N Korea - Advanced ICBM Launched

Last update added on December 2.

This morning at about 3:00 local time, North Korea launched its most advanced Hwasong-15 ICBM which allegedly should be able to strike the "whole" of U.S. mainland. Its features are as follows:

- The Hwasong-15 is a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile and an upgrade of Hwasong-14.

- It was fired at 2:48 a.m. local time [2:18 Beijing Time] from a mobile launcher in Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province. [Reported times of launch differ according to different time bases.]

- The missile reached a height of 4,475 kilometers (2,800 miles), higher than ever before, and splashed down off the Japanese coast, within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone.

- The missile was fired on a lofted trajectory, where the missile flies very high to cover a relatively short horizontal distance. David Wright, an expert with the Union of Concerned scientists said that if it had been fired on a standard trajectory, the ICBM would have been capable of traveling 13,000 kilometers, or 8,100 miles.

- In comparison with earlier tested missiles, the Hwasong-15 can hold more fuel and payload, and its flight should be more stable due to a more sophisticated propulsion system using two instead of one engines in combination with additional steering engines.



- South Korea immediately responded with a "precision missile strike drill," matching the same flight distance. In a joint operation lasting 20 minutes after N Korea's ICBM launch, one "Dark Warrior - 2" type of ballistic missile, one "Sea Star - 2" ship-to-ground missile and one "SPICE - 2000" missile were fired by allied units.

[Editor's Note: What the Chinese article is calling "Dark Warrior 玄武" and which reminds a legendary tortoise general in Chinese lore, is identical with South Korea's "Hyunmoo - 2" short-range ballistic missile SRBM that makes part of the allied "kill chain" in missile defence.]



Mobile launchers for South Korea's Yunmoo-2c [环球时报]



[News quoted from CNN and XinHua 新华 as well as from other sources]




朝鲜若核攻击死伤会有多少？ 请看这张地图

How many would die or get wounded in a N Korean nuclear attack ? - Look at the map !

After a N Korean 150 kt nuke attack on New York, more than
one million people would die or get wounded within 24 hours.

[Epoch Times 大纪元 on 1st December 2017]


朝鲜不怕经济制裁 反而可能狗急跳墙

N Korea not fearing sanctions; a cornered beast,
however, will possibly do something desperate.

[Voice of America - Chinese on December 2, 2017]

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China Cutting Ties with N Korea ?

Opinion: US-North Korea conflict a '50-50 prospect' One of Australia's leading strategic analysts has warned there is a real prospect of 'serious conflict' between the United States and North Korea next year. The head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Peter Jennings, said he's pessimistic about the next six months. 'As we move to the mid part of 2018 the North is going to be that much closer to perfecting the one or two areas of technology it needs to perfect in order to have a reliable and credible nucelar weapon able to attack the United States,' he said. Mr Jennings believes the United States may have to take action before this point, saying diplomatic efforts won't prevent North Korea from improving its technology. [Skynews, Australia, on November 28, 2017] Such information fits with evaluations made by other sources, saying that military preparation for war would take about six months from now.

Important Updates added on November 26.

Is China cutting off traffic to North Korea for further sanctioning and isolating the regime of Kim Jong-un as U.S. president Trump demanded during his recent visit to Beijing, or is China rather decided to avoid getting directly involved in a major military conflict between North Korea and the alliance of America, Japan and South Korea ?



China is temporarily closing its main road connection with North Korea, an official said on Friday.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, or China-North Korea Friendship Bridge, across the Yalu River at the Chinese city of Dandong will be closed while North Korea repairs the approach road on its side.

Geng said that “after the maintenance, the bridge will reopen for passage,” but gave no date for the reopening or other details.

The bridge closure comes after state-owned airline Air China suspended flights Tuesday between Beijing and North Korea due to a lack of demand, deepening the North's isolation amid mounting UN sanctions.

Beijing is North Korea's only significant ally but has grown increasingly frustrated over its nuclear and missile tests that have brought a threat of war and chaos to China's north eastern border.

In what was seen as a bid to improve relations, the head of the ruling Communist Party's International Department travelled to Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, last week.

Few details have been released about his itinerary, including whether he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The trip followed a visit to Beijing earlier this month by US President Donald Trump, who renewed calls for China to step up pressure on North Korea to end its missile and nuclear programmes.

[The Independent, UK, on November 25, 2017]


中国海关11月24日消息，中国和朝鲜之间的贸易往来逐渐减少，10月出现大幅下降。当月中国首次没有从朝鲜进口铁矿石、铅及煤炭。此举是中国执行联合国对朝鲜的制裁决议。

On November 24 China Customs reported that trade contacts between China and North Korea have gradually been reduced and dropped in size since October. That month, for the first time, neither iron ore nor lead or coal was imported by China. By that move China has implemented the United Nations' resolution on sanctioning North Korea.

中国石油天然气集团已经从6月停止向朝鲜出售汽油和柴油。

In June China's [market organizations] for crude oil and natural gas stopped selling petrol and diesel oil to North Korea.

[DW 多维新闻网 on November 26, 2017]




[South China Morning Post on November 24, 2017]




制裁能否迫使朝鲜弃核？（环球热点）

Will or will not sanctions force North Korea
to abandon [its] nukes ? (Global Hotspot)

The above photo from April 15, 2017, is showing continued military drills
of joint U.S. and South Korean troops at the border to North Korea.

