitors to death!"
The U.S. military says the two B-2 stealth bombers sent to South Korea were meant to demonstrate the Pentagon's commitment to defend its ally against threats from North Korea.
The two B-2 Spirit bombers flew more than 6,500 miles from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to South Korea, dropping inert munitions before returning to the U.S., according to a statement released by U.S. Forces Korea.
"The United States is steadfast in its alliance commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea, to deterring aggression, and to ensuring peace and stability in the region," the statement said.
The B-2 Spirit is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear weapons. The Pentagon said the mission was part of its ongoing Foal Eagle training exercise series, which began March 1 and ends April 30.
Hagel said Thursday afternoon that the move was part of normal exercises and not intended to provoke a reaction from North Korea.
The exercise, though, was announced a day after North Korea said it had shut down a key military hotline usually used to arrange passage for workers and goods through the Demilitarized Zone.
North Korea, which says it considers the U.S.-South Korean military drills preparations for invasion, has pumped out a string of threats in state media. In the most dramatic case, Pyongyang made the highly improbable vow to nuke the United States.
On Friday, state media released a photo of Kim and his senior generals huddled in front of a map showing routes for envisioned strikes against cities on both American coasts.
Experts believe the country is years away from developing nuclear-tipped missiles that could strike the United States. Many say they've also seen no evidence that Pyongyang has long-range missiles that can hit the U.S. mainland.
Still, there are fears of a localized conflict, such as a naval skirmish in disputed Yellow Sea waters. Such naval clashes have happened three times since 1999. There's also the danger that such a clash could escalate. Seoul has vowed to hit back hard the next time it is attacked.
North Korea's threats are also worrisome because of its arsenal of short- and mid-range missiles that can hit targets in South Korea and Japan. Seoul is only a short drive from the heavily armed border separating the Koreas.
"The North can fire 500,000 rounds of artillery on Seoul in the first hour of a conflict," analysts Victor Cha and David Kang wrote recently for Foreign Policy magazine. They also note that North Korea has a history of testing new South Korean leaders; President Park Geun-hye took office late last month. "Since 1992, the North has welcomed these five new leaders by disturbing the peace," they wrote.
martes, marzo 12, 2013
Considering a Departure in North Korea's Strategy
On Jan. 29, I wrote a piece that described North Korea's strategy as a combination of ferocious, weak and crazy. In the weeks since then, three events have exemplified each facet of that strategy. Pyongyang showed its ferocity Feb. 12, when it detonated a nuclear device underground. The country's only significant ally, China, voted against Pyongyang in the U.N. Security Council on March 7, demonstrating North Korea's weakness. Finally, Pyongyang announced it would suspend the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953, implying that that war would resume and that U.S. cities would be turned into "seas of fire." To me, that fulfills the crazy element.
My argument was that the three tenets -- ferocity, weakness and insanity -- form a coherent strategy. North Korea's primary goal is regime preservation. Demonstrating ferocity -- appearing to be close to being nuclear capable -- makes other countries cautious. Weakness, such as being completely isolated from the world generally and from China particularly, prevents other countries from taking drastic action if they believe North Korea will soon fall. The pretense of insanity -- threatening to attack the United States, for example -- makes North Korea appear completely unpredictable, forcing everyone to be cautious. The three work together to limit the actions of other nations. Read More >>
My argument was that the three tenets -- ferocity, weakness and insanity -- form a coherent strategy. North Korea's primary goal is regime preservation. Demonstrating ferocity -- appearing to be close to being nuclear capable -- makes other countries cautious. Weakness, such as being completely isolated from the world generally and from China particularly, prevents other countries from taking drastic action if they believe North Korea will soon fall. The pretense of insanity -- threatening to attack the United States, for example -- makes North Korea appear completely unpredictable, forcing everyone to be cautious. The three work together to limit the actions of other nations. Read More >>
lunes, marzo 11, 2013
martes, marzo 05, 2013
North Korea vows to cancel Korean War cease-fire
SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea vowed Tuesday to cancel the 1953 cease-fire that ended the Korean War, citing a U.S.-led push for punishing U.N. sanctions over its recent nuclear test and ongoing U.S.-South Korean joint military drills.
Without elaborating, the Korean People's Army Supreme Command warned of "surgical strikes" meant to unify the divided Korean Peninsula and of an indigenous, "precision nuclear striking tool." The statement came amid reports that Washington and North Korean ally Beijing have approved a draft of a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for sanctions in response to North Korea's Feb. 12 nuclear test. The draft is expected to be circulated at the U.N. this week.
Such heated military rhetoric and threats are common from North Korea as tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula, and Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and rocket launches, and the push for U.N. punishment that have followed, have increased already high animosity between the North and Washington and ally Seoul.
The United States and others worry that North Korea's third nuclear test pushes it a step closer toward its goal of having nuclear-armed missiles that can reach America, and condemn its nuclear and missile efforts as threats to regional security and a drain on the resources that could go to North Korea's largely destitute people.
North Korea says its nuclear program is a response to U.S. hostility that dates back to the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically in a state of war.
North Korea warned it will cancel the armistice agreement on March 11 because of ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills that began March 1 which the statement called a "dangerous nuclear war targeted at us."
North Korea said Washington and others are going beyond mere economic sanctions and expanding into blunt aggression and military acts. North Korea also warned that it will block a communications line between it and the United States at the border village separating the two Koreas.
"We aim to launch surgical strikes at any time and any target without being bounded by the armistice accord and advance our long-cherished wish for national unification," the statement said.
North Korea lays the blame for its much-condemned nuclear weapons programs on the United States.
A rich vein of North Korean propaganda fueled by decades-old American threats holds that the North remains at risk of an unprovoked nuclear attack. Washington and others say brinksmanship is the North's true motive for the nuclear push.
Without elaborating, the Korean People's Army Supreme Command warned of "surgical strikes" meant to unify the divided Korean Peninsula and of an indigenous, "precision nuclear striking tool." The statement came amid reports that Washington and North Korean ally Beijing have approved a draft of a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for sanctions in response to North Korea's Feb. 12 nuclear test. The draft is expected to be circulated at the U.N. this week.
Such heated military rhetoric and threats are common from North Korea as tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula, and Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and rocket launches, and the push for U.N. punishment that have followed, have increased already high animosity between the North and Washington and ally Seoul.
The United States and others worry that North Korea's third nuclear test pushes it a step closer toward its goal of having nuclear-armed missiles that can reach America, and condemn its nuclear and missile efforts as threats to regional security and a drain on the resources that could go to North Korea's largely destitute people.
North Korea says its nuclear program is a response to U.S. hostility that dates back to the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically in a state of war.
North Korea warned it will cancel the armistice agreement on March 11 because of ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills that began March 1 which the statement called a "dangerous nuclear war targeted at us."
North Korea said Washington and others are going beyond mere economic sanctions and expanding into blunt aggression and military acts. North Korea also warned that it will block a communications line between it and the United States at the border village separating the two Koreas.
"We aim to launch surgical strikes at any time and any target without being bounded by the armistice accord and advance our long-cherished wish for national unification," the statement said.
North Korea lays the blame for its much-condemned nuclear weapons programs on the United States.
A rich vein of North Korean propaganda fueled by decades-old American threats holds that the North remains at risk of an unprovoked nuclear attack. Washington and others say brinksmanship is the North's true motive for the nuclear push.
lunes, marzo 04, 2013
South Korea reportedly confirms Kim Jong Un’s wife gives birth
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| im41.com |
There’s a new Kim in town.
South Korea ended months of speculation by verifying that the wife of North Korea’s dynastic dictator Kim Jong Un secretly gave birth late last year. The newborn, whose gender is not known, could become the fourth-generation to lead the communist dictatorship, but Pyongyang watchers believe the baby is most likely a girl.
“If it was a boy, [the North Koreans] would have made an announcement,” Michael Madden, editor of the online newsletter North Korea Leadership Watch, told the Washington Free Beacon.
