North Korea Conducts Nuclear Test
Crazy Kim Jong Il is at it again. After performing missile tests back in July, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has stepped up it up a notch and conducted an underground nuclear test. Seismic centers in America, Japan, and South Korea reported activity in North Korea at the time of the nuclear test at anywhere from a 3.6 to 4.9. The North Koreans are claiming that the test was a success and that no radiation leakage has been detected.
This move by the North is a clear slap in the face of the efforts taken by other countries to disarm and/or negotiate with North Korea. Kim Jong Il is obviously testing the United Nations Security Council to see if it will follow through on any threats made on the North.
In my opinion, he is taking a very dangerous step. It will not look good if the UN were to let this go without any sort of significant reaction, but how do we resolve the issue with anything short of war? Kim doesn't seem to care what the rest of the world thinks and is willing to do as he pleases. This kind of cavalier arrogance is scary. Hopefully, a peaceful resolution to all of this can be found.
Also...I wonder if it's coincidence that this nuclear test was held over the Chuseok holiday? The missile tests in July were held on the 4th, America's Independence Day, and now this nuclear test occurs over Korea's most significant holiday. Hmm....Actually, one article I read stated that the day is also an anniversary of the Foundation of the Labor Party in North Korea. But still...you have to wonder at the timing of the two events...
But this news will definitely take a toll on the South. Tensions between North and South are already heightened and this will only aggravate matters. Also, the South Korean stock market immediately took a deep plunge as a result of this news. The South Korean economy was already unstable and shaky before the news but this will only serve to further disenchant investors (both foreign and domestic) in Korean businesses.
We shall have to wait and see what kind of reaction the UN will come up with.
posted by Myong Choi at 11:58 PM
4 Comments:
...or...is it coincidence that this came about on the same time South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon was formally nominated as U.N. secretary-general?
Heh, you're right, sang. Also, let's not forget that that new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in S. Korea at the time of the testing. Send in Kikaida or Ultraman, methinks.
Following the announcement of the test, I stayed up last night to watch the various live news conferences. Funny when Roh’s turn came on, his response was to deal with the situation sternly, but, calmly. I had to chuckle: I suddenly had a picture of a stoic-faced 007 (Connery’s to be technical) punching an enemy. Then, is one S. Korean reporter, oddly enough, asked, yep, the Yasukuni question. He even prefaced his question with “I know we’re talking about the N. Korean nuclear testing right now, but . . .” something to that effect. What the heck?
Me also thinks the U.N. is pretty useless when it comes to, what I like to call, "responsible responses" to such threats (yes, threats) as N. Korea's nuclear weapon testing.
Even the country that his leaderness Kim can thank for allowing him to rule, China, was perturbed at the test. Was REALLY neat to see Australia and Israel coming out with condemning-based responses, too. Whoo-hoo, if perennially tough Aussie troops and battle-weathered and -ready Israeli armed services give a go at N. Korea, heh, maybe the U.S. might not have to do a thing.
I agree with one CNN reporter who indicated this is the beginning of the end of Kim’s regime. And, I couldn’t help but think even Castro knows where to draw the line.
CNN kept showing that statue of Saddam Hussein getting pulled down and stomped on by the populace, and you couldn’t help but think whether that’s about to happen to the Daddy’s Kim’s statue in N. Korea, too, sometime soon.
KBS America aired current news feed-in of the incident almost immediately. I thought they only presented shows from 1-2 months ago. Hats off to them.
Wonder what S. Korean “progressives” think about what happened yesterday? They still think a reunification's possible? Or smart?
US should exert more pressure on China to rein NK in and impose trade sanctions if they don't cooperate.
China has a lot to lose economically either way. If the regime topples, they have to deal with North Koreans flooding into China and they don't want to deal with that. Most South Koreans don't even want North Koreans taking jobs and burdening their economy.
On CNN last night someone said money is a universal language. It's not that simple to just give them aid especially if you look at the humanitarian issues involved.
Saw a cartoon with KJI pressing a nuclear button while Roh and KDJ are freaking out. KJI tells both of them..'all this time..thank you!' regarding Sunshine Policy.
No coincidence that they did this over Chuseok. North Koreans couldn't even eat or pay respects properly to their ancestors and there had to be some kind of resentment even with their ideological thinking. KJI wasn't seen for 3 weeks and press speculated he may be ill. Now we know what he was up to.
I would think Ban KiMoon would be more lenient towards NK out of fear Seoul will burn into a fiery inferno like KJI threatened so many times and try to appease NK instead of provoking them. Japan has plutonium, they have every right to arm themselves against NK. I can't believe I said that.
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