[People's Daily, Beijing, on November 25, 2017]


以习近平特使身分访问朝鲜的中共中联部部长宋涛，20号返回中国，不过截至20号傍晚，中朝双方都没有通报宋涛是否与金正恩会面的消息，而美国也随即将朝鲜重新列入支持恐怖主义的国家名单。这些现象释放了什么信号呢？

Song Tao, director of the international liaison department of China's Communist Party, visited North Korea as Xi Jin Ping's special envoy. He returned to China on November 20 [in the evening]. Neither the Chinese nor the North Korean side spread information on whether Song Tao had met with Kim Jong-un or not. However the U.S. immediately listed N Korea another time on the blacklist of terrorist states. What kind of signal such proceedings are likely to release ?

[NTD-TV 新唐人 on November 21, 2017]

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North Korean Cyber Crime Mining Foreign Assets

Cyber-crime is now a billion-dollar industry for North Korea. Cracking down on this criminal enterprise presents a strategic opportunity to apply further pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime.

Hard currency generated from cyber-crime is undermining global efforts to impose economic pressure on Pyongyang. As sanctions are imposed against its formal economy, North Korea has increased the scale of its illegal businesses. The massive criminal operation may be equivalent in size to the annual budget of the North Korean nuclear weapons program.

To generate such tremendous returns, North Korean hackers steal bitcoin, hold data ransom, and rob foreign banks, including the brazen heist of a sovereign nation’s central bank that netted $81 million. Evidence suggests the spree of bank robberies continues across Australia’s region, with attacks against banks in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The UK government has now also attributed the global WannaCry ransomware attacks that in May crippled thousands of computers to North Korea.

North Korea's leadership views its cyber-capabilities as a unique advantage that it can deploy without fear of retribution. North Korea is one of the least ‘connected’ countries in the world, while its adversaries (countries such as Japan, South Korea, and the US) are internet dependent. And that dependence makes for vulnerability to cyber-attacks.

In the event of a conflict, North Korea likely believes it could remotely attack and degrade the financial systems, telecommunications infrastructure, energy utilities, and media networks of the US and its allies. Pyongyang has previously demonstrated this capability against South Korea, while WannaCry came perilously close to threatening human lives in hospitals around the globe.

.....

China is, of course, key to any success with North Korea. To encourage China's leadership to take action, any legal case must present evidence of North Korean activity taking place on Chinese soil. The Chinese may find it difficult to support such criminality, especially when it threatens the stability of the global financial sector or undermines Chinese commitment to global law and order. China may be willing to bring charges of its own or deport those responsible for the attacks.

[The Interpreter, published by the Australian Lowy Institute on November 26, 2017]


朝鲜 Lazarus 团伙黑客工具分析

Analyzing the hacking tools of N Korea's "Lazarus" group mates.

Source link included to 电锋网, Chinese special interest website on November 16, 2017

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Singapore visitor to "blueprint news" reminding an official missile alert
transmitted by Japan's NHK TV while some North Korean rocket was
just passing above Japan's northern region of Hokkaido.



Visitor from Washington DC interested in president Trump's diplomacy of name calling.

Lebanon - Saudi Coup d'État ?

As confrontation grows between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the unexpected retreat of Lebanon's prime minister Hariri while being in Riadh for talks with the Saudi Crown Prince has triggered off rumours of a militant Saudi move to replace Hariri with his hard-line brother Bahaa who might abandon a coalition of national agreement with Hizbollah that is seen by the Saudis as a protegee of Iran, both, in Lebanon where it was acting as a political party in Hariri's ruling coalition and in Syria where the military branch of Hizbollah is fighting side by side with Iranian units.

Animosities between Saudi Arabia and Iran derive as well from Iranian support for Houthi rebels in Yemen who are still being fought by a Saudi-led alliance. Tensions accelerated only recently when a missile from Yemen targeted the Saudi capital of Riadh.

Rumors of the virtual kidnapping of Lebanon's prime minister Hariri, who resigned last Saturday while in Saudi Arabia, have rocked the Arab world; Lebanese officials worry that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS as the 32-year-old crown prince is known, wants to force Lebanon into his confrontation with Iran. Some Lebanese analysts complain that the Saudis treat the Hariri family, who have been bankrolled by Riyadh for decades, almost as a wholly owned subsidiary.

According to well-informed Lebanese sources, the tale began on Monday, Oct. 30, when Hariri traveled to Saudi Arabia for a personal meeting with MBS. With the crown prince was Thamer al-Sabhan, his key adviser on relations with other Arab states.

.....

Lebanese sources believe Hariri’s harder-line older brother Bahaa may be Riyadh’s candidate for prime minister. Other Hariri relatives were summoned to Riyadh last week but refused to go; it’s said that Bahaa was already there. The sources also say that Bahaa sent Safi Kalo, a close adviser, to meet secretly 10 days ago with Druze leader Walid Jumblatt to discuss future strategy for Lebanon, but Jumblatt is said to have left the meeting, refusing to discuss the subject.

The Washington Post article appeared on November 10, 2017, in an English and Arabic version.

لسعودية توقف بالقوة رئيس وزراء لبنان

Saudi [Arabia] Stopped Lebanon's Prime Minister by Force.




Lebanese PM Hariri (l) meeting with Saudi King Salman (r)


ـ"واشنطن بوست": هذه كواليس استقالة الحريري.. وبهاء أرسل مستشاره للقاء جنبلاط

Washington Post: That [] retreat of Hariri .........
and Bahaaa sending his coucillor to [] Jumblatt.

ونشرت الصحيفة الأميركية مقالاً للكاتب ديفيد اغناتيوس باللغة العربية ذكر فيه معلومات قال إنه حصل عليها من مصادر في لبنان

The American journal published an article written in Arabic by David Ignatius where he mentioned information which he said derived from Lebanese sources.

