Posts

North Korea Reportedly Threatens ‘New Round of the Korean War’ to End U.S.; North: Kim Suspended Action Against South for Korean Impasse

/0 Comments/in , /by

By New York Post. North Korea’s embassy in Moscow has threatened to use its nation’s nuclear weapons against the United States in what they claim would be “a particularly sensational event,” a Russian state-owned news agency reports.

The reporting comes from the TASS news agency, a state-owned wire service known largely as a propaganda outlet for the Kremlin, which claims the embassy sent them the threat in the form of a statement over the weekend.

The agency quotes the embassy as stating, “This year, the U.S. military has been carrying out various kinds of military maneuvers in South Korea and its vicinity with the purpose of striking North Korea quickly.”

“A new round of the Korean War will add a particularly sensational event to the history of mankind, which will put an end to another empire, whose name is the United States,” it continues.

While the statement has not been reported elsewhere, it was released in the days ahead of the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. (Read more from “North Korea Reportedly Threatens ‘New Round of the Korean War’ to End U.S.” HERE)

_____________________________________________________

North: Kim Suspended Action Against South for Korean Impasse

By AP. North Korea said Wednesday leader Kim Jong Un suspended a planned military retaliation against South Korea, in an apparent slowing of the pressure campaign it has waged against its rival amid stalled nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration.

Last week, the North had declared relations with the South as fully ruptured, destroyed an inter-Korean liaison office in its territory and threatened unspecified military action to censure Seoul for a lack of progress in bilateral cooperation and for activists floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border.

Analysts say North Korea, after weeks deliberately raising tensions, may be pulling away just enough to make room for South Korean concessions. (Read more from “North: Kim Suspended Action Against South for Korean Impasse” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

WATCH: North Korea Blows up South Korea Joint Office; South Korean Troops and Tanks Amass on Border With North After Embassy Attack

/0 Comments/in , /by

By Straits Times. North Korea destroyed a building that was a key symbol of inter-Korean cooperation, in an apparent attempt to exert pressure on Seoul and Washington for their stalled dialogue.

Smoke was seen billowing from the inter-Korean liaison office building located in the border city Kaesong on North Korea’s side of the demilitarised zone yesterday, following the sound of an explosion.

North Korea’s state-owned Korean Central News Agency later confirmed that the facility had been “tragically ruined with a terrific explosion”.

The move, the culmination of a series of threats and harsh rhetoric, prompted a stern warning from South Korea’s presidential Blue House that it would “strongly respond if North Korea takes any action that further worsens the situation”.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan would analyse the situation and respond in close coordination with South Korea and the United States.

(Read more from “WATCH: North Korea Blows up South Korea Joint Office” HERE)

________________________________________________________

South Korean Troops and Tanks Amass on Border With North After Embassy Attack

By Mirror UK. South Korea has stationed tanks on the border with the North, threatening a strong reaction after Kim Jong-un’s regime blew up an embassy building.

Tensions are high on the peninsula after the office – set up to encourage better relations between the neighbours – was “ruined” in a “terrific explosion”.

It has led to fears of military clashes in the heavily guarded Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that divides the neighbours, who are technically still at war, after the North said its troops were prepared to enter the area.

South Korean troops are amassing after the attack on the inter-Korea liaison office in the border town of Kaesong this morning.

The North fired its weapons in a rage after anti-Kim Jong-un leaflets were distributed by defectors branded “human scum” by the secretive state. (Read more from “South Korean Troops and Tanks Amass on Border With North After Embassy Attack” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

North Korea Mysteriously Locks Down Major Border City

/0 Comments/in , /by

North Korea has mysteriously locked down a major border city, a move reportedly connected to either the coronavirus — or a planned event for missing-again despot Kim Jong Un.

The Hermit Kingdom — one of the few nations on Earth claiming to be coronavirus-free — barred entry earlier this month to Rason, a city of 20,000 that is a major hub for trade with Russia and China, sources told Radio Free Asia Tuesday.

The notoriously secretive nation has refused to tell its citizens why the city was suddenly locked down, RFA said.

Many fear that it could be a sign of a coronavirus outbreak, with bordering China also sealing off Jilin city and Shulan close to their shared border after a recent spike in cases. (Read more from “North Korea Mysteriously Locks Down Major Border City” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Report: Kim Jong Un Makes First Public Appearance Since Health Rumors

/4 Comments/in , /by

By Breitbart. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un allegedly made a public appearance on Saturday amid unconfirmed reports that he is critically ill, dead, or hiding from the Chinese coronavirus, according to South Korea’s Yonhap.

