N. Korea ditches nonaggression pact with S. Korea (UPDATE)

[Adsos Letter]

Source: The Associated Press
Fri, Jan 30, 2009 (1:06 a.m.)

North Korea said Friday it is ditching a nonaggression pact and all other peace agreements with South Korea, escalating tensions between the wartime rivals in a move seen as a possible prelude to an armed provocation.

The communist nation also said it will no longer respect a disputed sea border with the South, raising the prospect for an armed clash around the Yellow Sea boundary _ the scene of deadly skirmishes between the two navies in 1999 and 2002.

South Korea said it regretted the North's latest move and warned it won't tolerate any attempt to violate the border.

Analysts said Pyongyang appears to be trying to build up justification for an armed skirmish.

"This signals that North Korea will stage a provocation" _ probably near the maritime border, said Kim Yong-hyun, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University. "The North is also trying to draw attention" from President Barack Obama, he said.

The North is using the warning of an armed maritime clash to pressure Seoul to change its hard-line stance, said Yang Moo-jin, an expert at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jan/30/n-korea-ditches-nonaggression-pact-with-s-korea/

[sakabatou]

1. Are we slowly marching closer to another Korean War?

[mduffy31]

2. Technically I thought they were still "at war"

Syngman Rhee didn't sign the Armistice Agreement, but I could be wrong

[FarCenter]

4. There was no Korean War

War was never declared by Congress. The United States participated in a United Nations "police action". Colloquially, it is the Korean Conflict.

[mduffy31]

5. As Hawkeye Pierce says

no matter what they call it, it was a war

[radfringe]

3. I think it's more of a case of wanting attention....

new President, new Congress and all - it's a way to gain attention, unfortunately we can't ignore it.

[Renew Deal]

8. I think so too.

And we are forced to defend S. Korea. Didn't we pull a lot of troops out of there during Bush?

[NeedleCast]

6. This goes beyond the normal saber rattling

North Korea has a history of this sort of action when it wants international attention. This is a little beyond their normal action though. I think it's both in response to the new, conservative president of South Korea and a demand for attention from Obama. Wouldn't be surprised to see some missile activity as well.

Hope this doesn't turn into a full on fight, because we're not prepared for it thanks to Bush.

[Renew Deal]

7. Fire up the draft

:nuke:

[Renew Deal]

9. BTW, who was it that said that Obama would be tested early?

:think: