Huffington PostSEOUL, March 27 (Reuters) – Reclusive North Korea is to cut the last channel of communications with the South because war could break out at “any moment”, it said on Wednesday, days of after warning the United States and South Korea of nuclear attack.
The move is the latest in a series of bellicose threats from North Korea in response to new U.N. sanctions imposed after its third nuclear test in February and to “hostile” military drills under way joining the United States and South Korea.
The North has already stopped responding to calls on the hotline to the U.S. military that supervises the heavily armed Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the Red Cross line that has been used by the governments of both sides.
“Under the situation where a war may break out at any moment, there is no need to keep north-south military communications which were laid between the militaries of both sides,” the North’s KCNA news agency quoted a military spokesman as saying.
“There do not exist any dialogue channel and communications means between the DPRK and the U.S. and between the north and the south.”
Despite the shrill rhetoric, few believe North Korea, formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), will risk starting a full-out war.
North and South Korea are still technically at war anyway after their 1950-53 civil conflict ended with an armistice, not a treaty, which the North says it has since torn to pieces.
The “dialogue channel” is used on a daily basis to process South Koreans who work in the Kaesong industrial project where 123 South Korean firms employ more than 50,000 North Koreans to make household goods.
About 120 South Koreans are stationed at Kaesong at any one time on average.
It is the last remaining joint project in operation between the two Koreas after South Korea cut off most aid and trade in response to Pyongyang’s shooting of a South Korean tourist and the sinking of a South Korean naval vessel blamed on the North.
Kaesong is one of North Korea’s few hard currency earners, producing $2 billion a year in trade with the South, and Pyongyang is unlikely to close it except as a last resort.
The North’s military spokesman representing its “supreme command” did not mention Kaesong, which has suffered temporary shutdowns before.
The South’s government said it would take steps to ensure the safety of the workers at Kaesong. It did not elaborate. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Good. Let ’em kill each other already. If they’re holding a grudge after 50 years there’s no stopping them anyway.
Man, 50 years is a long time. About 3 generations. You’d think they would have settled their difference by now. I guess the elites didn’t want it that way and needed to keep it going in order to maintain a foothold of control in Asia. Now that they are trying to cause their master plan to come into existence, they are starting the war up again and finishing what they’ve started.
Most of the Koreans probably don’t even know why they are at war with each other. Only because their government says so. It’s ridiculous.
Well when your diaolouge is with a poor church mouse…they aint much to talk about anyways.
Ever notice how they all sound like a bad case of the clapp?
Jong Dong Wong ill… dude…his mess aint messin or so it seems…….bad day for Jr. He got a purdy little looking gal and his stuff aint snuffin…..Sheeit I’d be pissedole too….probably launch rockets at the south to see if i would kick in the Cialis…….
We feel yore pain little man…………..NOT
The Korean War is not technically over. The US and South Korea never signed a peace treaty. They only signed a cease-fire agreement. Fighting ended when a cease-fire armistice was signed by the United Nations in 1953. Technically, any member of the Armed Forces from another country serving over there is a part of the Korean War even today. This is a cauldron that’s been brewing for quite some time and this little piss ant is just as crazy as his daddy. He’s crazy enough to start something and If China & Russia decide to side with him (as they did then)…yikes.
Our son was notified a week and a half ago that he’s on “1st Rotation” to go over there. It could be any day.
Sorry, but I don’t have much of a sense of humor when it comes to North Korea.
“Under the situation where a war may break out at any moment, there is no need to keep north-south military communications which were laid between the militaries of both sides,” the North’s KCNA news agency quoted a military spokesman as saying.”
Apparently, their “any moment” is on the same timeline as Iran’s nuclear bomb program.
Duck and cover, anyone?
“Duck and Cover”…I remember those elementary school drills …
(seems they’re bringing it back, only this time for guns instead of nukes). LOL you got me to laugh 🙂
It’s not a question of if we will give them a “Come to Jesus” (tear them a new a..hole), it’s those who will be the fodder that concerns me. Will he hit the US mainland…I HIGHLY doubt It…however, the guys/gals that are over there…it could happen…and God help him because This time, we Won’t leave with our tails between our legs.
LOL I recently watched a video with some old footage showing schoolkids ducking under their desks.
THAT’S always a good place to hide from a nuclear blast.
I still can’t believe people bought that bill of goods back then.
I remember the old black & white movies, teaching the proper procedure.
Thanks for the laugh. 🙂
My pleasure 🙂