Kim Jong Un attended the completion of a fertilizer plant in Sunchon, marking his first public appearance in 20 days, Reuters reported, citing North Korea’s state news agency KCNA. The report claimed he attended the ceremony with other senior officials, along with his sister, Kim Yo Jong.

(Read more from “Report: Kim Jong Un Makes First Public Appearance Since Health Rumors” HERE)

___________________________________________________

Kim Jong Un Appears in Public for First Time in Weeks: Report

By New York Post. Kim Jong Un, rumored for weeks to be deathly ill or even dead, has made his first public appearance in 20 days, according to reports from North and South Korea.

North Korea’s KCNA news agency reported that Kim cut the ribbon at the opening of a fertilizer factory, the BBC reported Friday evening.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported is also reporting a public appearance by the dictator. . .

But if true, the appearance would belie rumors of Kim’s death following surgery. (Read more from “Kim Jong Un Appears in Public for First Time in Weeks: Report” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Report: North Korea to Lock Down Through 2020 Despite ‘Zero’ Coronavirus Cases

/0 Comments/in , /by

North Korea will extend its coronavirus quarantine measures through the end of 2020, an anonymous North Korean senior official told Radio Free Asia (RFA) on Tuesday.

The move elicits suspicion about North Korea’s continued insistence that it has documented zero cases of Chinese coronavirus in the country, which the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) corroborated by stating in early April that Pyongyang was in regular contact with the agency. North Korea borders China, the origin country of the coronavirus, as well as Russia and South Korea, two of the world’s countries with some of the most severe domestic outbreaks.

North Korea banned foreigners early this year and instituted emergency measures, including canceling major communist holidays that typically generate crowds of thousands. Dictator Kim Jong-un also ordered the construction of a new hospital in the heart of Pyongyang. Yet the regime insists no one in the country has tested positive for the virus.

“On the 23rd, the Central Party ordered the provincial quarantine command to extend the national emergency quarantine posture through the end of the year,” an anonymous regional North Korean official told RFA. “[They] ordered stronger quarantine measures in response to the prolonged outbreak.”

The report is not the first time RFA finds evidence of regime officials admitting to a severe outbreak, but the first time a North Korean official directly tells the new organization that this is the case. Last week, RFA published a story citing anonymous officials in Ryanggang province stating that they were present at a government lecture where officials admitted to a significant spread of Chinese coronavirus in the country. (Read more from “Report: North Korea to Lock Down Through 2020 Despite ‘Zero’ Coronavirus Cases” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

Trump Implies He Has Insight Into Kim Jong Un’s Health

/0 Comments/in , /by

As rumors about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s health continue to swirl, President Trump said he has “a very good idea” about the matter.

Speaking from the White House’s Rose Garden on Monday, Trump was asked if he had any updates on Kim’s health, which has come under close scrutiny after reports that he is in “grave danger” following heart surgery or could be in a vegetative state.

“I can’t tell you exactly. Yes, I do have a very good idea, but I can’t talk about it now,” Trump said. “I just wish him well. I’ve had a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un.” . . .

“I hope he’s fine. I do know how he’s doing, relatively speaking,” the president said. “We will see. You’ll probably be hearing in the not-too-distant future.” (Read more from “Trump Implies He Has Insight Into Kim Jong Un’s Health” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

South Korea Detects ‘Unusual Increase’ in North Korean Air, Artillery Operations

/0 Comments/in , /by

South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said on Friday that North Korea is stepping up readiness activities for its air and artillery units, for no apparent reason.

The activity could indicate Pyongyang is preparing another illegal missile test, or it could be related to the disappearance of dictator Kim Jong-un, believed by some outside observers to be dead or incapacitated.

Speaking at a ceremony for commissioned medical and veterinary officers on Friday, Jeong said North Korea “has been heightening military tensions through an unusual increase in the inspection activities for its combat readiness posture, mostly of its artillery, and in its air force planes’ flight operations.” . . .

This pattern of behavior began too long ago to be interpreted as a sudden tightening of North Korea’s defense posture in response to Kim Jong-un becoming incapacitated, although it is possible the military was generally growing nervous about the corpulent young dictator’s health or about the oncoming coronavirus pandemic. North Korea officially denies having any domestic coronavirus infections to this day, but outsiders give little credit to those denials.