[Lebanon 24 لبنان quoting The Washington Post on November 12, 2017]


أخبار لبنان - رئيس لبنان يقول وضع الحريري "غامض وملتبس"ـ

Lebanon News - The Lebanese president says
the situation of Hariri is "incertain and confuse".

قال الرئيس اللبناني ميشال عون اليوم السبت إن كل ما صدر أو يمكن أن يصدر عن سعد الحريري “لا يعكس الحقيقة” بسبب غموض وضعه منذ أعلن الاستقالة من رئاسة وزراء البلاد الأسبوع الماضي

On Saturday [i.e. November 11], Lebanon's president Michel Aoun said, if all that was published or is possibly being published about Saed al-Hariri is "not reflecting reality", it might be because of confusion over his situation since he declared the retreat from the presidency of the nation's [council of] ministers last week.

[The Horizon News الأفق نيوز on November 12, 2017. News confirmed by Reuters.]

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Recent visitors to "blueprint news" coming from U.S. and Saudi universities:

Trump on N Korea - Strategic Patience Over

Trump says 'strategic patience' with North Korea over
as [Japan's leader] Abe introduces sanctions.

The time for "strategic patience" with North Korea is over, U.S. President Donald Trump said today after winning Japan's backing on his policy of considering all options to rein in the rogue state.

[SBS, Australian news service on November 6, 2017]


报告：朝鲜核试验辐射可随风吹到日本

Report says: The radiation from a North Korean nuclear test
could be blown with the wind into the direction of Japan.

[Epoch Times 大纪元 on November 4, 2017]


Australia conducts naval drills to stop and search
North Korean weapons ships.

Defence Minister Marise Payne said the drills would enforce UN Security Council Resolution 2375, concerning "the interdiction of vessels carrying suspicious cargo".

Australian frigates HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Parramatta will undertake the training alongside South Korea's Sejong the Great destroyer ship and USS Chafee, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

The training mission came as the Pentagon outlayed the grim choices facing the US and its allies in stopping North Korea, saying that a full ground invasion of the country was "the only way" to be certain it could destroy all of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons.

[The Sidney Morning Herald on November 6, 2017]

[Editor's Note: The Pentagon's evaluation of reasonable military options was given as an answer to the request of some U.S. Congressmen and was confirmed by different western sources the day before.]

N Korea - Nuclear Site Collapsed

[ 朝鲜核试验场坑道崩塌 约200人死亡 ]




As many as 200 construction workers are feared dead after the collapse of a tunnel at a nuclear test site in North Korea, according to a Japanese media report.

The tunnel was being built at the Punggye-ri test site when it collapsed, according to a report on Japan's TV Asahi citing an unnamed source in North Korea.

It said that about 100 people were initially trapped in the tunnel and another 100 may have been killed by a second collapse as they tried to rescue the first group.

The broadcaster said the collapse took place around 10 September. The incident should be consistent with recently observed seismic shocks.

[Source: The Independent - The Sun - The Telegraph on October 31, 2017, about two hours ago]

Sea of Japan - Dangerous Encounter

Tupolev TU-95 bomber


俄战略轰炸机遭美日战机跟踪 事发时正前往日本海

Russian strategic bombers encountered U.S.-Japanese fighters
and were followed on their way to the Japanese Sea.

As the Russian Ministry of Defence declared on October 31, two Russian TU-95 MC had been tracked down on their flight near Japan by U.S. and Japanese fighters.

According to a Japanese Joint Staff press release two Russian TU-95 had been observed in the region on August 23, 2017, while surrounding Japan on a flight that took them from Russia's Far East following the South Korean coastline of the Japanese Sea to the entrance of the Yellow Sea and then back home following the Japanese coastline on its Pacific Ocean side.



Another Japanese report from August 24 confirmed the presence of six Chinese H-6 bombers in the same region that day.

[Source: SINA military news 新浪军事 on October 31, 2017]


Editor's Note:

Patrol flights of Chinese Hong H-6 bombers have been earlier observed at the southern border of Japan and near the U.S. airforce base of Guam. Their flight routes are marking the border of China's traditional region of influence in the South China Sea (南中国海) and which is now regularly questioned by the U.S. and their allies.

The following Japanese Joint Staff press release is dating back to July 20 this year when eight H-6 bombers, accompanied by two Y-8 reconnaissance planes, followed a typical route in that region:



Hong H-6 bomber

US Sanctions Crippling N Korea Abroad

Last Update added on October 29.



美国宣布对一些朝鲜人员和机构实施制裁

U.S. announced having imposed sanctions upon some North Korean persons and entities.

新华社华盛顿１０月２６日电（记者朱东阳）美国财政部２６日宣布对朝鲜７名人员和３家机构实施制裁，这些人员和机构涉及朝鲜军事安全部门、驻外使领馆和海外企业。

A XinHua agency report from Washington on October 26, 2017:
On October 26, the U.S. Department of Finance announced that it had put into effect sanctions against 7 North Korean persons and 3 entities. These persons and entities are related with the North Korean military security department, embassies and consulates residing abroad and overseas enterprises.

.....
９月２６日，美财政部宣布对参与支持朝鲜发展大规模杀伤性武器的朝鲜８家银行和２６名公民实施制裁。

On September 26, the U.S. Department of Finance had already announced the application of sanctions against 8 North Korean banks and 26 North Korean citizens for having a hand in the support of North Korea developing weapons of mass destruction.

