elef Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 Bangkok Post Today Link North Korea threatens war on US Seoul/Tokyo (dpa) - North Korea warned the United States Wednesday that if it raises pressure on Pyongyang, the communist regime would consider it a "declaration of war" and would take "physical countermeasures." "If the US increases pressure upon the DPRK, persistently doing harm to it, it will continue to take physical countermeasures, considering it as a declaration of a war," the statement from the Foreign Ministry said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The statement, released on the official Korean Central News Agency, added, however, that "We are ready for both dialogue and confrontation." It was the first statement from Pyongyang since it announced Monday that it had carried out its first nuclear test, adding that it did so because of what it sees as the threat of war from the United States. "Even though we conducted the nuclear test because of the US, we still remain committed to realising the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and negotiations," Wednesday's statment said. North Korea's number-two leader also told Japan's Kyodo News agency Wednesday that whether his country conducts further nuclear tests depends on the US reaction amid reports from Japan that a second test could be conducted before the day was out. Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, North Korea's parliament, said how the United States treats his country would also decide whether it would return to the stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear programme, Kyodo reported. "If the United States continues to take a hostile attitude and apply pressure on us in various forms, we will have no choice but to take physical steps to deal with that," Kim told a Kyodo delegation in Pyongyang in the first comments by a top North Korean official since Monday's announced nuclear test. Earlier, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso warned that there was "unconfirmed information" that North Korea might conduct another nuclear test on Wednesday. However, "no confirmation has been obtained," he added. A jittery Asia woke up Wednesday to a news report that North Korea had conducted a second nuclear test, but both Japan and South Korea said there were no indications of a seismic tremor in the communist state although a strong, magnitude-6 earthquake was recorded in northern Japan Wednesday morning. Later in the day, Japan decided on further sanctions against North Korea, including a ban on its ships entering Japanese ports and restrictions on North Korean exports, the Kyodo said. Japan's Cabinet ministers discussed the punitive measures at a meeting Wednesday, and the government was expected to decide on the plan later in the day at a Security Council meeting. Japan had imposed sanctions against North Korea in July, shortly after Pyongyang test-fired seven missiles into the Sea of Japan. Those measures included banning entry of the only ferry between the two nations as well as remittances to 15 institutions suspected of having relations with Pyongyang's nuclear programmes. A North Korean official warned the UN Security Council from taking similar steps. The unidentified official told the Yonhap News Agency in Beijing that if the council imposed full-scale sanctions, it would be construed as a declaration of war. Full sanctions would include moves such as a sea blockade, the official explained. "The harder the pressure will be, the higher will be the level of our response," he warned, while stressing he was giving his personal opinion. The UN Security Council was expected to meet again Wednesday to consider a draft resolution submitted by the United States and Japan that calls for wide-ranging and tough punitive measures, including a ban on the sale or transfer to North Korea of arms and any related material, nuclear-related or ballistic missile-related items and luxury goods as well as a freeze on North Korean financial and other assets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun_Kong Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 Democratic People's Republic of Korea Probably the most mis-named country in the world. Also, I believe that, officially, the US is still at war with NK, since early '50s. No peace treaty, IIRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 It is still officially just a "cease fire". p.s. Interesting that a South Korean is being proposed for the head of the UN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted October 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 No peace treaty between Japan and Russia either so WWII isn't officially over yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damen Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 I feel sorry for the South Koreans as they will take the brunt of any force that North Korea decides to use. Most likely high stakes bluffing but you never know with these guys. They starve their own people to death so you cant put anything past them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 This should makle people in Seoul feel better... ".....as nervous neighbors raced to bolster defenses and punish Pyongyang. South Korea said it was making sure its troops were prepared for atomic warfare." http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/north_korea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted October 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 Sooner North Korea is threating Japan, that started already with the missile testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 After living/working in South Korea, I saw that they are ready to kick azz...or at least try! They are some hard people...Korea has been over run by the Chinese and Japanese but it has always remained Korea, they never gave in!!! They had half of their big guns pointed at Japan and the other half pointed at North Korea. These people are locked, cocked and ready to roll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 That's because FDR generously "gave" Stalin Karafuto (Southern Sakhalin Island) and the entire Chishima (Kurile) Island chain, but the Russians went further and seized the offshore islands of Hokkaido. Japan has refused to sign any treaty until the Russians return those offshore islands. And the Russians say they won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 After living/working in South Korea, I saw that they are ready to kick azz...or at least try! They are some hard people...Korea has been over run by the Chinese and Japanese but it has always remained Korea, they never gave in!!! They had half of their big guns pointed at Japan and the other half pointed at North Korea. These people are locked, cocked and ready to roll. They sure are. I think that's what worries the rest of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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