Korea - The War of Nerves Continues

Last UPDATE: 1st May

韩媒：朝鲜拟在西海岸大规模演习 或将发射导弹

South Korean media: North Korea planning large-scale [military] exercises on its Western sea coast.

According to the South Korean press agency, North Korean plannings comprise joint manoeuvres of the air force and artillery troops on the Yellow Sea coastline in Nampo 南浦 region which is south of Pyongyang 平壤. The extent of that military drill is expected to be rather great.

中新网4月28日电 据韩联社报道，韩国政府一位消息人士28日透露称，有迹象表明朝鲜正在西海岸南浦附近地区准备进行空中战力和炮兵战力联合演习，演习规模可能比较大。

[China News Network 中国新闻网2013年04月28日]

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The day before, April 27, Global Network among other Chinese sources quoted an earlier report from Associated Press:

美联社全面评估朝鲜炮兵战机导弹核武等家底

Headline:
Associated Press [AP] made an overall evaluation of North Korea's [military] resources like artillery, air force, guided missiles and nuclear weapons.

Artillery: The AP evaluation is quoting a South Korean source as saying that North Korea owns 13.000 pieces of artillery. Long range artillery can reach the South Korean capital Seoul which is only about 50 km away from the border. However, according to the South Korean defense minister, five days after war had been started by the North, 70% of artillery deployed by the North to the border region would be "out of function".
韩国方面说，朝鲜拥有1.3万门火炮，其远程火炮射程可覆盖韩国首都首尔（距朝韩边界只有约50公里）。…
…但韩国国防部长估计，如果朝韩开战，那么5天后朝鲜部署在边境地区的火炮中有70%就会“不起作用了”。

Naval forces: According to the South Korean defense ministry, North Korea should possess 70 submarines while South Korea is owning 10.
韩国国防部称，朝鲜拥有70艘潜艇，而韩国仅10艘。

Air force: 820 fighter jets owned by North Korea are being considered by the South as oldfashioned and outdated.
朝鲜拥有820架战斗机，…。韩国认为，朝鲜的大多数飞机都已老旧过时。

Guided missiles and nuclear weapons: According to a U.S. expert, North Korea is most probably unable to target U.S. territory but Pyongyang "could probably" apply short-range nuclear missiles.
美国专家说： … 朝鲜不太可能拥有能打开美国的核导弹，但他说，平壤“有可能”拥有短程核导弹。

Biological and chemical weapons: Pyongyang owns more than 5.000 tons of chemical weapons, the real amount being "subject to guesswork" [source: a foreign institute for strategic research]. However, North Korea has probably made real plannings for its biological and chemical weapons.
… 平壤有多达5000吨化学武器。… 国际战略研究所说，尽管这个数字“在很大程度上是猜测性的”，但朝鲜可能确实拥有生化武器计划。

Editor's Note:
The Chinese headline above is using an interesting expression (家底). What can be simply translated as "resources" has an original meaning of "family property accumulated over a long time". Such we could speak of the "military inventory of the Kim family" !

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朝鲜半岛不确定因素仍存 一盘下不完的棋

An undefined element on the Korean peninsula still exists [like] an undecided game of chess.

That semi-official article refers to the obviously unexpected U.S. - South Korean landing manoeuvre on the Eastern coast of South Korea near Pandong. It is showing the photo of a U.S. main combat tank M1A1.

[New China Network quoting the overseas edition of People's Daily, Beijing, on April 27, 2013 - 新华网/人民日报 - For further information refer as well to an earlier blogspot of mine published the day before.]

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UPDATE for 1st May, 2013.

韩媒：朝鲜早在上世纪70年代就开始为核战争做准备

South Korean media: North Korea has [already] begun nuclear war preparations in the early 1970s.

A diplomatic document from Hungary, registered on February 16, 1976, is showing that North Korea began its nuclear war preparations in the early 1970s. This is one of 125 declassified documents from Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. That center has to track down for research such diplomatic records related to North Korea that came from its former communist allies, the Soviet Union, Romania and Hungary.

Editor's Note: For a better understanding the original Chinese text has been rearranged.

一份标注日期为1976年2月16日的匈牙利外交文件显示，朝鲜早在上世纪70年代就开始为核战争做准备。…
… 在华盛顿的伍德罗•威尔逊中心披露了125份解密文件，这是其中之一。该中心一直在追踪研究苏联、罗马尼亚和匈牙利等朝鲜前共产党盟友有关朝鲜的外交档案。

[New China Network 新华网 2013年05月01日]

Further news received on 1st May are dealing with the declaration of an "economic reform" by North Korea's prime minister [Wuhan Evening News] and a recent report from a South Korean research organization saying that the North is increasing its import of chemical fertilizer for the development of agriculture [Global Network].

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朝鲜战场上中国空军靠什么拿手绝技战胜美军

On the Korean battlefield, China's air force was near to become good at defeating U.S. troops with [its] unique skill.

[New China Network 新华网 2013年04月28日]

In the frame of increasing tensions between North and South Korea, there seems to be an increasing interest among Chinese internet users in historical proceedings of the Korean War. A brandnew article, published today, April 28, by New China Network, is now dealing with one special subject of the Korean War: The so-called MIG Corridor which has been marked on the below map. That was a region where Chinese MIG-15 fighter jets got engaged with U.S. F-86 warplanes.



Editor's Note:
China's military, acting in North Korea under the label of a "Chinese volunteers' army", had to buy those MIG-15 fighters from the Soviet Union where Stalin had granted permission to Korea's communist leader Kim Il Song for an attack on the pro-Western state of South Korea. Such permission, however, should be relying on China's approval. The People's Republic of China then became North Korea's most reliable ally.

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North Korean Society News:

On a banquet for the hungry generals and which was celebrated in commemoration of the People's Army foundation on April 25, some unknown Korean flower had been detected (photo below). Press circles assume she might be the little sister of Kim Jong Un.



