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North Korea Scraps ‘Christmas Surprise’ Amid China Woes

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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)

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North Korea Stops Reclaiming Escaped Citizens From China Due to Coronavirus Fears

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By Breitbart. North Korea on Friday temporarily suspended “all air and train routes” to China due to the coronavirus outbreak, in addition to closing off its land border.

Pyongyang has also taken steps to close its border with South Korea, fearing the virus could spread there from China. According to South Koreans who work with North Korean defectors, the North is also temporarily halting the repatriation of defectors due to infection concerns.

Voice of America News reported that North Korea asked South Korea to close the liaison office in the border town of Kaesong and postpone operations to dismantle resort facilities on Mount Kumgang until the Wuhan coronavirus has been “completely erased.”

South Korea is planning to demolish the Mount Kumgang tourist complex on orders from North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, who declared the long-unused resort an “eyesore” with “no national character at all” in October. The resort fell into disuse due to international sanctions and the shooting of a South Korean tourist who wandered off the grounds by a North Korean soldier in 2008.

The movement of people and goods across the North-South Korean border has reportedly halted. South Korean pastor Kim Sung-eun, noted for his work with North Korean refugees, said North Korea has asked China to stop repatriating defectors until the coronavirus epidemic has passed. Chinese sources said they expected even black-market shipping into North Korea would be sharply curtailed, despite serving as a major component of the North Korean economy. (Read more from “North Korea Stops Reclaiming Escaped Citizens From China Due to Coronavirus Fears” HERE)

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Washington State Businesses Brace for Impact of the Coronavirus

By The Seattle Times. As worries over the spread of the new coronavirus intensify, many businesses in Washington state said they’re monitoring the situation closely, taking precautions to protect their employees’ health and adjusting other plans.

Some major employers are halting travel or postponing opening new offices in Asia. Real estate brokers say they’re seeing fewer Chinese home shoppers.

And local industries already hard-hit by the U.S.-China trade war, like agriculture and tourism, are forecasting continued strain on profits. Nearly 18 months of retaliatory tariffs have cut exports through Washington state to China, its biggest trading partner, by nearly 40% since 2018.

The coronavirus outbreak — which public health experts predict could soon be a global pandemic — may send trade volumes plummeting further, said J. Norwell Coquillard, executive director of the nonprofit Washington State China Relations Council.

The new coronavirus, which seems to be less lethal than SARS but spreads more easily, has infected more than 17,000 people in at least 23 countries, leaving more than 400 dead, as of Monday. Nearly all the deaths are in China, where the new virus originated. (Read more from “Washington State Businesses Brace for Impact of the Coronavirus” HERE)

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U.S. Officials Closely Monitoring Possible Nuclear Launch by North Korea After ‘Christmas Gift’ Warning

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By Fox News. U.S. officials are on high alert for signs of a possible missile launch from North Korea in the coming days that officials have referred to as a “Christmas gift.”

A significant launch or nuclear test would raise the end of North Korea’s self-imposed moratorium on missile launches and tests. It would also be a major blow to one of President Trump’s major foreign policy goals to get North Korea back to the negotiating table to eliminate its nuclear weapons.

Earlier this month, the North conducted what U.S. officials say was an engine test. Experts believe it may have involved an engine for a long-range missile.

“North Korea has been advancing. It has been building new capabilities,” said Anthony Wier, a former State Department official who tracks nuclear disarmament for the Friends Committee on National Legislation. “As long as that continues, they gain new capabilities to try new missiles to threaten us and our allies in new ways,”

North Korea warned of a possible “Christmas gift” in early December, saying the Trump administration was running out of time on nuclear negotiations, and it was up to the U.S. to choose what “Christmas gift” it gets from Pyongyang. (Read more from “U.S. Officials Closely Monitoring Possible Nuclear Launch by North Korea After ‘Christmas Gift’ Warning” HERE)

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U.S. Officials Bracing for Imminent North Korea Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Test

By Slate. . .Pyongyang has promised to deliver a “Christmas gift” if there is no progress on easing up on sanctions. But any movement on that front seems nearly impossible at this stage, considering talks with Washington have stalled and the North Korean regime is once again insulting President Donald Trump regularly. As tensions with North Korea increase, and especially if there is a test around the holidays, it would mark a huge blow to one of Trump’s major foreign policy initiatives. And it would happen right as he gears up for the presidential campaign. Some North Korea experts say Pyongyang may be watching the electoral calendar as well. There is speculation that Kim could be using “Trump’s intense focus on his re-election next November as leverage to pressure him into lifting sanctions and striking a deal that favors Pyongyang,” notes Politico. The impeachment proceedings may also make Pyongyang feel that Trump is particularly vulnerable.

