North Korea's first nuclear test

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/10/09/korea.nuclear.test/index.html

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea claimed it conducted a successful underground nuclear test Monday, according to the country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

China, a close ally of North Korea, denounced the claimed test as "brazen" and South Korea said it would respond "sternly." The United States said a test would constitute a "provocative act."

South Korea's president said Pyongyang's claimed test "broke the trust of the international community."

President Roh Moo-hyun said it brought "a severe situation that threatens stability on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia."

South Korea would "react sternly and calmly" with "appropriate measures" in close cooperation with the international community, he told journalists after a summit with new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Abe told the same news conference his country would work "to make ways to implement action for a tough resolution."

Haha, I didn't think they could do it. I wonder how it'll develop on a diplomatic level, since now it's clear nobody's going to take military action against them. Here's to hoping their regime will evolve into something more humane somewhere down the line, and maybe even progress toward an eventual reunification.

PS: They'd better not bomb Miura though.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Do you think NK destroyed some of their SUPER BUNKER TECHNOLOGY when they were testing this nuclear device? :carcus:

Seriously though, I can understand why North Korea would seek an alternate means of achieving autonomy, but I just don't think it'll get anywhere with these nuclear hijinks. Then again, I haven't lived there, and most of my historical information on the countries comes from watching Chan-Wook Park's movies, :troll: so what do I know?

As for NK becoming more humane, I just don't see that happening under Kim Jong Il's reign. I mean, this is the guy who kidnapped a South Korean couple to head his film company... Not to mention his creepy concentration camps for political prisoners. We aren't exactly dealing with a humanitarian here.

UPDATE: USGS (US Geological Service) reported a 4.2 magnitude quake at the reported site/time of the test. 12.5kt blast
 

CnC

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Aazealh said:
Here's to hoping their regime will evolve into something more humane somewhere down the line, and maybe even progress toward an eventual reunification.

That'd be nice, but I really don't see it happening with Kimmy and his military in charge.

Aazealh said:
PS: They'd better not bomb Miura though.

That'd start WWIII. "Remember Berserk" would be on all the propoganda posters.

PS. Berserk propoganda posters would be pretty cool, actually.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Walter said:
Seriously though, I can understand why North Korea would seek an alternate means of achieving autonomy, but I just don't think it'll get anywhere with these nuclear hijinks.

Well that's definitely not going to directly help them, but they might become a little less paranoid now that they can nuke stuff. That with the decline of their regime could make them more willing to progressively open the country to modernity (which they've very timidly started).

Walter said:
As for NK becoming more humane, I just don't see that happening under Kim Jong Il's reign.

Obviously not as long as he's in charge. When I said down the line I meant in 10 to 15 years with luck.
 

CnC

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I think the ball's is in China's court on this. As NK's primary source of aid, they would be one's who could force collapse. Its just that collapse could be violent.

no?
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
CnC said:
I think the ball's is in China's court on this. As NK's primary source of aid, they would be one's who could force collapse. Its just that collapse could be violent.

I'm not sure, they've distanced themselves quite a bit over the years, opening their market to the world and all that. But they know NK's presence in the region gives them an edge over the US (which has military bases all over South Korea and Japan, and not simply to protect freedom) and the other developed Asian countries.

I imagine NK will follow a "we keep it to defend ourselves in case of aggression" kind of mentality and will try to negociate more aggressively with South Korea/China/Japan/Russia/USA. In my opinion the resolution to this crisis and to the NK problem in general will have to be diplomatic and economic, and channeled to them by South Korea. I'm sure pretty much all Koreans wish their nation was united again, but the problem is that nobody else really does. Whether it's Japan, China, Russia or even the USA, they'd all be bothered by a strong, autonomous Korean peninsula.
 

CnC

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Aazealh said:
I'm not sure, they've distanced themselves quite a bit over the years, opening their market to the world and all that. But they know NK's presence in the region gives them an edge over the US (which has military bases all over South Korea and Japan, and not simply to protect freedom) and the other developed Asian countries.

I don't think China views NK as some kind of advantage. Really I think any aid given to Kimmy by the Chinese is just meant to placate. NK's government knows this and makes noise every now and then to continue this sort of relationship, right? Which brings me to:

Aazealh said:
I imagine NK will follow a "we keep it to defend ourselves in case of aggression" kind of mentality and will try to negociate more aggressively with South Korea/China/Japan/Russia/USA. In my opinion the resolution to this crisis and to the NK problem in general will have to be diplomatic and economic, and channeled to them by South Korea. I'm sure pretty much all Koreans wish their nation was united again, but the problem is that nobody else really does. Whether it's Japan, China, Russia or even the USA, they'd all be bothered by a strong, autonomous Korean peninsula.

I agree completely.

Having Korea united would work in a nationalistic sense but economically SK (south korea, not skull knight :) ) isn't even competing with its northern counterpart. They're in completely different leagues.
I think ultimately some kind of dissolving of the North Korean government has to take place for something as grand as a reunification to occur. Which brings me back to China, as they seem to be the last major domino to truly force a settlement.
 
S

Some Guy

Guest
Having Korea united would work in a nationalistic sense but economically SK (south korea, not skull knight :) ) isn't even competing with its northern counterpart.  They're in completely different leagues.
I think ultimately some kind of dissolving of the North Korean government has to take place for something as grand as a reunification to occur.  Which brings me back to China, as they seem to be the last major domino to truly force a settlement.

Yeah, its way too soon for any sort of unification at this point. I'm guessing nothing short of a military coup or some type of revolution will change the current form of government. That or we could hope that one of Kim Jong successors bring some big changes.

I honestly don't know what to think about the current nuclear situation. I agree that Kim Jong is trying to flaunt his independence to the international community. But really, how many 3rd world nations have actually been testing nuclear weapons? Its really an interesting situation.
 

SaiyajinNoOuji

I'm still better than you
I know Japan is in an uproar (rightfully so!). Since I'm no expert on the matter, are the people scared/delusional that Kim jong Il will bring them to some glorious future where they are supreme?

This guy has some rather large dreams of grandeur going on. Also they are so backwards its rather amusing. I saw some footage of one of their cities and its almost like a ghost town. What few cars I saw looked like they may have been the thing to drive back in 60's. Crazy stuff. I know the Japanese are still upset about the abduction of a small girl named Megumi.

For those that don't know the story, here is he quick and dirty of it. Little girl gets adducted, maybe 30 years ago? Some people defect to Japan, tell the story that they knew her. Japan wants her back, N. Korea tells them that she is dead, Japan asks for her body, N Korea sends them bones and says that these are hers, Japan does some testing, the bones belong to 3 different people, Japan gets pissed even more.

Yay!
 
Yeah, I'm starting to get really worried for my relatives in Japan, especially my brother and his wife. I really don't want this escalating any more than it already has, I just hope NK will see some sense in peace (not saying that Kim Jong Il will, just the country).

P.S. You know I worry for you too, Saiyan. :judo:
 

CnC

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SaiyajinNoOuji said:
This guy has some rather large dreams of grandeur going on. Also they are so backwards its rather amusing. I saw some footage of one of their cities and its almost like a ghost town. What few cars I saw looked like they may have been the thing to drive back in 60's. Crazy stuff.

Yea thats pretty famous. Its the grand city that has nobody in it. Quite eery.
 

Uriel

This journey isn't ov--AARGH!
Some recent developments:

[quote author=BBC world news]
  • Japan is to impose tough new sanctions against North Korea in response to the North's claimed nuclear test.

    The new Japanese measures will include banning all North Korean imports and stopping its ships entering Japanese waters, a government spokesman said. Japan is also backing US-led efforts to get the UN to impose separate sanctions against the North. The moves came as the North's second most powerful leader threatened more tests if the US remained "hostile".
[/quote]

Man, Shinzo Abe picked the perfect time to work on relations with Korea :void:
 
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