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A visitor to "blueprint news" coming from the Vietnamese border to China at Lao Cai:



If he could as he liked, this might be Kim Jong Un's favorite target:



From the World to Your Phone: A visitor from Lagos, Nigeria, was searching for "blue print news headline" on his rather small cellphone display.


Google search result is even indicating
the actual blogspot of "blueprint news".

Korea - Proceedings at the Japanese Sea

美韩举行大规模军演 朝鲜或择机偷袭对手

U.S.A. and South Korea staged a large-scale military drill [as]
" North Korea is probably choosing an opportunity for some
surprise attack on its opponents ".

4月26日，在韩国港口城市浦项，美国和韩国海军陆战队员参加美韩联合训练。

On April 26, U.S. and South Korean marines joined the U.S. - South Korean combined exercises at the South Korean seaport of Pohang.


South Korean seaport of Pohang 浦项 situated by the Japanese Sea.

[Source: Global Network 环球网—国际新闻 on April 27, 2013]


The North Korean seaport Dancheon has been specially marked as well in the above map because it was recently mentioned by two independent Chinese sources:

- Some Chinese blog from November 2012 is saying that China would like to use Dancheon together with further seaports on the Japanese sea which are already in use at the north-eastern coastline of North Korea. There's a special administrative area including an important seaport at 罗津 (Chin.: Luo Jin) which is north of Chongjin 清津 and near the Russian border. [=> refer to below map].



- Another brandnew article, published yesterday, April 26, by China Radio CRI, is dealing with the same seaport project. Dancheon (Chin.: Duan Chuan) 端川 is considered to become an international seaport for North Korea. With abundant mineral deposits of magnesite and zinc in its neighbourhood, that seaport's construction project was officially completed in May 2012. According to a South Korean business analyst, quoted by CRI, the construction of that port is fitting a unique scheme of North Korea's economic and nuclear development. The port should be used for the export of mineral products that seem to be the main income source of hard currency (or needed goods) for North Korea. Other reports recently mentioned the bridge passage to China at Dandong as an important export hub for North Korean mineral products.


View on Dancheon 端川 seaport.

朝鲜为吸引外资拟将端川港建设为国际贸易港口

North Korea is attracting foreign capital for the construction of Dancheon 端川 seaport that is to become a port for international trade.

[Source: China Radio International CRI 国际在线 on April 26, 2013]

North Korean Contradictions

In the middle of a severe famine that has been unveiled by, both, Chinese and South Korean sources, Pyongyang has just opened a restaurant ship. Its inauguration took place on the foundation day of N Korea's People's Army on April 25 and culminated in a speech held by the N Korean prime minister. The ship should serve 300 dining guests on two levels and is most probably targeting foreign tourists as N Korea is badly in need of hard currency.



[Source: China News Network 中国新闻网 on April 26, 2013]

News on a food shortage that is even affecting units of the People's Army can be found in recent blogspots of mine. Related subjects are: North Korean soldier shot his superior when being caught while eating stolen food. Earlier delivery of cereals on behalf of the United Nations included American wheat for U.S. army purpose. Mongolia, alarmed by the actual North Korean food shortage, is planning a delivery of cereals.

Kim Jong Un - Turning Down the Heat

李炜：美国发生爆炸 朝鲜为避嫌暂停挑衅

Li Wei: [After] explosions took place in the U.S.A., North Korea suspends provocations to avoid arousing suspicion.

另外现在朝鲜的挑衅活动虽然减弱了，突然减弱我觉得有两个原因，第一个原因就是因为前一段的波士顿的恐怖袭击，如果在那个时候，朝鲜继续要摆出一副强硬姿态的话，让人想到好像这个恐怖袭击跟朝鲜有什么关系，所以朝鲜尽量摆脱跟恐怖袭击的相互关系，事实证明确实它也没有关系，但在这个时候它就比较低调一些。

Li Wei (TV screenshot above, left portrait), an expert who had been questioned in a talk show program of Ifeng TV, considers one [main] reason for North Korea suspending its provocations for the time being. It is the most recent bombing in Boston because, at times when tough language is being spoken by North Korea, people might come to think that provocation must be related to a terrorist attack in the enemy's country. This, however, has been rejected by North Korea.

[Source: news.ifeng 凤凰网 on April 25, 2013]

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布热津斯基：朝鲜突然安静下来了 可能中国已施压

Brzeziński: North Korea unexpectedly became peaceful, probably because China already exerted pressure.

Zbigniew Brzeziński (*1928) is a former National Security Advisor to the President of the United States (1977-81) and who enjoyed much influence on global policy making.

[Source: news.ifeng 凤凰网 on April 25, 2013]

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A visitor to "blueprint news" who came from the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator on April 25. As to Mongolian food delivery to help easing the actual North Korean famine, please, refer to yesterday's blogspot of mine.

Korea - Semi-Official Chinese Statement

Important UPDATE inserted on April 24.


Above picture: Japan's maritime self-defence [i.e. coast guard].

张召忠：日本从朝鲜半岛危局获利最大 韩国倒霉

Zhang ZhaoZhong: Japan makes greatest profit from a dangerous situation on the Korean peninsula. South Korea's bad luck.

人民网北京电：朝鲜半岛的危机持续很长一段时间，此时半岛危机演化到一个关键节点，各方表态都有些微妙。 军事专家张召忠在中央电视台《防务新观察》节目中表示，日本通过炒作“朝鲜威胁论”得到很多武器装备，获利最大，而韩国 “最倒霉”。

Cable from People's Network, Beijing: The crisis of the Korean peninsula is going on for a very long time. During that time the peninsula crisis has evolved into a critical item. Every party having made clear their position, all positions being [some kind of] delicate. In a program [broadcast] by China's Central TV station and which is named "New Defence Survey", military expert Zhang ZhaoZhong declared: Japan has undertaken heating up the "debate on a North Korean threat" to exceedingly profit from huge arms equipment while South Korea is [in a position of] "extreme bad luck".