If the test does happen, it seems clear how the administration will react. Even though Trump used to cite suspensions of tests as a sign that his efforts at diplomacy with Kim were working, officials now say a test will show the North Korean leader feels cornered, with few options as to how to proceed.

There is uncertainty about what North Korea may even test, with some speculating that it may be a satellite on a long-range booster rather than a long-range missile, notes CNN. CBS News talks to intelligence officials who say that while a short-range missile test or rocket engine test could happen at any time, a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile test is unlikely before the beginning of the year. (Read more from “U.S. Officials Bracing for Imminent North Korea Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Test” HERE)

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North Korea Fires Missiles, Fresh Nuclear Talks in Doubt

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North Korea fired two short-range missiles early on Thursday from its east coast, South Korea’s military said, the first missile test since leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to revive stalled denuclearization talks.

The missiles, launched from near the coastal city of Wonsan, flew about 430 km (267 miles) out over the sea, reaching an altitude of 50 km (30 miles), before splashing down, an official at South Korea’s defense ministry told Reuters.

The firing of ballistic missiles will cast new doubt on efforts to restart denuclearization talks after Trump and Kim met at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas at the end of June. . .

After Trump and Kim met lat month, the United States and North Korea vowed to soon hold a new round of working-level talks, but Pyongyang has since sharply criticized upcoming joint military drills by U.S. and South Korean troops.

South Korea’s ambassador to the United States, Cho Yoon-je, told reporters that Washington had offered to discuss the time and location of such talks but there had been no response from Pyongyang.

(Read more from “North Korea Fires Missiles, Fresh Nuclear Talks in Doubt” HERE)

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President Trump Credited After North Korea Quietly Releases Detainee

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An Australian student detained by North Korea has been quietly set free, and experts say President Donald Trump deserves credit for his release. . .

Alek Sigley, 29, of Perth went missing in North Korea last week ahead of President Trump’s historic visit to the communist country for a meeting with its dictator, Kim Jong Un. The New York Times reported Sigley was released Thursday morning and flew to Beijing, issuing a statement the next day thanking Australian and Swedish officials for orchestrating his freedom.

According to two experts, Sigley has other people to thank, namely President Trump. Former Australian MP Michael Johnson — who visited North Korea in 2006, 2007, and 2009 — says that if it weren’t for Trump’s visit to the rogue nation, Sigley could have met a similar fate to American college student Otto Warmbier, who died in 2017 shortly after being returned to the U.S. following detainment in North Korea.

Johnson told the Daily Mail, “Now we diplomatically and politically owe the Americans something and you can bet your bottom dollar, a favour will be asked and its delivery expected.”

He went on to argue that if President Trump hadn’t met with Kim, the best case scenario for Sigley would have been “another 12 months in physical detention and being roughed up.” (Read more from “President Trump Credited After North Korea Quietly Releases Detainee” HERE)

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You Can’t Look at Trump’s North Korea Moves Without Looking at China

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President Trump set foot several feet into North Korea. Is that a big deal? No other president has done it. Was it a symbolic gesture? Yes. Did it provide a great photo op for the North Korean leader? Absolutely. Was it seen as a stunt by the mainstream media in the U.S.? Of course. Does anyone think credit would be given to President Trump for any action he takes? We are talking about a huge segment of the U.S. media that would cheer for the enemy during a fight if it meant they could blame the president.

I’ve spent years watching and analyzing the events in North Korea and spent some of my military years preparing for a conflict with that nation. I’ve looked at issues ranging from potential individual actions all the way up to nation-state conflict. Here’s the reality: Kim Jong Un is not the leader of a sovereign nation. He is, as his father was, the person who inherited the job of overseer of China’s primary proxy fighter.

To put it more bluntly, Kim Jong Un runs the rabid dog Beijing keeps on a short leash. To believe that at any level of government, North Korea is an independent nation that can be approached by any other nation without approval or oversight from China is simply naive. North Korea is and has been for decades a threat to world peace – a threat that was proven indelibly in one horrific war already. North Korea is and has been a tool for China to leverage against the United States. Push China too far, and out comes the rabid dog.

So, is it possible for Mr. Kim to commit to any agreement without first receiving guidance from his puppet masters in Beijing? Is it possible to pry North Korea away from the orbit of China?

The answer to both questions is a resounding no.

Would China go to war before it would accept North Korea ending up in a Western-dominated environment?

You can bet your bottom dollar on it.

Since North Korea is not a sovereign nation, the next logical question is: Why is the U.S. seemingly wasting its time talking to a puppet?

Perhaps the U.S. is using Kim as a leverage point on a much larger issue. Perhaps this is all about countering the long-term Chinese vision for the region.

When you’re involved in preparing for war, you understand the true purpose of North Korea. So once you know your enemies’ tactics, you must set a plan to counter them. Can the U.S. and others show the people of North Korea there is a better way of life out there? In the end, is the issue of North Korea about North Korean nuclear weapons – weapons China would never allow North Korea to use without approval – or is it about containing the Chinese dragon?

Is it better to threaten Kim Jong Un and win a few votes back home come election time, or is it far more effective to play nice with him despite anything he might say or do? How does Beijing argue with President Trump agreeing to take a few steps into North Korea? How would the Chinese government paint that in a bad light? Seen from my foxhole, that move was pure genius.

If Team Trump has figured out how to play to the weaknesses of the primary Chinese proxy tool in a way not based on threats of total destruction, then I suggest his team has found a path that might just work. Does it give the appearance of going soft, as in the Clinton, Bush, and Obama years? No. Those administrations had a sadly simplistic approach to North Korea: avoidance. Team Trump seems to be on a mission to create pressure between the puppet proxy kingdom and its overlords in Beijing.

If it is indeed true that Team Trump is approaching this with a “peace through strength” strategy to counter China – the real player in the theater – and not from one of weakness that so defined his predecessors, then how will we know if the plan is working?

Well, that answer was on display just last week when Xi Jinping, the leader of China, visited his puppet kingdom. CNN reports that it was the first time a Chinese head of state has visited North Korea in 14 years. It demonstrates that China needed to show not just Mr. Kim, but his military commanders, who really calls the shots for North Korea. Jinping knew President Trump might take advantage of the G-20 summit trip. How could he not show up to make sure key people know where they stand? Let the trade talks continue to go badly for China, and they are, and you will see the puppet leader do something newsworthy.

Can Xi Jinping order North Korea to completely walk away from President Trump’s efforts? Yes. Another ballistic missile test or the cancellation of talks with South Korea would be disastrous for the 2020 election bid. The reality is, the puppet nation is still a tool at the disposal of the number one thereat to the U.S. President Trump is taking a calculated gamble.

In the end, it’s not only about the nukes, folks. Divide and conquer: It’s a timeless game the U.S. better remember how to play. (For more from the author of “You Can’t Look at Trump’s North Korea Moves Without Looking at China” please click HERE)

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Air Force Deploys New Weapon to Deal with North Korea

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The United States Air Force has reportedly deployed 20 new missiles to deal with the escalating threats from North Korea and Iran that can “zap” their military electronics, thus rendering their militaries completely ineffective.

“Known as the Counter-Electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP), the missiles were built by Boeing’s Phantom Works for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and tested successfully in 2012,” The Daily Mail reported. “They have not been operation until now.” . . .

The missile, which reportedly has a range of 700 miles, is delivered from bombers and flies at a low altitude and delivers “sharp pulses of high power microwave (HPM) energy.” . . .