Kim’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, was rumored to be pregnant after official photos showed what intelligence analysts said appeared to be a baby bump. She is widely seen as a rising force in the Pyongyang leadership hierarchy and believed to have a strong influence on her husband, who inherited the reins when his father, Kim Jong Il, died in late 2011 after a 17-year run.
The birth of the latest Kim is considered significant because the communist regime in Pyongyang has evolved from a Soviet-installed Marxist-Leninist regime in the 1950s to an Asian family dynasty where the ruling communist Workers Party shares power with a powerful military clique.
Kim Jong Un, who last week hung out with guest and former NBA star Dennis Rodman, has ratcheted up the saber-rattling his father was known for, with multiple tests of nuclear weapons and missiles, as well as the release of several provocative videos depicting the U.S. under attack. Rodman, who went to North Korea with the Harlem Globetrotters and an HBO camera crew, raved about the dictator, who lives in lavish luxury while most of the people in his nation are starving.
On Sunday, Rodman told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that the diminutive dictator who recently threatened Washington with “miserable destruction” wants President Obama to call him.
“He said, ‘If you can, Dennis – I don’t want [to] do war. I don’t want to do war.’ He said that to me,” Rodman told the network.
Although Rodman’s resume is heavy on rebounds and reality TV and light on diplomacy, the mere fact that he spent time with Kim Jong Un makes him unique in the West.
“There is nobody at the CIA who can tell you more personally about Kim Jong Un than Dennis Rodman, and that in itself is scary,” Col. Steve Ganyard, former deputy assistant secretary of state, told ABC.
Rodman did not mention Ri, who is believed to be a singer who has broken tradition by appearing in public in short skirts with expensive jewelry. Wives of Kim Jong Un’s father and grandfather were rarely seen in public.
Ri is believed to be in her early 20s. Defectors say she was trained as a singer and met the future leader in 2010. Kim placed her in his favorite band, the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble, with whom she performed in late 2010 before then-leader Kim Jong-Il.
miércoles, febrero 20, 2013
martes, febrero 19, 2013
From North Korea to Cuba: How to Embolden Tyrants
Last week, it was revealed that senior U.S. administration officials traveled to North Korea in 2012 to hold secret talks with the new regime of Kim Jung Un.
Apparently, they thought young Kim was a "reformer" and wanted to engage him in negotiations.
The result?
Long-range missile launches and North Korea's third nuclear test. Not to mention unchanged brutality and repression.
Now, we have a U.S. Congressional delegation in Cuba -- led by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) -- looking to do the same with Raul Castro.
Of course, a Congressional delegation is different from an Administration delegation, for it's not necessarily empowered with negotiation authority (per se).
But the result is the same.
It emboldens the criminal behavior of these tyrants.
Want to "pressure" the Castro regime to release American hostage Alan Gross?
Then just cut off the non-essential travel spigot.
Yes, some "people-to-people" travelers would have to miss their salsa lessons and mojito binges -- but it would be worth it.
Apparently, they thought young Kim was a "reformer" and wanted to engage him in negotiations.
The result?
Long-range missile launches and North Korea's third nuclear test. Not to mention unchanged brutality and repression.
Now, we have a U.S. Congressional delegation in Cuba -- led by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) -- looking to do the same with Raul Castro.
Of course, a Congressional delegation is different from an Administration delegation, for it's not necessarily empowered with negotiation authority (per se).
But the result is the same.
It emboldens the criminal behavior of these tyrants.
Want to "pressure" the Castro regime to release American hostage Alan Gross?
Then just cut off the non-essential travel spigot.
Yes, some "people-to-people" travelers would have to miss their salsa lessons and mojito binges -- but it would be worth it.
viernes, febrero 15, 2013
N.Korea makes progress at rocket site: images
38 North, a blog of the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, analyzed satellite photos that it said showed possible assistance from Iran at the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground in northeastern North Korea.
38 North said that a commercial satellite photograph taken on January 5 showed "important progress" since the area was hit with typhoons last year and indicated activity that was consistent with preparations for a launch.
But the website said there was not enough evidence to support speculation that North Korea could raise the stakes by testing its KN-08, a new missile with potential intercontinental range first displayed in a parade in April.
The website said that North Korea likely was preparing to test much larger rockets by the time the site is completed in 2016. The launchpad was last used in April 2009 for a long-range test widely seen as a failure.
The area has a new flame trench covering, which would protect large rockets from exhaust gases, that has a design similar to one used at the Semnan launchpad in central Iran, the website said.
It said that the satellite photos showed that three storage tanks were built last year that can hold 439,100 liters (116,000 gallons) of fuel, a level far above North Korea's capacity during its most recent launch.
38 North said that it also observed a conduit through which technicians and electrical and communications lines can pass, even though Tonghae is accessible only by a dirt road.
North Korea defiantly carried out its third nuclear test on Tuesday, saying it was responding to US "hostility" after the UN Security Council condemned its last launch two months earlier.
On December 12, North Korea launched a rocket from its separate Sohae site that, according to experts, managed to reach near the Philippines and to put a small satellite into orbit.
The United States and its allies condemned the launch, fearing it was part of efforts to refine a longer-range missile.
jueves, febrero 14, 2013
North Korea Nuclear Test in Conjunction with Iran?
breitbart
Security experts are now wondering if North Korea's nuclear test on Tuesday was carried out for Iran's benefit.
Bar-Ilan University's Dr. Alon Levkowitz says there's no information to confirm such a collaboration yet but warns that it Iran could be conducting tests in secret:
The most disturbing question is whether the Iranians are using North Korea as a backdoor plan for their own nuclear program. The Iranians didn't carry out a nuclear test in Iran, but they may have done so in North Korea. There is no official information on this. But Iran may have bypassed inspections via North Korea.
You will recall that cooperation between Iran and North Korea is not uncommon on matters like this. Not only has North Korea sold missiles to Iran in the past, but Iranian scientists have been present in North Korea for major weapons tests along the way.
As Levkowitz put it, if Tuesday's nuclear test was in fact Iranian or for Iran, "this is a very worrying development."
martes, febrero 12, 2013
Experts Say North Korea Nuclear Test Shows Advancement in Technology
Experts say North Korea's successful detonation of a miniaturized nuclear device is concerning because it indicates the country may be getting closer to the ability to put a nuclear device on a missile.
North Korea drew worldwide condemnation Tuesday after it announced it had successfully conducted its third nuclear test, in direct defiance to U.N. Security Council orders to shut down its atomic activity or face more sanctions and international isolation.
It claims the test was its "first response" to perceived U.S. threats and warns it will continue with unspecified "second and third measures of greater intensity" if the United States maintains its hostility.
North Korea expert Andrei Lankov tells Fox News that possession of such a "miniaturized" device would be necessary to create a nuclear warhead.
"It shows they are advancing their nuclear technology," Lankov said.
He also noted the significance of the timing of the test, which came just months after North Korea's successful intercontinental ballistic missile test.
"It seems they are very close to being able to put a device on a missile," Lankov said.
Peter Beck, an expert for Asia Society, tells Fox News the blast appears to be "significantly greater" than North Korea's past nuclear tests. He, too, said the test "...shows a greater commitment by North Korea to marry the missile and nuclear programs."
President Obama was one of many world leaders to speak out against the test early Tuesday, calling it a "highly provocative act" and warning that the international community would act in response.
"These provocations do not make North Korea more secure," the president said in a statement. "Far from achieving its stated goal of becoming a strong and prosperous nation, North Korea has instead increasingly isolated and impoverished its people through its ill-advised pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery."
North Korea's official state media said the test was conducted in a safe manner and is aimed at coping with "outrageous" U.S. hostility that "violently" undermines the North's peaceful, sovereign right to launch satellites. North Korea faced sanctions after a December launch of a rocket that the U.N. and Washington called a cover for a banned missile test. Pyongyang said it was a peaceful satellite launch.
Earlier Tuesday, South Korean, U.S. and Japanese seismic monitoring agencies said they detected an earthquake in North Korea with a magnitude between 4.9 and 5.2.