Several South Korean government ministers have stated they do not believe Kim Jong-un is dead or critically ill. One of the few readily available clues to his location is the location of his luxury train, his primary means of travel both within North Korea and internationally. (Read more from “South Korea Detects ‘Unusual Increase’ in North Korean Air, Artillery Operations” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

U.S. Reportedly Has Contingency Plans in Place If Kim Jong Un Dies

/0 Comments/in , /by

By New York Post. The US government has contingency plans in place in the event North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un should die after reports that his health was in grave condition.

Sources discussed the plans but urged caution about the veracity of the reports, which claimed Kim is in bad shape after a cardiovascular procedure, Fox News reported.

Those plans include the possibility of a mass-scale humanitarian crisis inside the hermit nation such as a famine, according to the report.

One official described a scenario in North Korea that could include millions of people facing starvation and a mass exodus of North Korean refugees into China. (Read more from “U.S. Reportedly Has Contingency Plans in Place If Kim Jong Un Dies” HERE)

________________________________________________

U.S. Has Extensive Contingency Plans in Case of Kim Jong Un Death: Sources

By Fox News. The U.S. government has extensive contingency plans in place for an eventual death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that factor in expectations of a mass-scale humanitarian crisis inside the country, Fox News has learned. . .

While his condition is unclear, a well-placed defense intelligence source told Fox News on Tuesday that the U.S. government has extensive plans in place for when Kim is gone, taking into account all the complications that could arise from his eventual death.

The official described the likelihood of a huge humanitarian crisis within North Korea that could include millions of people facing starvation and a mass exodus of North Korean refugees into China. Intelligence sources told Fox News that part of the plan would be to rely heavily on China to step in and help manage the situation on the ground inside North Korea, partly due to China’s proximity and partly due to logistical challenges of the U.S. providing humanitarian assistance.

The Daily NK, an online news periodical based in Seoul, which is run mostly by North Korean defectors, has reported that Kim, 36, was recovering from his April 12 surgery at a resort county villa on the east coast. The report said Kim has been in bad health because of heavy smoking, obesity and overwork. (Read more from “U.S. Has Extensive Contingency Plans in Case of Kim Jong Un Death: Sources” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

North Korea Has No Coronavirus Cases but Kim Jong-Un Is Nowhere to Be Seen

/0 Comments/in , /by

North Korea has not reported a single case of the coronavirus, but something is definitely amiss in the Hermit Kingdom.

North Korean citizens usually celebrate the “Day of the Sun” with a massive parade and huge displays of synchronized movements. It recognizes the founder of North Korea, Kim Il-sung.

But the celebration was muted and brief and attended only by “senior officials” of the North Korean government. It did not include the country’s current Dear Leader, Kim Jong-un.

Kim was nowhere to be seen, but a floral wreath with his name on it was left at the mausoleum where the ashes of his father and grandfather are resting.

Naturally, speculation has run rampant as to the whereabouts of Kim, who hasn’t been seen in public since the middle of March. The government news outlet, the Korean Central News Agency, released some undated pictures of Kim, but it’s impossible to say if the leader has health problems himself or is simply laying low while the coronavirus ravages his country. (Read more from “North Korea Has No Coronavirus Cases but Kim Jong-Un Is Nowhere to Be Seen” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE

North Korea Scraps ‘Christmas Surprise’ Amid China Woes

/0 Comments/in , /by

North Korea has delayed its much-anticipated “Christmas surprise” of a major intercontinental ballistic missile test out of concern that such a provocation — after two years of stop-start nuclear diplomacy — would trigger sharp negative reactions from Washington and the international community.

South Korean analysts, including a high-level defector from the North, say Pyongyang’s planning for a launch also has been delayed by the coronavirus outbreak in China, which shares a long border with North Korea and serves as its closest security and economic ally.

“The most friendly country of North Korea — China — is having serious difficulties, and North Korea doesn’t want to make things worse,” said Lee Gee-dong, vice president of the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul. “I think for the coming three or four months, it will be quite quiet and the North Koreans will not carry out any provocative or dangerous actions against the world.”

After three inconclusive meetings between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang threatened to take a “new path” if the U.S. didn’t back off its demands for swift denuclearization by the start of 2020. But Mr. Lee said in an interview that North Korea’s Mr. Kim likely believes the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) would anger and unsettle China as well as nearby Russia. . .

“The North Koreans did not come through with any ‘Christmas present’ and they have not taken any ‘new path’ because they are well aware of the side effects that could be had,” Mr. Lee told The Washington Times. He said the Kim regime is “wary of ruining the relationship it has successfully built with Russia and China and the support it is getting from those two countries.” (Read more from “North Korea Scraps ‘Christmas Surprise’ Amid China Woes” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE