General Chat

has declared it is at war with South Korea.

Two viewpoints

a) the new young leader is stating this to persuade the people he is a strong commander of the army and will send in rockets and it's waffle for the benefit of his National status.

b) he's serious and this could escalate, the outcome is unthinkable.

To me, this in some ways, is synonymous of the situation in 1962 when the world waited on the outcome of US President John F Kennedy's ultimatum to the Soviet Union President Nikita Khrushchev, that the USSR dismantle all their missile bases on Cuba and return any missiles to the USSR :-|

Hopefully its only a)

He might be trying to prove to his Generals that he is as 'strong' as his father. The other possibility is that the Generals are the ones really in charge, and telling him to make these threats.

Let’s hope that N Korea's Allie China talks some sense into him. I can’t see Obama wanting to escalate the situation.

It worries me that India also feels the need to have neuclear capability.

It worries me!!!!!

jude

Maybe he is getting a really cool retainer from CNN 'cos it will improve viewing figures ( and ad revenue ) in a slow news season.

Alternatively "War is peace" and most of this is just for domestic consumption - hardly anybody in N Korea has access to foreign news, tv, internet and believe N Korea is at war anyway.

The Russians have it on the button - what happens when the gap between reality and propaganda tears apart the curtain ? Humour the asshole a bit instead of sending in the B-2s.

The spat between China and Japan is far more of a real problem.

I fought in the Korean war with the Welch regiment. Let's hope we didn't have 30 men killed in vain, a few of them good friends.

Would be a different kind of conflict this time as the North has nuclear weapons.

Heaven (and China) forbid.

Hapy days

Kim Jong-un to his Generals - What is this button for?

Generals - Don't touch that button!!!

Kim Jong-un - Oooops to late

the kid is mad, no doubt - and his generals are pushing all the buttons in his name

The most frightening thoughts I have are, could it lead to a third world war because of the actions of their young immature Leader and his Generals. The mind boggles.

GP

They don't really need the rockets which are popular with the leadership as they play well at parades and on tv.

For real attacks they have tunnels under the DMZ. Here is one that was discovered:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Tunnel_of_Aggression

Thanks for replies and link to the tunnel.

I hope this is just him and his generals posturing although he does appear slightly unhinged to me.

This is a bit of a long read but worth it re the aid Korea receives:

http://www.cnas.org/node/5958

3 April 2013 Last updated at 07:31
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22011286

North Korea is blocking the entry of South Korean workers into a joint industrial zone, in a move seen as further escalating tensions.

Workers were being allowed to leave the Kaesong complex but not cross into it from the South, Seoul's Unification Ministry confirmed.
................

Although South Korean's are free to leave, apparently about 400 are believed to have stayed as they don't think they'd be allowed to return to their N Korean place of work.

I feel sorry for the people of both North and South Korea, but pray to God that we don't get dragged into another war.

i think he has a small penis and has to prove himself.....

sadly if it leads to war we will all suffer....

This is basically based around economics and sanctions.
In the past the DPRK has used similar tactics to elicit lessening sanctions and gain more aid - both economic and intellectual.
The problem here is that it is widely now accepted that they have nuclear capabilities, albeit somewhat primitive, so their bargaining stance has altered dramatically.
We are certainly not looking at another Iraq where the claims of WMD were somewhat nonsensical.
With the DPRK we have a ruling body which is desperate to maintain its stranglehold on domestic belief that it is a mighty power. Desperation can lead to desperate measures.

incidentally, in response to the OP, it has always been at war with South Korea - there was never any official cessation of hostilities