Annika Thunborg, who works for the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear monitoring agency the CTBTO, confirms to Fox News the blast was larger than past tests, measuring 4.9 seismically on the Richter scale. The country's 2006 test, which was widely seen as a failure, measured 4.1 and the 2009 test measured 4.5.
Thunborg also says they are trying to find out if enriched uranium was used in this test. This would be significant as the first two tests used North Korea's plutonium stocks which are being depleted. Uranium could be derived from a new nuclear method and those supplies could be renewed.
The North said it used a "lighter, miniaturized atomic bomb" that still has more explosive force than past tests. North Korea is estimated to have enough weaponized plutonium for four to eight bombs, according to American nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker. However, it is not known whether North Korean scientists have found a way to miniaturize warheads.
The timing will be seen as significant. The test came hours before President Obama was scheduled to give his State of the Union speech, a major, nationally televised address. It's also only days before the Saturday birthday of Kim Jong Un's father, late leader Kim Jong Il, whose memory North Korean propaganda has repeatedly linked to the country's nuclear ambitions. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
The nuclear test is North Korea's first since Kim Jong Un took power of a country long estranged from the West.
Experts say regular tests are needed to perfect North Korea's goal of building nuclear warheads small enough to be placed on long-range missiles. This atomic test is North Korea's third since 2006.
The test will likely be portrayed in North Korea as a strong move to defend the nation against foreign aggression, particularly from the U.S., North Korea's longtime enemy.
North Korea's rocket launches and nuclear tests largely are seen by analysts as threats designed to force the United States to confront the issue of military tensions between the foes 60 years after the end of the Korean War.
Following the announcement of the nuclear test, North Korean state television played a song with lyrics bragging that the country always carries out what it is determined to do. In the background were scenes of a North Korean long-range rocket blasting off and short-range missiles being fired into the sky.
The United States and its allies have been on edge since North Korea announced last month that it would conduct a nuclear test to protest toughened sanctions over the December rocket launch.
North Korea's National Defense Commission said Jan. 23 that the United States was its prime target for a nuclear test and long-range rocket launches. North Korea accuses Washington of leading the push to punish Pyongyang for its December rocket launch.
Last October, a spokesman from the commission told state media that the country had built a missile capable of striking the United States, but did not provide further details.
The decision to push ahead with a test will be a challenge to the U.N. Security Council, which recently punished Pyongyang for launching the long-range rocket. In condemning that launch and imposing more sanctions on Pyongyang, the council had demanded a stop to future launches and ordered North Korea to respect a ban on nuclear activity -- or face "significant action" by the U.N.
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon condemned Tuesday's nuclear test in a statement. The Security Council met later to discuss its response.
The test will likely draw harsh censure and more sanctions from the United States and other countries at a time when North Korea is trying to rebuild its moribund economy and expand its engagement with the outside world.
North Korea cites the U.S. military threat in the region as a key reason behind its drive to build nuclear weapons. The two countries fought on opposite sides of the Korean War, which ended after three years on July 27, 1953, with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The U.S.-led U.N. Command mans the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, and Washington stations more than 28,000 troops in South Korea to protect the ally.
Fox News' Greg Palkot and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
North Korea drew worldwide condemnation Tuesday after it announced it had successfully conducted its third nuclear test, in direct defiance to U.N. Security Council orders to shut down its atomic activity or face more sanctions and international isolation.
It claims the test was its "first response" to perceived U.S. threats and warns it will continue with unspecified "second and third measures of greater intensity" if the United States maintains its hostility.
North Korea expert Andrei Lankov tells Fox News that possession of such a "miniaturized" device would be necessary to create a nuclear warhead.
"It shows they are advancing their nuclear technology," Lankov said.
He also noted the significance of the timing of the test, which came just months after North Korea's successful intercontinental ballistic missile test.
"It seems they are very close to being able to put a device on a missile," Lankov said.
Peter Beck, an expert for Asia Society, tells Fox News the blast appears to be "significantly greater" than North Korea's past nuclear tests. He, too, said the test "...shows a greater commitment by North Korea to marry the missile and nuclear programs."
