Saturday, May 18, 2013

Threats from North Korea - A Week in Review (May 18, 2013)



And now, the week in review of what's what at the Korean peninsula...


May 13, 2013

- Washington's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Nimitz is taking part of a two-day joint naval exercises off South Koreas's east coast. This drill will bring climax to the joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, which recently concluded Key Resolve and Foal Eagle drills earlier this year.

- South Korean president Park Geun-hye apologized her former spokesperson Yoon Chang-jung's alleged sexual abuse of an intern during her trip to the USA.

May 14, 2013

- South Korea proposed talks with North Korean on taking out finished goods and raw and subsidiary materials from the Kaesong Complex.

- Washington's top nuclear envoy Glyn Davies said the purpose on his trup was to seek ways to get North Korea back in diplomacy

- One of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's advisors made a surprise visit to North Korea. The purpose of this visit remains unknown for now...

May 15, 2013

- A spokesperson for the North's office in charge of Kaesong complex labeled Seoul's latest proposal for talks a "crafty trick", stating that Pyongyang is cautiously examining whether to resume talks with Seoul.

May 16, 2013

- South Korea on Thursday expressed regret over North Korea's negative response for the proposal of talks.

- The chief of South Korea's main opposition party expressed hope Thursday of visiting North Korea on a mission to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and revive the Kaesong complex.

May 17, 2013

- President Park Geun-Hye called for national unity, saying the country will be able to overcome any crisis if the people come together as one, Park made the remarks in a message marking Buddha's birthday, which this year fell on Friday under the lunar calendar.

- North Korea appointed a new vice defense minister, in what appeared to be an ongoing reshuffle of the communist country's military personnel. Jon Chang-bok, who was promoted to colonel general in 2010, accompanied NoKor leader Kim Jong-un on a field guidance trip to a food processing plant as the first vice minister of People's Armed Forces.

- North Korea could be packing more military might than many expected. The Korea Institute for Defense Analyses found out that North Korea has up to 200 mobile missile launchers...after analyzing data from the US Congress report on Pyongyang's military status.

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