Communist Nation

It has been a while since I posted here, and there have been some news items that warrant attention. One of the bigger stories hitting the wires is the increasing worry of another Taepo Dong-2 missile test. The DPRK claims it is for peaceful purposes, but understandably, some do not believe this story. Satellite or not, the truth is, nobody knows what is contained in that missile, or when it will be launched. The opaque nature alone causes worry, so we all will wait and see what they are going to do.

With all of these unknowns and North Korea’s past behavior, it appears the United States, ROK and Japan are not taking any chances. According to this article:

‘And we are watching very closely to see what else they will do between April 4 and April 8, and we’re prepared for that,’ he said.

Pyongyang has said it will launch what it calls a communications satellite some time between those dates.

Seoul and Washington say the launch is a pretext to test its longest-range missile, which could theoretically hit Alaska.

Gen Sharp and the commander for the Pacific region, Admiral Timothy Keating, said they were confident that any missile threatening US targets could be shot down with anti-missile weaponry.

They said they had enough weapons, including Patriot missiles, to defend against the potential North Korean missile threat – and they could use more.

Gen Sharp said Pyongyang had more than 800 missiles and the US had 64 Patriot missiles on the Korean peninsula, while South Korea had just purchased 24 more Patriots.

Emphasis mine. So it appears preparations are going in place as a precaution. As for Japan, according to this article:

Officials in Tokyo said they reserved the right to destroy any threatening object in mid-flight, despite North Korean warnings that it would consider such a move an act of war.

“Under our law, we can intercept any object if it is falling towards Japan, including any attacks on Japan, for our security,” Takeo Kawamura, the chief cabinet secretary, told reporters.

[...]

Japan has intensified efforts to protect itself against conventional missile attacks since 1998, when the north test-launched a long-range rocket over its territory without warning.

In response, Japan and the US have jointly developed a ballistic missile defence system that includes interceptor missiles on board ships and Patriot missiles dotted around Tokyo.

But experts believe that a rocket capable of launching a satellite into orbit may be too high to intercept.

This I did not know, and I assumed the United States had the technology to shoot down a large array of missiles. I am not an expert on weaponry or military matters, so if anybody has more information about how these things work, let me know. At any rate, the point I am trying to make is, why is Kim taking such a huge risk? From what I understand, North Korea does not have too many friends, and if the missile does launch successfully, does not have a satellite, and is indeed a threat, an interception (if again successful) could trigger a war according to the Pyongyang regime. In my opinion, I do not think Kim Jong Il is dumb enough to start a war, or provoke a war. If the cease fire is over, and the Korean War continues, it will be a very, very bloody battle. North Korea will be gone, but there are other serious issues as a result of blowback, reconstruction, who will take over, and the laundry list is incomprehensible.

On the other hand, nobody knows what Kim Jong Il is really thinking. So again, it is understandable this test is going to be watched very closely. Is Kim Jong Il serious this time? Let’s hope he is not.

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In other news, two journalists were captured and detained for allegedly crossing the Yalu. The KCNA confirmed the detention, and I am very scared for them. North Korea’s jails are not a walk in the park, and it is my hope they are safe.

With that said, when hanging around the border with China, it is a huge risk. While it has been a while since I heard of detainment of filming along the border, this is pretty serious. According to Associated Press, the timing could not have come at a worse time:

But their quest to document the plight of North Korean refugees may have put them in danger. Ling and fellow reporter Euna Lee were still missing Saturday, four days after they reportedly were seized by North Korean soldiers along the border.

A third member of the crew, cameraman Mitch Koss, and a guide eluded capture but were being held in China, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported Friday. Their whereabouts were unclear.

Washington is in contact with North Korea about the two detained journalists, State Department officials said.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton “is engaged on this matter right now,” spokesman Robert A. Wood told reporters Friday. “There is a lot of diplomacy going on. There have been a number of contacts made.”

The incident comes at a sensitive time on the Korean peninsula, with North Korea declaring its intention to fire a satellite-equipped rocket into space in early April, a launch some fear will be a cover for the test-fire of a long-range missile.

I would not know what to do if it were me in that situation. What is going to happen to them? Where are they? When they will be returned? And if they are returned, will they come back in one piece? I am sure all of these questions are on the minds of everybody concerned in this matter. My thoughts and prayers go out to all. I cannot imagine it.

Now here comes the question the same article points out:

Chun said he also warned them about the dangers of reporting in the border area.

“I told them to consult with me first if they head toward the border,” he said, adding the border region can be “dangerous and difficult for foreigners.”

However,

The North Korean-Chinese border is long, porous and not very well demarcated. The two countries are divided by the Tumen River in North Korea’s northeast and by the Yalu to the southwest.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans have streamed across the border into China in recent years, some wading through the Yalu under cover of night, others simply walking across the Tumen, which stays frozen into April.

North Korea border guards have crossed, too, in pursuit of North Koreans — or to rob Chinese towns, coal mines and businesses in the hilly border area.

China often turns a blind eye to foreign journalists trying to report on North Korea from the border, but North Korean guards often react angrily to reporters trying to film or photograph them. Many jeer at journalists and brandish rifles from just steps away.

This is well-known to North Korea watchers, and  am wondering why this time? Are these journalists going to be used as a bargaining chip? I am not sure.

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Tags: News, North Korea