President Obama was one of many world leaders to speak out against the test early Tuesday, calling it a "highly provocative act" and warning that the international community would act in response.
"These provocations do not make North Korea more secure," the president said in a statement. "Far from achieving its stated goal of becoming a strong and prosperous nation, North Korea has instead increasingly isolated and impoverished its people through its ill-advised pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery."
North Korea's official state media said the test was conducted in a safe manner and is aimed at coping with "outrageous" U.S. hostility that "violently" undermines the North's peaceful, sovereign right to launch satellites. North Korea faced sanctions after a December launch of a rocket that the U.N. and Washington called a cover for a banned missile test. Pyongyang said it was a peaceful satellite launch.
Earlier Tuesday, South Korean, U.S. and Japanese seismic monitoring agencies said they detected an earthquake in North Korea with a magnitude between 4.9 and 5.2.
Annika Thunborg, who works for the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear monitoring agency the CTBTO, confirms to Fox News the blast was larger than past tests, measuring 4.9 seismically on the Richter scale. The country's 2006 test, which was widely seen as a failure, measured 4.1 and the 2009 test measured 4.5.
Thunborg also says they are trying to find out if enriched uranium was used in this test. This would be significant as the first two tests used North Korea's plutonium stocks which are being depleted. Uranium could be derived from a new nuclear method and those supplies could be renewed.
The North said it used a "lighter, miniaturized atomic bomb" that still has more explosive force than past tests. North Korea is estimated to have enough weaponized plutonium for four to eight bombs, according to American nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker. However, it is not known whether North Korean scientists have found a way to miniaturize warheads.
The timing will be seen as significant. The test came hours before President Obama was scheduled to give his State of the Union speech, a major, nationally televised address. It's also only days before the Saturday birthday of Kim Jong Un's father, late leader Kim Jong Il, whose memory North Korean propaganda has repeatedly linked to the country's nuclear ambitions. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
The nuclear test is North Korea's first since Kim Jong Un took power of a country long estranged from the West.
Experts say regular tests are needed to perfect North Korea's goal of building nuclear warheads small enough to be placed on long-range missiles. This atomic test is North Korea's third since 2006.
The test will likely be portrayed in North Korea as a strong move to defend the nation against foreign aggression, particularly from the U.S., North Korea's longtime enemy.
North Korea's rocket launches and nuclear tests largely are seen by analysts as threats designed to force the United States to confront the issue of military tensions between the foes 60 years after the end of the Korean War.
Following the announcement of the nuclear test, North Korean state television played a song with lyrics bragging that the country always carries out what it is determined to do. In the background were scenes of a North Korean long-range rocket blasting off and short-range missiles being fired into the sky.
The United States and its allies have been on edge since North Korea announced last month that it would conduct a nuclear test to protest toughened sanctions over the December rocket launch.
North Korea's National Defense Commission said Jan. 23 that the United States was its prime target for a nuclear test and long-range rocket launches. North Korea accuses Washington of leading the push to punish Pyongyang for its December rocket launch.
Last October, a spokesman from the commission told state media that the country had built a missile capable of striking the United States, but did not provide further details.
The decision to push ahead with a test will be a challenge to the U.N. Security Council, which recently punished Pyongyang for launching the long-range rocket. In condemning that launch and imposing more sanctions on Pyongyang, the council had demanded a stop to future launches and ordered North Korea to respect a ban on nuclear activity -- or face "significant action" by the U.N.
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon condemned Tuesday's nuclear test in a statement. The Security Council met later to discuss its response.
The test will likely draw harsh censure and more sanctions from the United States and other countries at a time when North Korea is trying to rebuild its moribund economy and expand its engagement with the outside world.
North Korea cites the U.S. military threat in the region as a key reason behind its drive to build nuclear weapons. The two countries fought on opposite sides of the Korean War, which ended after three years on July 27, 1953, with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The U.S.-led U.N. Command mans the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, and Washington stations more than 28,000 troops in South Korea to protect the ally.