Tensions have risen sharply in recent weeks with North Korea, which has resumed missile testing, and Iran, which has reportedly been behind multiple provocations in the Middle East in recent weeks.

“In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force,” National Security Adviser John Bolton said earlier this month. “The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces.” (Read more from “Air Force Deploys New Weapon to Deal with North Korea” HERE)

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North Korea Sends U.S. $2M Hospital Bill – Here’s the Horrific Reason Why

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The U.S. received a $2 million hospital bill from the North Korean government for the care of American Otto Warmbier, who fell into a coma for unknown reasons while he was imprisoned in the country before he died in the U.S. in 2017, Fox News has confirmed.

Pyongyang authorities insisted the U.S. envoy sent to retrieve the University of Virginia student sign a pledge to pay the bill before allowing Warmbier’s comatose body to return to the United States, the Washington Post reported Thursday. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed the bill and the amount to Fox News.

Citing two people familiar with the situation, the Post reported the envoy signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions from President Trump. However, a source told Fox News the U.S. did not pay money to North Korea. . .

Warmbier was on tour in North Korea when he allegedly stole a propaganda sign from a hotel. He was arrested in January 2016 and sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor in March 2016.

The Ohio native, then 21, fell into a coma for unknown reasons while in custody and was held in that condition for another 17 months. North Korean officials did not tell American officials until June 2017 that he had been unconscious the entire time. He died less than a week after he returned to the U.S. the same month. (Read more from “North Korea Sends U.S. $2M Hospital Bill – Here’s the Horrific Reason Why” HERE)

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Kim Jong Un Celebrates Testing of New Weapons

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By The Blaze. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un praised his administration after reports of a successful test firing of a “new tactical guided” weapons system.

Kim called the development of the weapon “an event of very weighty significance,” according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The KCNA reported that Un supervised the firing of the weapon.

“After watching the power of the new-type tactical guided weapon, [Kim] pointed out that our national defense scientists and workers in the field of the munitions industry performed another great work in increasing the country’s defense capabilities,” they said.

President Donald Trump has had two meetings with the North Korean leader but neither have produced a substantive agreement on the goal of “denuclearization” of the regime. (Read more from “Kim Jong Un Celebrates Testing of New Weapons” HERE)

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North Korean Leader Kim Supervises ‘New-Type Tactical Guided Weapon’ Test

By The Hill. “Saying that the completion of the development of the weapon system serves as an event of very weighty significance in increasing the combat power of the People’s Army, [Kim] noted that it is a very good thing that the field of national defense science has waged a dynamic struggle for attaining core research goals,” KCNA said, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap. . .

KCNA did not specify whether Wednesday’s test was of a missile, but it did not immediately appear to violate the moratorium, much like a North Korean test of an “ultramodern tactical weapon” in November.

The February summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, ended without an agreement between the two leaders amid an impasse over how much sanctions relief the United States was willing to give and how much North Korea was willing to give up to get it. . .

Last week, Kim said he would be open to a third summit with Trump, but gave the United States until the end of the year to be more flexible in negotiations. (Read more from “North Korean Leader Kim Supervises ‘New-Type Tactical Guided Weapon’ Test” HERE)

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President Trump Scraps Latest North Korea Sanctions

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President Donald Trump ordered the Treasury Department to withdraw its latest sanctions aimed at North Korea on Friday, rescinding a directive administration officials made the day before. . .

In a move Politico called a “remarkable reversal,” the president tweeted, “It was announced today by the U.S. Treasury that additional large scale Sanctions would be added to those already existing Sanctions on North Korea. I have today ordered the withdrawal of those additional Sanctions!”

The Washington Post noted that no new sanctions were announced by the Treasury on Friday, but the department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control did clamp down on two Chinese shipping firms Thursday for allegedly trying to skirt North Korean sanctions. . .

The Trump administration has been in ongoing talks with North Korea in an attempt to convince the country to denuclearize, but the most recent summit between the president and Kim was cut short over a disagreement on terms. Last week, Kim threatened to withdraw from discussions with the U.S. altogether, and resume missile testing. (Read more from “President Trump Scraps Latest North Korea Sanctions” HERE)

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