[Source: Xin Hua 新华社, China's news agency on October 27, 2017, 04:46 Beijing Time]

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Editor's Note:

In a most recent blogspot of "blueprint-news" I mentioned a surprising revelation on China's current attitude towards North Korea and which was made by some Chinese professor from Beijing's People's University, Chong Sho-Hu, in an interview with BBC Radio 4 only some days ago. That interview was quoted by different sources. As it came to my attention that the scholar's name used was a Korean language adaption, I tried to find out his Chinese name adaption which I can tell now is Cheng Xiao-He. From there it was possible to find a relation with another interview professor Cheng Xiao-He already granted one month earlier to the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy.

Podcast from the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy introducing People's University associate professor Cheng Xiao-He, Beijing, in an interview on the subject:

Will China Change Its Approach to North Korea ?.
The podcast was published by the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center on September 27, 2017.

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美防长：要朝鲜半岛无核化不要战争

U.S. Defence Secretary: If there was no nuclear armament
on the Korean peninsula, there would be no reason for war.

U.S. Defence Secretary Mattis meeting with his South Korean counterpart
at the N Korean border at Panmunjon negotiation center today, October 27.

[Source: Singapore Morning Post 新加波早报 on October 27, 2017]




美防长：绝不接受拥有核武的朝鲜

U.S. Defence Secretary: We can by no means accept
that N Korea is in the possession of nuclear weapons.

[Source: Singapore Morning Post 新加波早报 on October 28, 2017]

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据《朝鲜日报》日文版10月29日报道，中国科学院地质研究所人员在9月曾当面警告来访的朝鲜地质部门官员称，朝鲜核试验基地丰溪里已经难以承受新的核试验，如果还在该地区规划新的核试验，一旦实施，或引发山体崩塌的严重后果，还因此形成巨大的核辐射危害。

According to a South Korean news report, specialists from the geological research institute of China's Academy of Science should have informed their North Korean colleagues about considerable radiation risks when using existing North Korean test sites for another nuclear test.

[Source:DW 多维新闻网 quoting the South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo on October 29, 2017]

N Korea - Last Warning from China

Important Update added !



金正恩为何不敢在十九大试射飞弹 学者给出答案

Why did Kim Jong-Un not dare to test-fire a missile during the
19th Great Congress [i.e. of China's Communist Party CCP] ?
A scholar provides us with the answer !

中国人民大学国际关系教授Chong Sho-Hu对英国媒体BBC表示，如果朝鲜继续导弹试射和核试验，那么这个政权将会死亡。“朝鲜现在正站在深渊边缘，轻轻一推就能使其跌落悬崖。如果朝鲜再试射飞弹，整个国家就会跌入悬崖。”

In an interview with the British medium BBC, Chong Sho-Hu, professor for international relations at the People's University of China, made clear one thing: If North Korea continued to test-fire guided missiles and nuclear tests, that regime will choose to meet with its doom.

"North Korea is just standing at the edge of an abyss. Lightly, one push forward can cause its fall down the cliff. If North Korea test-launches another missile, the whole country could fall into the precipice."

他还对BBC说，“中国没有永远的朋友也没有永远的敌人”，中国与前苏联、越南都曾经关系十分要好，但最后还是发生了战争，而现在大陆与朝鲜的关系还不如当年与苏联、越南的关系。朝鲜试射的行为是“找死”，会使大陆与朝鲜的友谊走到尽头。

He told the BBC as well that "China has neither eternal friends nor eternal enemies". China had undergone relations as close friends with the former Soviet Union and Vietnam, however, much later a war broke out [with each of them] as well. Today now, the mainland [of China]'s relations with North Korea are not like they were that year with the Soviet Union or Vietnam. North Korea's activity of test launches is "seeking death" and could cause the friendship between the mainland and North Korea come to an end.

他续指，北京当局、中国最高领导人都很生气，中国希望惩罚朝鲜。

He additionnally pointed out that, both, Beijing authorities and China's supreme leadership are getting angry. China is expecting to punish North Korea.

[Source: "Forbidden News" 中国禁闻网-禁书网禁书网, Chinese underground news survey on October 24, 2017, quoting an interview only recently broadcast by the BBC Radio 4 with an influential Chinese official, Professor Chong Sho-Hu and who is considered an expert in international relations at China's People's University.]

A related Chinese language tweet was already launched by the editor of "blueprint news" two days before on October 22, 2017. It was targeting, among others, those North Koreans abroad who are able to read Chinese text.

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The FBI is now investigating into the Chinese business structures behind a North Korean weapons deal that was blocked in 2016 when a disguised North Korean ship, the "Jie Shun" sailing under the flag of Cambodia, was stopped in the Egyptian Suez Canal. Hidden under its declared payload of iron ore, Egyptian authorities found about 24.000 rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and other weapons worth some $23 million. Because of Egypt reacting rather reluctantly to an urgent U.S. request to stop the "Jie Shun", the country became immediately suspected of having bought the military load from North Korea for its own armed forces and which is what Egypt's government furiously rejected.

The Chinese Epoch Times, an anti-communist publication, seems to have made its own investigations into HongKong shipping companies probably related to the transport of North Korean boycott merchandise. Here is something they found out:



Excerpt from an Epoch Times 大纪元 article published on October 24, 2017.

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Today on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, U.S. Congress (the House) passed legislation
that seeks to cut off North Korea’s access to financial institutions around the world amid
its nuclear provocations.

“Foreign banks can either do business benefiting N Korea or business with the
United States. They cannot do both,” says the author of the passed bill 415-2.

Source: The Hill political news from Capitol Hill on October 24, 2017.

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N Korea - The Last Parade ?

Last Update included on October 11, 02:00 am CET

在十月八日朝鲜举行劳动党七届二中全会

October 8, N Korea summoned the 7th session of the 2nd plenary meeting of its Workers Party.