[Source: mil.sohu 搜狐军事 quoting People's Network 人民网, Beijing, on April 23, 2013]




解放军总参谋长：朝鲜有可能进行第四次核试验

The chief of the general staff of [China's] Liberation Army [PLA]:
North Korea is probably going to start [its] fourth nuclear test.

[Source: news.ifeng 凤凰网 on April 23, 2013]

As to the realization of an already announced North Korean missile test, some military experts are pointing at two possible dates: April 25, the day of foundation of the North Korean People's Army, and any day around April 30, the final day of a joint U.S. - South Korean manoeuvre which is named "baldhead vulture". [South Korean source on April 23, 2013]

军事专家们认为，朝鲜为了加大发射导弹的效果在25日的朝鲜人民军建军日或者韩美结束秃鹫训练的30日左右发射导弹。


北约就朝鲜半岛局势发声明 吁朝鲜就去核化谈判

NATO makes a statement regarding the situation of the Korean peninsula, appealing to North Korea to proceed to nuclear [disarmament] talks right away.

The article is referring to a meeting of foreign ministers from 28 NATO member states in the Belgian capital of Brussels yesterday, April 23.

[Source: China News Network 中国新闻网 on April 24, 2013]

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North Korean Famine 朝鲜的饥荒

要求蒙古粮食援助 显示朝鲜正经历饥荒

Asking Mongolia for help with cereals. Indications of a serious historic famine in North Korea.

The article is quoting a Global Post 全球邮报 report from April 22 saying that the Mongolian ambassador to North Korea, in an official call on the Mongolian president earlier this week, asked for helping North Korea with a delivery of cereals.

据《全球邮报》（Global Post）4月22日（周一）报道，朝鲜驻蒙古大使上周在拜会蒙古总统时要求蒙古对朝鲜予以粮食援助。

[Source: 阿波罗新闻网 on April 23, 2013]





朝鲜大饥荒真相：美国援助幼儿粮食被优先供应军队

The truth about North Korea's great famine: America helping children with cereals from top priority army supply.

It's about United Nations' food delivery to North Korea between 1995 and 2002, using cereals that came from the U.S., from China, South Korea and Japan.

[Source: history.ifeng 凤凰网 on April 23, 2013]

North Korean Underground Activities - UPDATE

separate update of yesterday's blogspot

韩国害怕朝鲜打“地道战” 前后发现过四条

South Korea is afraid of the North starting a "tunnel warfare". On both front and back side four [tunnels] have been discovered.



香港《亚洲周刊》4月21日（提前出版）一期报道 题：朝鲜半岛神经战 韩国严防地下坑道突袭

Hong Kong's "Asia Weekly" magazine in a beforehand edition on April 21 reported on the following subjects: War of nerves on the Korean peninsula. South Korea taking strict precautions against a surprise attack from underground tunnels.

朝韩决战，一触即发。驻中国的一位韩国外交官对《亚洲周刊》说：“其实，朝鲜从空中、地面发起的进攻，我们都有办法对付，最担心的还是地下。那些被我们称为‘南侵隧道’的地下坑道，我们前后发现过四条，但究竟有多少，几十年来谁也说不清楚。他们的军队或许已经在我们脚下，不按常理出牌的北方，一举一动，神神秘秘，这太恐怖了。”

North Korea's decisive battle may be triggered at any moment. A South Korean diplomat residing in China told "Asia Weekly" magazine: " Actually, North Korea is launching an offensive from air and earth. We have means to deal with that. Most to worry is the underground [attack]. As to the underground tunnels that we call 'Southern invasion tunnels', we have discovered four of them on, both, front and back side. But, after all, how many [exist] ? During many decades nobody could be precise about that. Their troops possibly already under our feet, [uneasiness about Northern brand appearing at any mile], easily at one stroke, mysteriously, this is utmost terrifying. "

[Source: mil.sohu 搜狐军事 quoting New China Network 新华网 on April 22, 2013]


美出动“尼米兹”号航母前往西太平洋监视朝鲜

America dispatches aircraft carrier Nimitz to proceed to the West Pacific for keeping watch on North Korea.


[Source: People's Network 人民网 quoting Global Network 环球网 on April 22, 2013. The report is mentioning a Japanese source of information.]

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A visitor to "blueprint news" coming from San Diego, the home of USS Nimitz:

North Korean Underground Activities

Line of Descendants - North Korea - Descending Line

Kim Il Sung - Kim Jong Il / Kim Jong Il - Kim Jong Un
金日成、金正日、金正恩等朝鲜的领袖

朝鲜三八线挖百米深坑道 韩国密切监控地下动静

At the 38th [degree of latitude] North Korea is digging a tunnel at 100 m depth. South Korea is carefully controlling such underground activities.


2013年1月27日在朝鲜半岛三八
线非军事分界线韩国一方拍摄。

Snapshot of the demilitarized border line at 38th [degr. of latitude] on the
Korean peninsula, taken from the South Korean side on January 27, 2013.

[Source: news.ifeng 凤凰网 on April 21, 2013]

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Here now a quotation from that U.S. article mentioned on yesterday's blogspot of mine: "There's No North Korea Crisis".

Americans like to think that all problems have solutions. But the deep levels of distrust on both sides and an anachronistic regime trapped in its own myths leave little to seriously talk about. Pyongyang should recall that the Soviet Union had thirty thousand nuclear warheads, yet that didn’t save it from collapsing from its own contradictions.

[Source: The National Interest, U.S.A., on April 12, 2013]

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However, there's a real crisis in more than one country of the Middle East and Central Asia as reminds us a visitor to "blueprint news" who recently came from the Caucasian republic of Georgia:

The Korean Crisis - A Farce ?

美刊：朝鲜半岛危机只是一场政治秀

U.S. publication: The Korean peninsular crisis is a "blooming of politics".