Fox News' Greg Palkot and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
North Korea gives John Kerry his first "3 AM" call
By Elise Labott, with reporting by Barbara Starr
North Korea's nuclear test set off a diplomatic scramble for America's new Secretary of State as the U.S. national security community began working with other countries to try and determine what North Korea truly achieved.
The test was was not a total surprise, senior administration officials said. North Korea warned the United States and China on Monday that it would be undertaking a nuclear test, two senior administration officials tell CNN. The warning came in the form of a message through the “NY channel,” which is the U.S. mission to the United Nations. This is the typical way North Korea passes messages to the United States. The warning was not specific on timing, but the officials said the U.S. took it to mean the test could happen at any moment.
After the test was detected late Monday night, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with South Korea's foreign minister. He is also expected to talk with Chinese, Japanese, Russian ministers. The U.S. began coordinating its own response with inter-agency calls between Washington and Seoul, Tokyo, Moscow and Beijing. US Ambassador to South Korea Sung Kim and General James Thurman, Commander of the US-ROK Combined Forces Command, met with the South Korean defense minister.
The U.S. intelligence community and military began the process of assessing the test and North Korea's claims and by morning concluded an underground nuclear test had probably been conducted.
World reaction to the test
"The explosion yield was approximately several kilotons. Analysis of the event continues." according to a statement released Tuesday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Nuclear monitoring by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization will calculate what was released by the explosion. The U.S. will likely try to get additional readings from aircraft equipped with sensors and satellites and attempt to match with seismic data to calculate what the explosion was.
Officials said it will be several days before the US has a handle on the actual size of the explosion, payload and the success, or lack thereof, of the test. Bottom line, successful or not, these tests do help North Korea learn and continue to perfect the technology.
North Korea's rocket-fueled obsession
Senior administration official says one of the the things the U.S. will be trying to determine, is whether the North Koreans tested a uranium weapon for the first time. The past two tests were plutonium.
The U.S. and its allies will also be trying to figure out what type of technology and engineering was used to pull off the test and what, if any, help and materials North Korea may have received from other countries, like Iran.
In addition to the analysis of data, the U.S. is currently analyzing North Korea's statement. At first glance, the part about using a “miniaturized” nuclear weapon is concerning, because that would mean the North Koreans may have mastered the technology to fit a nuclear weapon on a long range missile which could possibly reach the U.S.. North Korea successfully demonstrated it could launch a long range missile through its rocket launch last December, but questions remain about its ability to aim it towards a long range target or even repeat the launch success.
United Nations Security Council members meet Tuesday morning and officials say the American playbook will be pretty familiar. The officials all said Washington will seek a “tough, swift reaction” from the UNSC. Obviously what comes out of the council will depend on what China and Russia will sign on to. But one official said “there is a pretty strong commitment to go with a seriousness of purpose” to the UN.
How does the test work?
Officials said administration is also looking at what other kinds of sanctions can be slapped on North Korea, probably the most sanctioned entity in the world. They are looking at the playbook for Iran sanctions – shipping, insurance, more sanctions against financial transactions, designations of individuals.
“There is plenty to do,” another senior official said.North Korea says it successfully conducts nuclear test
Kim Kwang Hyon / AP
On a large television screen in front of Pyongyang's railway station, a North Korean state television broadcaster announces Tuesday that North Korea has conducted a nuclear bomb test.
North Korea declared Tuesday that it had carried out a test of a nuclear bomb after the detonation was detected by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The explosion was registered as a 5.1-magnitude seismic event by the USGS at 9:57 p.m. ET Monday.
The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a statement that the "intelligence community" was aware of "a seismic event with explosive characteristics in North Korea and we are evaluating all relevant information."
In a statement, President Barack Obama described the test as a "highly provocative act."
He said that -- following a "ballistic missile launch" by North Korea on Dec. 12 -- the test "undermines regional stability, violates North Korea's obligations under numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions, contravenes its [international] commitments … and increases the risk of proliferation."
"North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs constitute a threat to U.S. national security and to international peace and security," Obama said. "The United States remains vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and steadfast in our defense commitments to allies in the region."
