From CNN regarding today's resignation of the South Korean Defence Minister

State-run North Korean broadcaster KCTV reported Thursday that South Korea had stated its plan to "fire towards our territorial waters with their Yeonpyeong-based artillery on November 22." The North said it asked "the puppet South" not to do so, but it persisted, and the North fired back in self-defense.

"If the U.S. truly wishes to ease the tension in the Chosun [Korean] peninsula, rather than protecting the puppet South, they should control the South, so the South will not hang on to maintaining the NLL [Northern Limit Line] by invading territorial waters and firing artilleries," KCTV said. "This incident shows that the acutal offender of the armistice is the puppet South and it is the U.S. which created tension in the Chosun west sea."

Earlier Thursday, state media said North Korea will launch additional attacks on South Korea if the South continues "reckless military provocation."
Pyongyang "will deal without hesitation the second and third strong physical retaliatory blow" if provoked, its KCNA news agency said.
As an example of provocation, it indirectly referred to a military drill that South Korea and the United States plan to hold in the Yellow Sea starting Sunday.
Meanwhile, South Korea said Thursday that it will strengthen and supplement its rules of engagement in the Yellow Sea, following the incident on Yeonpyeong Island.
South Korea was holding annual military exercises near North Korea when Pyongyang started shelling Tuesday. Shells from the South's exercises landed in North Korean waters, KCNA said.


KCNA on Thursday continued its verbal offensive against the South Korean-U.S. military drill.
"The U.S. and the South Korean puppet forces are foolishly contemplating an additional provocation aimed to orchestrate another farce and charade such as the 'Cheonan' case while kicking up rows and holding confabs one after another such as the declaration of a 'state of emergency' and 'a meeting of ministers in charge of security,' far from drawing due lesson from the recent shelling," KCNA said.
The aircraft carrier USS George Washington on Wednesday sailed toward the Yellow Sea for the drill, which was billed as defensive.


"It is a long-planned exercise," said Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.


"That said, it is meant to send a very strong signal of deterrence and also work with our very close allies in South Korea," Mullen said on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS."


"We're very focused on restraint -- not letting this thing get out of control. The South Koreans so far have responded that way. Nobody wants this thing to turn into a conflict."


On Thursday morning, Lee and his economic and security ministers met in Seoul.


The meeting began with a moment of silence for the Yeonpyeong victims. After the meeting, South Korea said it would boost its rules of engagement in the Yellow Sea.

South Korean marine forces based in five islands near North Korea and the disputed Northern Limit Line also will be reinforced, a government spokesman said.


The tense maritime border between the two Koreas has become the major military flash point on the Korean peninsula in recent years.


The Yeonpyeong attack also will lead to a plan for civilian safety on the five islands in the Yellow Sea, the government spokesman said. No details were immediately offered about the plan, but Lee on Wednesday ordered the strengthening of civilian shelters on the islands.


The islands include Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong, off which the South Korean warship Cheonan was sunk in March, killing 46 sailors. Seoul blamed Pyongyang for the torpedo attack, which the North has denied.


The Lee administration also will continue to closely monitor capital markets and foreign exchange rates, prepared to take preventative measures as needed, the spokesman said. The Yeonpyeong shelling sent ripples through South Korea's stock market, which has rebounded.


South Korea's economic and security ministries will cooperate closely, and the administration will publicize developments in real time to address major concerns and squelch rumors, the spokesman said.


The Yeonpyeong attack was the first direct artillery assault on South Korea since the Korean War ended in 1953.

Studying the Leadership in North Korea

The following site gives a good picture of the North Korean personalities at play in the present times: http://nkleadershipwatch.wordpress.com/kim-family/

Myanmar / Burma and Aung San Sui Kyi

I'm preparing a brief information piece regarding the current trials and issues within Myanmar-Burma and hope to put this on the blog soon. There are many countries in SE Asia, some full democracies, who are very supportive, if not formally then most certainly informally, of the current Myanmar Military Junta and I would like to explain why.

Read Widely

The News Sources I usually use are: Xinhua China, SBS Australia, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, CNN, BBC and Radio France Internationale. These are my 'standard' info sources although the China Daily, The Bangkok Post and smaller info services from South East and North Asia are sometimes used, as are first-hand reports from people I know in SE Asia and in NE China. I'll usually mention the source.

Radio France Internationale regarding the rationale for the North Korean approach

Radio France Internationale - English Service This week's NKorean shelling came after Pyongyang's troops got jittery because of a US-SKorea military exercise, including four hours of live shelling, according to S Korean analyst Noh Jong-soon whose view varies from the predominant media coverage.

from Xinhua regarding the escalation between DPRK and ROK

DPRK accuses U.S. of misrepresenting shelling incident, warns of retaliation against S.Korea




English.news.cn 2010-11-25 12:03:59 FeedbackPrintRSS



PYONGYANG, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The military of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday blamed the United States for "misrepresenting" the shelling incident, warning of retaliations if there are more "military provocations" by South Korea.



"Korean People's Army will deal without hesitation the second and third strong physical retaliatory blow" in that case, the Panmunjom Mission of the Korean People's Army said in a notice sent to the U.S.forces in South Korea, according to the official KCNA news agency.



The KCNA blamed the United States for its attempt to misrepresent the shelling incident, "while thoughtlessly shielding the south Korean puppet forces who dared make a preempt shelling at the DPRK."



The exchange of artillery fire on Tuesday between the two sides killed four people.



In the notice, the DPRK army said the situation goes to prove that it is the South Korean forces "which actually violated the Armistice Agreement and it was none other than the U.S. which sparked off the conflict in the above-said waters."



The United States has publicly voiced support for South Korea after the shellings, pledging to protect South Korea and would stand "shoulder to shoulder" with the Asian ally.



The shelling incident has escalated the already-tense situation on the Korean Peninsula.



Pyongyang and Seoul have blamed each other for setting off the artillery attacks.



In the notice, the DPRK military reiterated its claim that it's South Korea fired shells into DPRK territories without announcement while staging military exercises, straining the situation on the Korean Peninsula.



South Korea has reinforced the security forces in the area and ordered extra troops deployed on islands near the DPRK side on Thursday.



The latest clash was seen as an omen of further deterioration of the situation on the Peninsula following a longtime stall of the six-party talks and the sinking of a South Korean warship in late March.

Balance and Non-Intervention

I think the important thing with the current escalation of angst between the DPRK North and the ROK South of Korea is that this is old business between very angry brothers who have a long history of strife. Both sides look towards a future unification and perhaps this unification can only arise after some awful struggle. If the other players (US/Japan and China) keep some distance and just let these guys work things out, well, that would be best. The last time East-West got involved it just created a broken hateful situation which persists to this day. You don't unite by division. I hope the Koreans work this out -it's their job and it's their business, and no one elses.