The Chinese source is quoting the U.S. bimonthly magazine "The National Interest" 国家利益, a prominent conservative publication dealing with political trends that U.S. congress and government are dealing with. The original title of the quoted article is "There's No North Korean Crisis". That article had been published as early as April 12 by Robert A. Manning, a former high-ranking official in some policy planning staff of the U.S. government. His article has been considered important enough to make its way into different Chinese networks.

An evaluation by "New China Network" is using the U.S. author's original expression of a political farce 闹剧 in the main text instead of blooming of politics 政治秀 in the headline.

[Source: New China Network 新华网 on April 20, 2013]


朝鲜与美韩互相试探对方底线 双方博弈会更激烈

North Korea and the U.S.-South Korean side are mutually exploring the other side's basic lines. Both sides while playing chess can get even more fierce.

朝鲜官方18日就半岛问题展开对话的前提阐述朝方原则立场，这是拒绝美韩伸出的橄榄枝后，朝鲜方面开出的谈话条件。虽然其开出的条件让美日韩不能接受，但这都在意料之中。

On [April] 18, North Korea officially [began] expounding North Korea's principle position as a prerequisite to launching a dialogue that is dealing with the peninsula subject. This came after rejecting an olive branch stretched out by the U.S. and South Korea [and offering] the North Korean side to lay open its conditions for talks. Though, the conditions [exposed] cannot be accepted by the U.S., Japan and South Korea, everything is within the frame of what is being expected.

[Source: China News Network 中国新闻网 on April 20, 2013]


在中朝边境感受朝鲜另一面

Experiencing another side of North Korea at the Chinese - North Korean border.

That article is reporting about peace at the Chinese - North Korean border near the river passage of Dandong where a new bridge between both countries is under construction.



[Source: World Network 环球网 on April 19, 2013]

Korea - U.S. War Strategy

Last UPDATE: April 18

美军加快战略转移 朝鲜半岛成美先进武器展示场

U.S. Army speeding up a change of war strategy. - The Korean peninsula becoming a place for showing off advanced U.S. weaponry.

总之，美军这次明目张胆地把系列先进武器部署到韩国周边，既是想重新检验其在处理朝鲜半岛发生“意外”时的应对能力，也是向盟国展示美国的军事力量和美国永远是他们坚强、可靠的盟友，强化美国在亚太地区的影响力，其最终目的是实现美国的亚太战略意图。

In short: Currently, U.S. troops are brazenly deploying a whole set of advanced weapons at the periphery of South Korea. Now that [America] is considering once again to test its response capacity while dealing with the Korean peninsula at the time of an "accident" [or: something unforeseen], it's as well about showing off U.S. military strength to [their] allies and [about showing] that America is their strong and reliable friend forever. Such strengthening U.S. influence in the Asia - Pacific region, America's ultimate aim is to realize its strategic intentions for [that region].

[Source: China Radio International CRI online 国际在线 on April 16, 2013]


韩购36架阿帕奇直升机“应对朝鲜”

South Korea buys 36 Apache helicopters for "responding to North Korea".

韩国政府将投入1.8万亿韩元(约合人民币99.46亿元)的预算，在2016-2018年期间购买36架“AH-64E”阿帕奇直升机。

The South Korean government provides a budget of 1.800 billion South Korean Won (which is about 9,946 billion Chinese Yuan / Renminbi = 1,6 billion U.S.$) for the purchase of 36 Apache helicopters AH-64E between 2016 and 2018.

Apache helicopters are as well used by U.S. combat units. They are manufactured by Boeing, U.S.A..
[Source: New China Network 新华网 on April 18, 2013]


一棵白杨树险引发“第二次朝鲜战争”

One white poplar is in danger to initiate the "Second Korean War".

近来，朝鲜半岛火药味越来越浓，“第二次朝鲜战争”似乎一触即发。回顾历史，近半个世纪以来，曾经有过三次面临“第二次朝鲜战争”的危急时刻。

Recently, the smell of gunpowder is growing stronger and stronger on the Korean peninsula. A "Second Korean War", it seems, is on the verge of breaking out. Looking back in history for nearly half a century, [we remember having experienced] three dangerous moments of facing a "Second Korean War".

The term "white poplar" is most probably referring to Kim Jong Un as becomes clear in the following text. What follows are three further chapters dealing with historic proceedings, each of them introduced by a headline:


酒疯子总统喜怒无常

韩“逞英雄”师长蓄意挑起

白杨树被挖局势失控

A president mad from alcohol and with changing moods
[literally: happyness and rage are changing].

The South Korean schoolmaster "posing as a hero"
and deliberately provoking.

Digging out the white poplar [will
turn] the situation out of control.

[Source: People's Network 人民网, comment published on April 17, 2013]


News Update:

韩国否认秘密接触朝鲜

South Korea denies secret contacts with the North.

This has been confirmed today, April 17, by a senior official
from the South Korean ministry of reunification.
[Source: New China Network 新华网 on April 17, 2013]

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Reminding the Korean War

爱新觉罗·溥仪 — 我的前半生

Here is an excerpt from the autobiography of Pu Yi, last emperor of China and emperor of Manchuguo, the Japanese puppet state during World War II. In the early 1950s Pu Yi was imprisoned as a war criminal in the South-Manchurian detention camp of Fushun where he learnt about the Korean War that took place almost in his neighbourhood. I provided some of his memories from that time in the English translation:

一直到我相信了中朝人民军队确实连获胜利之前，我总认为自己不死于中国人之手， 就得死在美国飞机的轰炸中。总之，我那时只想到中国必败、我必死，除此以外，别无其他结果。

" All the time before I came to believe, the Chinese - Korean people's army could really achieve a joint victory, my main concern was that I wouldn't die from the hands of Chinamen but rather during an air raid of the Americans. To put it in short: At that time, I only thought of China having to lose that war and me having to die. Moreover, I couldn't imagine any other result. "

…中朝人民军队把美国军队赶到三八线附近，我们还抱有很大的怀疑。…

" The Chinese - Korean people's army driving the U.S. away from the 38th degree of latitude was something on what we habored much doubt as well. "

As the year passed, Pu Yi experienced one night when he awoke due to some noise and heard many persons running at the outside:

我认为这必是美国军队逼近了哈尔滨，共产党终于对我们下手了，不由地浑身战要起来。

" I considered this could only mean that U.S. troops were pressing towards Harbin, [and I expected] the Communist Party to finally put their hands on us when total war was inevitably coming closer. "

The author Pu Yi was still undergoing re-education at that time and was not yet the personality that later became some kind of a "model citizen" and reputable member of China's Political Consultative Conference where he was engaged in historic research. In those later years he even enjoyed the personal protection of China's former prime minister and chief diplomat Zhou Enlai.



