With the Southerners’ set of 48 giant speakers blaring out constant anti-Kim propaganda, the Hermit Kingdom kept its cool for two weeks.
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The worldwide Relations and Comparative Politics lecturer told news.com.au North Korea was more afraid its citizens, and more importantly its soldiers, being tempted by not only the South but the West.
For years, North Korea’s litany of threats has been largely dismissed -Seoul, after all, is still not drowning in a “sea of fire“, despite Pyongyang’s repeated promises to make it so. It is no accident that these stockpiles are located close to the North Korean border.
“And bibles coming in from China is also another thing”.
Few will have much sympathy for the North Korean regime, but it is surely worth considering how it views itself and how it sees those who seek to influence its behaviour.
The 2013 decision to acknowledge the death was considered by Vatican observers who spoke with CNA an attempt to awaken the Catholics in North Korea, and to help their hidden work to nurture a reconciliation conscience in society. Pic: Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images. Considering their neighbors’ tendency to keep its word when it comes to military attacks, the South backed off. The North too then abandoned its war plans. The FM station features a mix of casual conversation, anti-DPRK content, discussion from defectors, reports about human rights abuses in the North and Korean pop music, or K-pop.
“In the world of diplomatic language, this is a clear apology, with the object of the regret – the landmine blasts that maimed the soldiers – clearly stated”, Jeung said.
A crisis was narrowly averted late last week when North Korea lobbed four artillery shells across the border.
U.S. and South Korean forces are now holding military exercises about 20 miles south of the DMZ.
US and South Korean troops were still playing war games while South and North Korea began pulling back reinforcements. A six-point agreement was reached after 43 hours of talks.
In return, South Korea agreed to turn off cross-border loudspeakers that had being broadcasting propaganda for the first time in 11 years.
If only, says the consensus of worldwide opinion, China could still rein in a pariah state, albeit one that could, just could, start a nuclear conflict if they got out of bed the wrong side one morning. A pledge not to repeat such provocations is also missing.
“They are not playing with fire but they’re opening the way for miscalculation whenever they ramp up hostilities”.
At the talkls, Kim and Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo sat down with Hwang Pyong So, the top political officer for the Korean People’s Army, and Kim Yang Gon, a senior North Korean official responsible for South Korean affairs.
The art of psychological warfare has a long and intricate history dating as far back as ancient, even biblical, times and today a new chapter has been added to the rich tapestry.
North Korea’s administration, known for being both touchy and enamored with saber rattling, has made a lot of dangers some time recently, and when it does, South Koreans for the most part simply go about existence not surprisingly.
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In the North, it’s equally hard to gauge public sentiment since few North Koreans are willing to give candid responses when allowed to speak to foreign journalists.