On that occasion, Kim Jong-Un's younger sister Kim Yo-Jong was promoted as a new member of the Workers Party Politburo, taking the place of an elderly aunt to the Kim family.

Today, October 10, public celebrations will be held as a reminder of the foundation of the N Korean Workers Party in 1945. At the same time, the 20th anniversary of Kim Jong-Un's late father, Kim Jong-Il, coming to power will be celebrated.

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要求多国切断与朝外交 美孤立朝鲜行动开始见效

Demanding all nations to cut off diplomacy with North Korea,
America's isolation of North Korea is beginning to bear fruit.

[Source: Zaobao 早报, Singapore Morning News on October 10, 2017]

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Read more from the Financial Times article published this morning !
(Sorry, you have to subscribe to get the entire news).

Some quotations from the above article:

Lee Cheol-hee, a member of the ruling Democratic party, on Tuesday said hackers had broken into a defence data centre in September last year. He said stolen documents included Operational Plan 5015 — the most recent allied blueprint for war with North Korea.

The plans reportedly includes detailed procedures for a decapitation strike against the North Korean regime — a proposal that has infuriated Kim Jong Un, the country’s supreme leader.

Citing South Korean defence officials, Mr Lee said 235 gigabytes of data had been stolen, although 80 per cent of the documents had yet to be identified. Among the files identified were contingency plans for Seoul’s special forces as well as information on key military facilities and power plants, the lawmaker said.

Editor's Note:

During the day, same news were being published by different sources including BBC. However, I am now convinced that this is not entirely breaking news, as I can remember having read about N Korean military hacking of S Korean forces already months ago in a short notice published on the web.

Furthermore it should be added that, today, South Korean forces on a "ground battle day" made an exhibition of their state-of-the-art tanks and artillery and which helped much in soothing irritated South Korean civilians [Source: Al-Jazeera TV, international channel, in their evening news].

N Korea - Likeliness of War

访朝俄罗斯官员：朝鲜即将再射导弹。
A Russian official who visited North Korea:
N Korea is going to launch another missile.

在2日至6日访问了朝鲜的俄罗斯官员9日表示，朝鲜已经为10日能够发射导弹。

On October 9, a Russian official and who had been to North Korea from October 2-6 declared that North Korea will be able to launch a missile as soon as October 10 [... and which is the date of an important N Korean Workers Party anniversary].

Editor's Note: Anton Morozov, a member of the Russian lower house of parliament’s international affairs committee, and who had visited the DPRK accompanied by two other Russian lawmakers was originally quoted by Russia's news agency RIA for the above information [Source: Reuters].

[Source: DW 多维新闻网 on October 9, 2017]


俄外长：不容许朝鲜半岛紧张局势升级
Russia's foreign minister: An escalation of the tense
situation on the Korean peninsula cannot be tolerated.

[Source: XinHua 新华网, PR China's News Agency on October 9, 2017]


Russia orders U.S. to abandon N Korea fight as major conflict looms.
俄罗斯的外交部长拉夫罗夫警告美国不要冒险使朝鲜危机升级。

Russia has issued a severe warning to Donald Trump as its foreign minister Lavrov said in a phone call with U.S. foreign secretary Tillerson the escalation over North Korea is "unacceptable".

Russia's foreign ministry, said: "Lavrov underlined the inadmissibility of any escalation of tension on the Korean peninsula, to which the USA's military preparations lead, and called for contradictions to be resolved by diplomatic means only."

Mr. Lavrov also told Mr. Tillerson Moscow is demanding the U.S. returns Russian diplomatic property seized in 2016 over suspected Russian interference in the U.S. general election.

The phone call came just hours after Donald Trump's most senior general told the U.S. Army to "stand ready" for war with North Korea.

General James 'Mad dog' Mattis warned it is impossible to tell what the future holds for the crisis, but urged U.S. troops to be prepared for a confrontation with Kim Jong-Un.

[Source: Quotations from Express, UK, on October 9, 2017. That source published as well a series of pictures showing Russian border guards amassing on the North Korean border and patrolling the top of Zaozyonara Hill, a meeting point between Russia, North Korea and China.]


Australians fear North Korea standoff will lead to war.
(The Guardian Essential poll)

Australians are concerned that the current standoff between the United States and North Korea will lead to all-out military confrontation, with 55% fearing that outcome, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll and which included 1,846 voters:

16% war very likely
39% war somewhat likely
24% war somewhat unlikely
12% war very unlikely

Women were more pessimistic about the brinkmanship leading to war than men – 61% compared with 49%. People over 55 were less likely than younger people to believe war likely.

[Source: Quotations from The Guardian, UK, on October 9, 2017]

Geldwäsche an Nordkoreas Botschaften

Geldwäsche an den Botschaften Nordkoreas
Money Laundering at N Korean Embassies

在国际社会对朝鲜制裁越来越严格之后，朝鲜通过驻外使馆拼命敛财，赚外汇方式堪称“百态”。

Nachdem die Völkergemeinschaft zunehmend strengere Sanktionen über Nord Korea verhängt hat, verschafft sich das Land verzweifelt Geldmittel [d.h. auf illegalem Wege] mit Hilfe seiner ausländischen Botschaften. Die Art Profit nach einem Devisenumtausch- Modell zu machen, kann dabei [d.h. nach chinesischem Sprachgebrauch] als die "Methode der hundert Konditionen" bezeichnet werden.

After the foreign community imposed increasingly stringent sanctions on North Korea, the country is desperately raising funds [i.e. by illegal means] with the help of its foreign embassies. Making profit by a foreign exchange pattern can be called "the one hundred conditions".