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A recent visitor to "blueprint news" interested in subatomic particle physics:

North Korea - Keeping the People under Control

Last UPDATE from April 15 further down !

前朝鲜女特工：金正恩以战争控制人民

A former North Korean female secret agent:
Kim Jong Un uses war to control the people.

12号，前朝鲜特工金贤姬说，朝鲜叫嚣发动热核战争并不是胡乱作为。朝鲜领导人金正恩正在利用其核计划来控制朝鲜人民，且迫使韩国和美国让步。

On [April] 12, former North Korean secret agent Kim [...] said that North Korea's clamour of launching a hot nuclear war is not at all casually made. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is using his nuclear plannings to control the people of North Korea and, for the time being, to force South Korea and the U.S.A. to make concessions.


前朝鲜女特工金贤姬1987年接受金正日的命令，用炸弹袭击韩国航班造成115人死亡。

In 1987, former North Korean secret agent Kim [...] learnt of Kim Jong Il's order to use bombs when making a surprise attack on a regular South Korean [passenger] flight which caused the death of 115.

[Source: New Tang Dynasty TV 新唐人电视台 on April 13, 2013]

Editor's Note:
New Tang Dynasty TV is a Falun Gong near Chinese broadcaster based in New York and providing uncensored news via satellite to mainland China and Chinese communities abroad.
Korean Air flight 858 was a scheduled international passenger flight between Baghdad, Iraq, and Seoul, South Korea. On 29 November 1987, the aircraft flying that route exploded in mid-air upon the detonation of a bomb planted inside an overhead storage bin in the airplane's passenger cabin by North Korean agents.
It must be added that Kim Jong Il always feared boarding a plane. That's why he travelled in his special train even on rare occasions of foreign state visits to Russia and China. It was in August 2011 that he met with Russia's president Medvedyev in Ulan Ude, the capital of Buryatia and which is a remote region of Russia dominated by its Mongolian minority. Kim Jong Il's trip to Ulan Ude required four days for both directions where he travelled some 7.800 km altogether.



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韩国在首都附近布导弹应对朝鲜

South Korea deploying guided missiles in the neighbourhood of its capital to react on North Korea.



[Source: news.sohu 搜狐新闻 on April 13, 2013]


Update on April 15:

中新网4月15日电 今日是朝鲜已故领导人金日成诞辰101周年纪念日，朝鲜也把这一天定为“太阳节”，连日来举行了各种活动迎接节日到来。但与此同时，有关朝鲜会否发射导弹的猜测仍在继续，朝鲜也以“没有诚意”回应了韩国的对话建议。舆论认为，半岛局势迎来关键敏感节点，依旧扑朔迷离。

Telegram by China News Network on April 15: Today is anniversary day of deceased North Korean leader Kim Il Sung's 101st birthday. North Korea also fixed that day for the "Sun Festival". For the last few days, all kinds of activities have been [staged] to welcome the day of festival to come. At the same time, however, guessing still continues whether North Korea can launch a guided missile or not. Furthermore, North Korea replied to South Korea's proposal of dialogue as being "not sincere". According to public opinion the peninsula's situation is facing the crux of a sensitive and vital juncture [or: a sensitive point of the festival], thus leaving [the situation] as complicated and confusing as before.

[Source: China News Network 中国新闻网 on April 15, 2013]

North Korea - The Chinese Joker

Latest News of the Day
=> added further down:

Today it's about China's key role in the North Korean conflict. The following BBC report is underlining the necessity for the U.S. to come to terms with China on that issue while a semi-official statement from China is showing how difficult further development of the conflict might become for North Korea's long-standing ally China.

U.S. Foreign Secretary Mr Kerry is travelling to Seoul on his first trip to Asia since becoming secretary of state.

A senior administration official told reporters on board his plane: "It is no secret that China has most leverage, most influence, with North Korea and I think fundamentally we would want them to use some of that leverage because otherwise it is very destabilising and it threatens the whole region."

The official added that, although Washington was not privy to conversations between China and North Korea, "we would want China to bring a sense of urgency, the need to stop this escalation, into that debate".

"China has a huge stake in stability and the continued North Korean pursuit of a nuclear armed missile capability is the enemy of stability. That gives us and the Chinese a very powerful objective in common, namely denuclearisation," the official said.

U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Pyongyang to end its "belligerent approach... and to try to lower temperatures".

But he warned that while he preferred to see tensions resolved through diplomatic means, "the United States will take all necessary steps to protect its people".

[Source: BBC News, London, on April 12, 2013]

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外媒炒作解放军中朝边境大规模调动 国防部否认

Foreign media are boiling up that [China's] People's Liberation Army is moving troops on a large scale at the border between China and North Korea. - The ministry of defense is denying that.

…“大批解放军紧急开赴丹东的中朝边境”、“大量坦克向中朝边境集结”等说法 …

... Formulations are being used like: "Large units of the People's Liberation Army are urgently marching to the Chinese - North Korean border at Dandong." or "A large number of tanks is concentrating at the Chinese - North Korean border" ...

国防部新闻事务局回复称，有关报道不符合事实。中方高度关注当前朝鲜半岛形势的发展变化，一贯致力于维护东北亚地区的和平与稳定。

The news office of [China's] defense ministry replied that related news reports don't conform to the facts. The Chinese side is following with utmost interest the current developments and changes of situation on the Korean peninsula, and is persistently working to safeguard peace and stability in the North-East Asian region.

