Category: Korean War II

As one of the few Americans who can claim the “privilege” of a direct line of communication with North Korea, I offer two friendly reminders to my growing readership in Pyongyang: First, you can’t renounce something you’ve already renounced, and never really complied with anyway.  Second, South Korea never actually did sign that Armistice, and they aren’t sounding particularly stuck on it these days.

Last week’s rumors that the Obama Administration was pressuring South Korea to talk to the North left many of us confused, wondering to what extent the rumors were true, and wondering if this augured a weakening of the administration’s policy (third item). The following days, however, saw leading members of the administration threatening a direct use of force against North Korea, suggesting that U.S.-Chinese relations are at a critical stage because of its failure to restrain North Korea, and reaffirming...

Here we go again! South Korea moved hundreds of troops, fighter jets, tanks and attack helicopters near the heavily armed border with the North in preparation for massive new military drills as tensions continue to simmer following last month’s North Korean artillery attack that left four dead. “We will completely punish the enemy if it provokes us again like the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island,” said Brig. Gen. Ju Eun-sik, chief of the army’s 1st armored brigade, according to The Associated...

OK, I know those of you in South Korea are probably feeling a bit edgy for now, amid all of the drills, exercises, and North Koreans threats, which I’m sure our State Department would say are absolutely, positively not terrorism in any way, shape, or form. Still, I doubt that things will be quite this bad in Seoul by Monday: I don’t think we’ve seen the end of North Korea’s escalation, and I also think Christmas is a fairly likely...