美国《纽约时报》7日报道称，朝鲜将其在全球40多个国家的大使馆用于各种赚取外汇的生意。将外交公馆用于赚钱，在国际法上是非法的。

Nach einem Bericht der New York Times vom 7. [Oktober] praktiziert Nord Korea jede Art von einträglichen Geschäften mit dem Devisenumtausch an seinen Botschaften in weltweit mehr als 40 Ländern. Die Nutzung von ausländischen Residenzen mit dem Ziel Profite zu machen ist dabei nach internationalem Recht unzulässig.

在朝鲜驻波兰华沙的大使馆里，有40多家朝鲜企业和团体落户于此并开展活动，从制药公司到广告公司、赛艇俱乐部，各种名目不一而足。

In der Botschaft Nordkoreas im polnischen Warschau gibt es mehr als 40 nordkoreanische Unternehmen und Niederlassungen von Organisationen, die hier ihre Aktivitäten entfalten, angefangen von Firmen zur Herstellung von Heilmitteln bis hin zu Werbeagenturen.

[Quelle: Auszüge aus einem Artikel der DW 多维新闻 vom 9. Oktober 2017]

Nordkorea - Devisen aus Deutschland ?

Nordkoreas Devisen aus Deutschland
oder
" Der Teufel ist ein Eichhörnchen "

Die deutsche Redensart vom Teufel düfte am ehesten umschreiben wie es Nordkorea gelingt, trotz internationaler Sanktionen noch immer Devisen aus westlichen Ländern abzuziehen.

Der im folgenden zitierte U.S. Beitrag, der eigentlich für amerikanische Leser geschrieben wurde, zeigt, wie das Regime in Pyongyang jeweils Zehntausende seiner Arbeitskräfte nach China und in andere Länder exportiert um sie dort unter Bewachung und ständiger Indoktrination arbeiten zu lassen. Die der Landessprache unkundigen Nordkoreaner unterzeichnen Verträge, die dem jeweiligen Arbeitgeber günstig erscheinen müssen, die aber im allgemeinen von den lokalen Rechtsnormen nicht wesentlich abweichen dürften. Nordkoreanische Bewacher zwingen dann ihre Landsleute in einer Art geschlossenen Gesellschaft mit Gemeinschaftsunterkünften zu leben. Bis zu 70% ihres Lohnes wird ihnen abgenommen und auf nordkoreanische Regierungskonten überwiesen. Bei Monatslöhnen, die in China eine Größenordnung von geschätzten 300 $ für solche "modernen Sklaven" erreichen, könnte man leicht ausrechnen, in welcher Größenordnung die nordkoreanischen Deviseneinnahmen bei, sagen wir, 30.000 [Russland] bis 50.000 heimlichen Zwangsarbeitern pro Land liegen könnten.

" At a time when North Korea faces sanctions on many exports, the government is sending tens of thousands of workers worldwide, bringing in revenue estimated at anywhere from $200 million to $500 million a year. That could account for a sizable portion of North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs, which South Korea says have cost more than $1 billion. [=> d.h. 1 Milliarde $ im U.S. Sprachgebrauch]

While the presence of North Korean workers overseas has been documented, the AP investigation reveals for the first time that some products they make go to the United States, which is now a federal crime. AP also tracked the products made by North Korean workers to Canada, Germany and elsewhere in the European Union."

Da viele dieser Nordkoreaner in der Lebensmittelbranche arbeiten, vor allem bei der Verarbeitung von Meeresfrüchten im chinesischen Hunchun an der Grenze zu Nordkorea, bleibt es nicht aus, dass die von ihnen erzeugten Produkte ihren Weg auch in deutsche Supermärkte finden könnten. Der amerikanische Bericht erwähnt hier ausdrücklich die Lebensmittelketten Aldi, Penny und Rewe, wobei allerdings nicht ganz klar wird, ob hier eher die U.S.-Filialen der deutschen Vertriebsgesellschaften gemeint sind.

Möglicherweise wird der rechtliche Rahmen bei solchen Handelsgeschäften mit ausländischen Vertriebspartnern eingehalten. Das Phänomen der unterbezahlten Zwangsarbeit wäre dann nur im Herkunftsland der Waren, also vor allem in China zu ahnden.

" Some U.S. brands and companies had indirect ties to the North Korean laborers in Hunchun, including Chicken of the Sea, owned by Thai Union. Trade records show shipments came from a sister company of the Hunchun factory in another part of China, where Thai Union spokeswoman Whitney Small says labor standards are being met and the employees are all Chinese. Small said the sister companies should not be penalized.

Shipments also went to two Canadian importers, Morgan Foods and Alliance Seafood, which did not respond to requests for comment.

Boxes at the factories had markings from several major German supermarket chains and brands - All-Fish distributors, REWE and Penny grocers and Icewind brand. REWE Group, which also owns the Penny chain, said that they used to do business with Hunchun Dongyang but the contract has expired. All the companies that responded said their suppliers were forbidden to use forced labor.

..........

This means Americans buying salmon for dinner at Walmart or ALDI may inadvertently have subsidized the North Korean government as it builds its nuclear weapons program, an AP investigation has found. Their purchases may also have supported what the United States calls "modern day slavery" - even if the jobs are highly coveted by North Koreans. "

Da der Import von Produkten aus Nordkorea in die U.S.A. neuerdings ein Bundesvergehen darstellt und die chinesische Regierung auf der Grundlage kürzlicher UN-Sanktionen die Beendigung aller Geschäftsbeziehungen zu Nordkorea bis Januar 2018 angeordnet hat, dürften Nordkorea's Devisenquellen weiterhin schrumpfen ohne jedoch vollständig zu versiegen. Es ist also im Zweifelsfall die Eigeninitiative der westlichen Konsumenten angesagt, um das Regime des nordkoreanischen Kriegstreibers Kim Jong-Un weiterhin wirtschaftlich zu schwächen. Schließlich besteht doch immer die Möglichkeit, dass der Verbraucher "intensiv und öffentlich nachfragt" um dieses Ärgernis mittelfristig einzudämmen.