The article is naming a Japanese source for reports on Chinese troop concentrations near the border passage of Dandong.

[Source: People's Network - Global Times 人民网-环球时报, Beijing, on April 12, 2013]

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Latest News on April 12:

朝鲜媒体撰文称“战争火花或最先溅到日本”

North Korean media write: "Sparks of war will probably splash down on Japan."

An expression found in North Korean publications can be translated as "golden thunder [and] a spatter of rain 黄金雷阵雨". According to a South Korean source this is an old adage referring to the Korean War in the 1950s when Japan offered military bases for airborne combat to the allied countries. As Japan is voicing its condemnation of North Korean rethorics and is taking sides in favor of the U.S. and South Korea, North Korea might feel annoyed with the possibility that Japan could once again provide military bases for their arch-enemies in a military conflict. This, however, could be regarded as a realistic estimation because U.S. F-22 warplanes are already stationed on Japanese territory.

[Source: China News Network 中国新闻网 on April 12, 2013]

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On April 12, 2013, more than 90 visitors have been registered up to now. However, only a few of them could be localized:


Above: A Canadian visitor is using an internet access point in the U.S.
because Niagara Falls is a community divided between both countries.

North Korea - Talking to Shadows

美国敦促朝鲜避免采取进一步挑衅行动

U.S. urging North Korea to refrain from taking further provocative action.

The message was delivered by U.S. State Department's deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell in a daily press briefing on North Korea on April 10.

[Source: New China Network 新华网 on April 10, 2013]


In the middle ten days of March 2013, there should have been a secret meeting in New York between North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Nations (above picture => extreme left) and U.S. diplomats. Two earlier contacts in 2012 have been reported as well.

美曝光美朝已举行秘密会谈 经“纽约通道”完成

The U.S. exposed that secret talks have already been held between the U.S.A. and North Korea when the "New York channel" was open.

一位美国前高级官员说：“他们害怕他们影子，就像‘因为他们很坏，没人会知道我们实际上在和这些人在交往。”

A former high-ranking U.S. official said: "They are afraid of their own shadow. It seems that because they are very bad, nobody can know whether we are actually in contact with these people [or not]."

[Source: mil.sohu 搜狐军事 on April 11, 2013]

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韩国表示朝鲜黑客失手留下朝鲜内部IP地址

South Korea indicates that North Korean hackers accidentally dropped and left an internal IP address related to North Korea.

…韩国民官军联合应对小组在对3月20日网络攻击事件进行调查后发现了黑客使用的IP地址来自朝鲜…

... South Korea's national group for a joint reply of military and government, when carrying out an investigation on the March 20 incident of an internet attack, discovered an IP address used by the hackers and which originates from North Korea. ...

This is regarded as a proof that North Korea is behind the cyber attack. Between 2009 and 2011 two further cyber attacks were detected as DDoS or "Distributed Denial of Service" attacks. These and later attacks in 2011 and 2012, targeting the "Association of Peasants" and the internal computer network of the "Central Daily" publisher, are now considered by the South Korean government as being planned by North Korea.

[Source: China Radio International CRI online 外际在线 on April 11, 2013]

North Korea - Comments and Insights

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Latest News Update on April 7 / 9 / 10

朝鲜因战争威胁建议外国人考虑撤离韩国

Because of [imminent] danger of war, the North is suggesting foreigners to consider leaving South Korea.

[Source: news.guhantai 古汉台, PR China, on April 10, 2013]

韩媒称朝鲜舞水端中程导弹发射准备完毕

South Korean media say that launching preparations for North Korea's medium-range missile "Dancing to the End of Water" have been completed.

The missile's range should be 3.000-4.000 km. In case its interception might be needed, South Korea can rely on two 7.600 ton warships already deployed to the Yellow Sea and the Japanese Sea.

[Source: China Radio International CRI online 国际在线 on April 9, 2013]

Footnote:
The Gaesong industrial zone which is being operated by North and South Korea has now been cleared from North Korean personnell after South Korean staff was shut out some days earlier.

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习近平说，“没有一个国家应该被允许出于私利把地区和全世界搅得一团糟。”虽然没有直接点名朝鲜或提及核威胁。

Xi Jin Ping said: " There is no country that should be allowed to proceed from private interest stirring up a mess in [its] region or the whole world." However, there is no direct mentioning of North Korea or reference to nuclear threat.

[Source: Epochtimes 大纪元, an anti-Communist newspaper, on April 9, 2013]

While participating at an ASIA summit, China's new leader Xi Jin Ping indirectly admonished North Korea without mentioning the country's name. Another report from China is quoting the Australian prime minister having raised the North Korean question in direct talks with Xi Jin Ping (below picture published by 凤凰网 on April 7).



Footnote:
The bridge across the border river at Dandong is a lifeline for Pyongyang and has made it the biggest trade hub between China and North Korea.


中朝界线河桥在丹东

With crippling sanctions imposed on its banking system and little hard currency, North Korea sends trucks carrying output from its mines as barter for badly needed Chinese goods in exchange, thus keeping the bridge busy with traffic.

In February, after Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test, China took an unprecedented step and temporarily halted delivery of oil to North Korea, such showing its growing impatience with North Korea's belligerence.

[Source: CBC News on April 10, 2013]

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韩媒：朝鲜希望奥巴马主动联系最高领袖金正恩

South Korean media: North Korea hoping for an Obama initiative to get in touch with supreme leader Kim Jong Un.

According to a South Korean TV station (YTN), North Korea is hoping that both countries' leaders could reach an agreement in a personal dialogue.

俄塔社还报道称，朝鲜目前拥有8枚核弹头，不过，由于这些核弹头尚未达到小型化，暂不能搭载到弹道导弹上。

A Russian source (Itar-Tass) reported that North Korea has at present eight nuclear warheads in their possession. However, because of having not yet reached miniaturization of these nuclear warheads, it is for the time being unable to load [them] into ballistic missiles.