He said North Korea's "provocations do not make North Korea more secure" and the communist state had "increasingly isolated and impoverished its people through its ill-advised pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery."
"The danger posed by North Korea's threatening activities warrants further swift and credible action by the international community," Obama said, adding the U.S. would work with the international community to "pursue firm action."
'Unacceptable threat'South Korea's government said in a statement that "the nuclear test poses a direct challenge to the whole international community as well as an unacceptable threat to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia."
"Standing firm on its consistent principle that it will not tolerate a nuclear North Korea, the [South Korean] Government … will cooperate closely with the international community and seek all necessary measures including actions by the United Nations Security Council in order to have North Korea abandon its nuclear ambition,” it added.
South Korea is president of the Security Council this month.
The statement added that South Korea would maintain "a high readiness posture against any possible provocation by North Korea."
It said the government would "also accelerate expanding its military capability, including deploying at an early stage its extended-range missiles, currently being developed, which cover all of North Korea."
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the test was "extremely regrettable and we strongly protest this act."
Japan launched several planes to test for nuclear particles in the air, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said. He described the test as a "major provocation not only towards the safety of our country but also against the international community."
Keep reading on Nbcnews >>
martes, febrero 05, 2013
North Korea and Cuba: Not so different
Sophie Schmidt, the daughter of Eric Schmidt, one of Google's founders, accompanied her father and Gov. Bill Richardson on a trip to North Korea. She took some amazing photographs and amongst her many observations documented on a site she created, this one in particular sounds eerily familiar:
It's impossible to know how much we can extrapolate from what we saw in Pyongyang to what the DPRK is really like. Our trip was a mixture of highly staged encounters, tightly-orchestrated viewings and what seemed like genuine human moments. We had zero interactions with non-state-approved North Koreans and were never far from our two minders (2, so one can mind the other).
The longer I think about what we saw and heard, the less sure I am about what any of it actually meant.
Sounds a lot like those "people-to-people" contact Cuba vacations made possible by the Obama administration, doesn't it?
Here's another observation:
Looks great, right? All this activity, all those monitors. Probably 90 desks in the room, all manned, with an identical scene one floor up.
One problem: No one was actually doing anything. A few scrolled or clicked, but the rest just stared. More disturbing: when our group walked in--a noisy bunch, with media in tow--not one of them looked up from their desks. Not a head turn, no eye contact, no reaction to stimuli. They might as well have been figurines.
Of all the stops we made, the e-Potemkin Village was among the more unsettling. We knew nothing about what we were seeing, even as it was in front of us. Were they really students? Did our handlers honestly think we bought it? Did they even care? Photo op and tour completed, maybe they dismantled the whole set and went home.
Of course, the communist propaganda favorite; The Potemkin Village. We have plenty of those in Cuba as well.
Read Sophie Schmidt's entire report HERE.
Kim Jong-Un and the Mysterious Smartphone
A picture of North Korea’s leader holding a lit cigarette with a black smartphone near to hand has the tech world in a tizzy -- but the mysterious maker of the phone remains an enigma.
South Korean smartphone giant Samsung has distanced itself from the gadget, according to AFP, denying any connection to the device.
"It's not a Samsung phone," a company spokesman told AFP, adamantly denying that one of its flagship Galaxy models had turned up across the border.
South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper suggested politics was behind the brand choice.
"It must have been politically uncomfortable for Kim Jong-Un to use products made by the U.S. ... and he can't publicly endorse the fact that the South is more technologically advanced," the daily said.
But it’s not even clear whether Kim Jong-Un himself owns the phone or is merely near it. South Korean government officials said they believe it his, but did not confirm that fact.
"It's believed that the smartphone belonged to Kim given that the device was placed right next to the documents he was looking at," a Seoul government official told AFP.
The Seoul government official said the picture had been analyzed by the South's intelligence agency, which concluded that HTC was the likely manufacturer.
But the Taiwanese firm declined to identify the device, saying in a statement that the company appreciated the "support of all users."
For more information on Kim Jong-Un’s mysterious phone
, read the full story on news.com.au.
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