[Hauptquelle: Click2Houston zitiert am 4. Oktober 2017 einen investigativen Bericht amerikanischer Journalisten der Associated Press International AP. Zitate aus der von mir verwendeten U.S. Quelle Click2Houston sind farbig markiert und enthalten weitere Informationen.]

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Der nachfolgende Beitrag zeigt, dass der offizielle Außenhandel zwischen Deutschland und Nordkorea dagegen eher unbedeutend ist. Was aber nicht bedeuten soll, dass nicht auch bereits geringe Millionenbeträge zur Grundversorgung der Familie Kim und zur Erhaltung ihres Privatstaates beitragen können.

Der chinesische Originaltext wurde einem Internet-Portal für Exilchinesen in Kanada entnommen. Er beschäftigt sich in seinem Hauptteil mit dem Handelsvolumen zwischen der VR China und Nordkorea, das wesentlich größere Ausmaße erreicht als das zwischen Deutschland und Pyongyang.




Abbildung: Nordkoreas Botschaft in Deutschland


什么？德国同朝鲜也作生意？

Wie bitte ? Auch Deutschland treibt Handel mit Nordkorea ?

长久以来，同朝鲜的贸易对德国而言已是无足轻重，不过，它并没有完全停止。 据联邦统计局公布的数据，今年5月德国从朝鲜的进口额超过120万欧元，也是2014年9月以来的最高值。 同期，德国向朝鲜的出口额为32万欧元。

Seit langem gibt es den Handel zwischen Nordkorea und Deutschland, wenn er auch von geringer Bedeutung ist. Wie dem auch sei, er wurde nicht vollständig beendet.

Vom Bundesamt für Statistik veröffentlichte Daten belegen, dass die Importe aus Nordkorea im Mai diesen Jahres [d.h. 2017] den Betrag von 1,2 Millionen € überstiegen. Das wäre der höchste [Monats-]Betrag seit September 2014. Im selben Zeitraum hat Deutschland Exporte im Wert von 320.000 € nach Nordkorea getätigt.

去年，德国向朝鲜的出口总额为570万欧元，进口400万欧元。 从朝鲜主要进口金属原材料、金属制品以及数据处理仪器，向朝鲜出口的产品首先是药品，其次是机械。

Im letzten Jahr [d.h. 2016] erreichten die Exporte Deutschlands nach Nordkorea einen Gesamtbetrag von 5,7 Millionen €, die Importe lagen bei 4,0 Millionen €. Die wichtigsten Importe aus Nordkorea reichen von metallischen Rohstoffen und verarbeiteten Metallen [Halbzeug] über Metallwaren bis zu Geräten zur Verarbeitung von Daten.

[Quelle: 51.CA 加国华人网上家园, chinesisches Netzwerk in Kanada am 11.9.2017]

Die Aufbereitung des amerikanischen Untersuchungsberichtes, die Übersetzung der chinesischen Quelle und der Rahmenkommentar stammen vom Herausgeber der "blueprint news" - © Ulysses 2017.

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Kim Jong-Un Erasing further Family Members ?

Update related to N Korea added below !



Kim Han-Sol

金正男之子逃亡 过境台湾惊惶30小时

In the last 30 hours: Son of Kim Jong-Nam fled panic-stricken via Taiwan.

With the help of a North Korean dissidents' group, the son of recently assassinated Kim Jong-Nam, exiled brother to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, fled his residence in Macao, China.

21-year-old Kim Han-Sol had criticised the regime in Pyongyang like his father and who was recently killed in a nerve gas attack at Kuala Lumpur airport, Malaysia, most probably by agents of the North Korean regime. Kim Jong-Nam's bloodline made him a potential threat to the Kim dynasty, same goes now for his son Kim Han-Sol who can be regarded as a nephew to Kim Jong-Un. Kim Han-Sol was accompanied by his sister and his mother.

The dissidents' group involved said it sought help from foreign governments for the rescue of Kim Han Sol. The US, China and the Netherlands allegedly provided assistance with travel, visas or other aspects of the plan, according to the group. China’s foreign ministry said it had no information on the rescue, and the Netherlands and US declined to comment.

This comes at a time when two women charged for carrying out the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam "pleaded not guilty" in court, even though video footage from Kuala Lumpur airport cameras could serve as a proof.

[Main Sources: 联合早报, Chinese Morning News from Singapore on October 3, 2017, and The Australian on October 2]


Update on October 4, 2017:

There's a U.S. report on North Koreans Working Abroad. Even though it's written for American readers, you should find it interesting as well if you were from Germany. You might be astonished to recognize the brands .....

A Reuters report is quoting Russia's president Putin: Putin says military strike against North Korea not sure to succeed.

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China Shuts Down N Korean Enterprises

2nd Update added on September 30, 2017.



中国下令关闭朝鲜在华企业

China ordered the closure of North Korean enterprises in China.

中国政府称，为执行联合国针对朝鲜的第2375号决议，朝鲜实体或个人在中国设立的企业应在该决议通过之日（9月12日）起120天内关闭。中国企业在境外与朝鲜实体或个人设立的合资合作企业也应按照上述决议应予以关闭。

The Chinese Government says it is going to implement the United Nations's resolution no. 2375 directed against North Korea. North Korean entities of enterprise established in China as well as individually founded businesses must be closed down within 120 days starting from September 11, the day when the resolution passed.