[Source: CRI online 国际在线 from China on April 7, 2013]

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战争阴云继续笼罩朝鲜半岛

Dark clouds of war continue to shroud the Korean peninsula.

[Source: Deutsche Welle DW, Germany's international broadcaster, Chinese service, on April 6, 2013]

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朝鲜边境警备队发生枪支事故，中队长等5名死亡

消息人士：“饥饿难耐偷吃面条被打而开枪…因为粮食严重不足”

A North Korean border garrison unit [experienced] a firearms "accident" that left five dead including a captain.

Press reporter: Hitting and shooting for secretly eating noodles when hunger is difficult to bear ... because food is seriously insufficient.

This news report is referring to an incident that should have happened at the Chinese - North Korean border on March 25 when one North Korean soldier shot five other soldiers including a captain and fled to China. He was arrested in the border district and sent back to his country.

According to the soldier they were having noodles for supper that day. As he was still hungry after supper, he remained in the dining hall for secretly eating some more noodles when he was discovered. After having received violent blows from his military commander and his captain, he began shooting in an outbreak of hatred. After that he ran away.

[Source: Daily NK from Seoul, South Korea, on April 4, 2013]

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One could imagine that long-standing Chinese - North Korean relations might be the key to solving the North Korean problem. This is why I propose reading another blogspot of mine, dating back to September 2011 and which is offering an idea of China's sometimes difficult approach to its North Korean ally. It's about an unusual case of espionage.

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A visitor to "blueprint news" searching for
"China's secret alliance with North Korea":



Here are some "Internet Pirates of the Caribbean":



When a visitor to "blueprint news" and who came from the tiny island of Montserrat was searching for "North Korea Fidel Castro" one might have asked what the retired Cuban leader and North Korea have in common. Indeed very much ! The visitor was probably searching for an archive file of "blueprint news" containing two blogspots of mine: One related to North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un and another related to Fidel Castro who in 2010 engaged in activities directed against nuclear war. It's all about Castro's "Memories of Comrade Fidel".

Another visitor from Port-au prince, the capital of Haiti, is providing a view on destruction and misery after the 2010 earthquake equalling the cruel results of a war. However, a nuclear war might be even very much worse.


Above pictures: French embassy, tents for earthquake victims, the presidential palace in Port-au prince.

North Korea - Acting on Danger of Chemical Warfare

Important UPDATE inserted further down on April 5

朝鲜谴责美国化学部队再次派驻韩国

North Korea rebukes repeated deployment of a U.S. chemical warfare unit to South Korea.

The following quotation has been chosen from a bulletin launched by the secretary's office of a "United Committee for Peace of the North Korean Homeland". It was published yesterday, April 3, by People's Network 人民网, Beijing.

This came on the same day that Pyongyang decided to exclude South Korean working staff from the joint industrial zone of Gaesong. That decision is expected to cut off an important source of hard currency for North Korea. [Source: European and Chinese media on March 3/4, 2013]

中新网4月4日电 综合报道：朝鲜禁止韩方人员进入开城园区 半岛局势步步趋紧



公报说，驻扎在美国华盛顿州西雅图的美国陆军第23化学大队再次派驻韩国，该部队曾驻扎在韩国庆尚北道的美军基地一直到2004年，后撤回美国本土，曾参加过朝鲜战争等。美国再次向韩国派驻化学部队，是针对朝鲜的又一不可容忍的挑衅行为，表明了要给朝鲜民族带来核惨祸和生化战争灾难的犯罪企图。朝鲜军民绝不会对美韩的生化战活动袖手旁观，正如已经宣布的那样，不管美国是用核还是生化武器进攻，都将在初战就被粉碎。

The bulletin is saying that U.S. Army's 23rd chemical [warfare] battalion, stationed in Seattle / Washington, is being deployed to South Korea once again. This unit [was] stationed on a U.S. military base in South Korea's Northern Gyeongsang Province until 2004, later returned to U.S. homeland [likely] to take part in [future] warfare against North Korea.

When the U.S. are once again deploying that chemical [warfare] unit to South Korea, this is a provocative behaviour directed against North Korea which cannot be tolerated again. It is clearly showing the criminal attempt of claiming to inflict horrible nuclear disaster and crude chemical warfare sufferings on the North Korean nation.

North Korea's army and people can by no means look unconcerned on U.S. and South Korean crude chemical warfare manoeuvres, as has already been stated. No matter if America is using nuclear or crude chemical weapons in an offensive, [everything] used in the very first battle will be smashed.

[Source: news.ifeng 凤凰网 quoting People's Network on March 3, 2013]

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Editor's Note:

There is some ambiguity in the Chinese language regarding the expression 大队 which can be translated as either "regiment" or "battalion". As to the above mentioned U.S. Army unit serving in Korea there are two related links: The "23rd Infantry Regiment" and the "23rd Chemical Battalion". While the North Korean source is obviously referring to the 23rd Chemical Battalion, the 23rd Regiment as well served in Korea as a superior army unit, it seems. However, the 23rd Chemical Battalion should have its homeland garrison at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The facility is an amalgamation of the United States Army's Fort Lewis and the United States Air Force's McChord Air Force Base which merged on 1 February 2010 into a joint base located in the federal state of Washington near Tacoma, Olympia and Seattle.


The modern 23rd Infantry Regiment was formed during the American Civil War; the regiment saw action in American wars up to the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. It included a battalion of volunteers made up of active and reserve French military personnel who had been sent to the Korean Peninsula as part of the United Nations force fighting in the Korean War. [Source: Wikipedia]

The Eighth Army announced on 17 December 2004, that the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 23rd Chemical Battalion and 2 chemical companies had completed their relocation from Korea to Fort Lewis, Washington, as the final phase of the chemical decontamination mission transfer to the Republic of Korea Army. According to the statement, the transfer of the chemical decontamination mission from the US military to the Republic of Korea military had been completed in August 2004 with the US military to eventually transfer 10 missions to the Republic of Korea military as part of the Strategic Policy Initiative (SPI) mutually agreed to by both nations. Placed under the administrative control of the 555th Engineer Brigade while in garrison, the unit was subsequently assigned to the 20th Support Command (CBRNE).

On 24 January 2007, the 23rd Chemical Battalion deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 06-08 in support of Combined Joint Task Force-82, led by the 82nd Airborne Division. The Battalion was charged with executing non-standard operations of provided Base Operations Support to 5 Forward Operating Bases throughout Regional Command East, Capital and South, as well as augmented Task Force Cincinnatus Staff Sections. .......... The Battalion redeployed from Afghanistan on 25 January 2008.

On 4 October 2012, the Department of the Army announced the relocation of the 61st Chemical Company, the 62nd Chemical Company, and Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 23rd Chemical Battalion, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington to the Republic of Korea. There the Chemical Companies would provide Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical reconnaissance, equipment decontamination and consequence management assistance to support military forces. This action was in support of Headquarters, Department of the Army initiatives involving US forces conducting a sustainable pace of presence operations abroad, including rotational deployments and bilateral and multilateral training exercises. These activities would reinforce deterrence, help to build the capacity and competence of US, allied, and partner forces for internal and external defense, strengthen alliance cohesion, and increase US influence. This force structure change represented an increase of 290 military and zero civilian authorizations within the Republic of Korea and a corresponding decrease in authorizations at Joint Base Lewis McCord. The Army expected to complete the stationing action by 16 January 2013.

On 6 December 2012, the 23rd Chemical Battalion cased its colors at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington in preparation for its move to Camp Stanley, Republic of Korea. By that time, the battalion's relocation was to bring approximately 300 soldiers to Camp Stanley and was scheduled to be completed by March 2013. Once there, the Battalion's 61st Chemical Company, 62nd Chemical Company, 501st Chemical Company, would provide Nuclear Biological and Chemical reconnaissance, decontamination, and consequence management assistance to support US and ROK military forces. The relocation of the Battalion back to the Republic of Korea was part of a US Army's initiative to reinforce America's commitment to the US-ROK alliance. [Source: Globalsecurity]

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外媒：朝鲜官方网站遭黑客攻击

Foreign media: North Korean official website suffered from a hacker attack.

On April 5, 2013, New China Network 新华网 is quoting a report from Agence France Press AFP published the day before. According to that source, some anonymous hacker (group) should have invaded an official North Korean site and related Twitter and Flickr accounts in order to replace pictures of Kim Jong Un with caricatures. The anonymous pretends to have almost full access to the North Korean intranet.


The picture inserted in the above article from China is showing the White House in Washington as a possible target of a North Korean missile attack.

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俄使馆新闻官：朝鲜建议俄驻朝大使馆撤离平壤

News [office] of the Russian embassy: North Korea suggested the Russian embassy in North Korea should quietly leave the area.

[Source: New China Network 新华网 on April 5, 2013]

According to a spokesman of the Russian embassy in Pyongyang, the North Korean ministry of foreign affairs proposed the Russian embassy staff to leave the country. Same goes with the embassies of Britain and Germany. All embassies were requested today, April 5, to leave until Wednesday for not specified security reasons. Germany's minister of foreign affairs already summoned the North Korean ambassador to transmit an official statement on behalf of the German government.

[Source: Tagesschau 24, German news TV, on late April 5, 2013]

英国暂无撤出驻朝鲜使馆人员的计划

For the time being, Britain is not planning to withdraw its embassy staff stationed in North Korea.

[Source: CRI online 国际在线 on April 6, 2013]


Meanwhile two rockets considered as medium-range missiles have been unloaded at a launching pad on the east coast of North Korea near Wonsan. Such missiles could target the U.S. base on Guam or Japan. Two South Korean destroyers equipped with missile interception technique have been deployed to the Yellow Sea and the Japanese Sea.


[Source: NHK Japanese TV on late April 5, 2013]

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Visitor to "blueprint news" coming from the Caribbean and interested in North Korean missiles:

North Korea - Declaration of War - Part II

朝鲜宣布将重启核反应堆 通过法律巩固核国家地位

North Korea declared to restart a nuclear reactor and adopt
a law intended to consolidate its position as a nuclear power.


[Source: China News Network on April 2, 2013]

The reactor facility of Yong Byong shown on a satellite image dating back to 2003 has been partly disabled in 2008 when a cooling tower was blown up in order to show "good will" in the frame of an international community opposing North Korea's nuclear ambitions. That facility should be able to provide plutonium which is important for the development of advanced nuclear weapons. Now it will be reopened.

Here is what Hong Lei, spokesman for China's ministry of foreign affairs, said in today's [April 2] regular press conference:

我们注意到了朝方有关表态，对此感到遗憾。实现半岛无核化、维护半岛及东北亚和平稳定是中方的一贯主张。当前半岛形势敏感复杂，我们呼吁有关各方冷静克制，尽快重回对话协商轨道，共同寻找妥善解决问题的办法。

We have paid attention to [what is] concerning North Korea's expression of its standpoint and feel regret for it. Realizing nuclear renunciation on the peninsula, safeguarding the peninsula and stabilizing peace in North East Asia is a precious position for China.

The peninsula's actual situation being sensitive and complex, we call on all parties concerned to [remain] calm, exercise restraint and return to the track of [consultative talks] again as soon as possible in order to search together for appropriate means to solve [that] problem.

[Source: china.com on April 2, 2013]

Please Note:
Recent events have been reported in a foregoing blogspot by means of subsequent updates since Saturday March 30 when the North declared the existence of a "state of war" between North and South Korea. For a better understanding of the proceedings that blogspot needs to be read as well. It includes further links to other blogspots of mine dealing with North Korea.

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Visitor to "blueprint news" coming from a global military network, provided by the U.S. Department of Defense and related to U.S. forces in Europe. However, the visitor could even be located in South Korea.