Chinese enterprises acting abroad together with North Korean entities or as individually founded joint venture businesses should be closed down as well in accordance with the above-mentioned resolution.

中国占朝鲜对外贸易的比例超过80%。从贸易公司到餐馆，中国很多城市都可见朝鲜公司，特别是在中朝边境附近。

China accounts for a proportion of more than 80% of North Korea's foreign trade. From trading firms to restaurants, North Korean companies can be seen in many Chinese towns, especially in the vicinity of the Chinese-North Korean border.

[Source: Wall Street Journal 华尔街日报 on September 29, 2017]




An assessment of North Korea's military power (published on July 19, 2017).


朝鲜军民比升至1:3，神经异常敏感半岛出路在哪？

The ratio between North Korean troops and civilians
has risen to 1:3. - Nerves react unusually sensitive
when it comes to ask for a way out for the peninsula.

汇通网讯——9月28日，朝鲜方面宣布，已经有大约470万名学生和工人志愿申请或者重新应召加入朝鲜人民军。但如果相关报道属实，朝军已新征了近20%的人口入役，加上现有逾100万的兵力，朝鲜军队人数将找到总人口约25%。

Message compiled from the web on September 28: North Korea declared, about 4.700.000 students and workers are already willing to apply for entering or are summoned again to enter the North Korean People's Army. But if interrelated reports are true and North Korea already levied new troops near to 20% of the population to enter into service, this will add to the existing military force and which is exceeding one million (1.000.000). The number of North Korea's military units will then reach out for 25% of the overall population.

[Editor: The overall population of North Korea is considered to be about 25.000.000 朝鲜总人口约2500万]

此外，韩联社援引朝鲜喉舌《劳动新闻》报道称，志愿加入朝军新兵中有大约120万人为女性。

Moreover, the South Korean [news agency] quoted North Korea's mouthpiece, the "Workers Party News", in a report that said: Among those willing to enter the North Korean army as new soldiers are about 1.200.000 women.

[Source: Financial World 金融界 China based JRJ.COM, September 29, 2017]







What Chinese think of North Korea (published on May 14, 2017).


朝鲜来信：搞核试验时，我们过着这样的生活

A letter from the DPRK: As to the nuclear testing, that's the life we lead.

今年9月，《华尔街日报》记者前往平壤，在严密控制下进行了一系列参观采访。从讲着英文的外交官、摆弄玩具枪炮的孩子到随处可见的原子图案，平壤反复强调着这样一个讯息：朝鲜绝不会放弃核武。

This year in September, the Wall Street Journal reporter to Pyongyang carried out a series of visits and interviews under tight control.

From the perspective of an English diplomat and from children tinkering with toy guns up to the atomic [war] pattern everywhere to be seen, Pyongyang repeatedly stresses this kind of message: The DPRK will never give up its nuclear weapons.




[Source: Wall Street Journal 华尔街日报 on September 30, 2017]

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German Federal Elections 2017

Donald Trump - Still Calling Names

Today the Voice of America, Chinese edition, is referring to Donald Trump's bad habit of publicly calling names on people he doesn't like. Here are some examples:

Chuck Todd - "Sleepy Eyes"
Mr. Todd is an American television journalist, moderator and the political director for NBC News. His new nickname might be related to Trump's hate of free media journalists who produce what Trump calls "the fake news".

Elizabeth Warren - "Pocahontas"
A member of the Democratic Party, she is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts. Warren was formerly a professor of law, and taught at the University of Texas School of Law, the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and most recently at Harvard Law School. A prominent scholar specializing in bankruptcy law, Warren was among the most cited law professors in the field of commercial law before starting her political career.

By the way, Donald Trump must have some experience with bankruptcy law himself as is being indicated by his own proceedings as a business man.

Hillary Clinton - "Crooked Hillary" - "Nasty Woman" is sufficiently known as Trump's competitor for U.S. presidency and as a former Secretary of State and chief of the State Department.

Not to forget two prominent leaders of the opposing Democratic Party, Chuck Schumer - "Clown" and Nancy Pelosi - "Loser".

And now it's Kim Jong-un - "Rocket Man on a suicide mission for himself".

Even though tough words might be suitable for the North Korean leader who seemingly doesn't understand another language, Trump's inaugural speech before the United Nations General Assembly should have been of another quality. Especially when it comes to the verbal attack on Iran putting the Islamic Republic near to North Korea while serious western sources are pointing out that Iran is still keeping to the conditions of an earlier reached nuclear deal. Maybe a recent meeting between North Korea's envoy and Iran's president Rouhani has triggered off Trump's latest outbreak of adversion against Iran.

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N Korea - Electromagnetic Mass Destruction

North Korea threat: EMP attack can destroy
a nation’s entire infrastructure in a flash.

KIM Jong-un needs only one hydrogen bomb to
bring America to its knees. And he knows it.

This is the nation-wide effect
it can have in nanoseconds.

These are today's headlines of news.com.au, an Australian online news service. You should read the complete article on the consequences of an Electromagnetic Pulse EMP that is created by a powerfull nuclear explosion at high altitude and that can knock out, both, electric and electronic infrastructure of a targeted country without the need to precisely hit and destroy a specific target. It only needs what Kim Jong-un still has in his hands.

The Australian article comes at a time when North Korean media praise the EMP as a weapon to bring down the U.S. after Kim Jong-un obviously succeeded in creating enough nuclear fire power to get in reach of such possibility. However, things are not so easy for the North Koreans:

" The nuclear arsenals of the United States are hardened against any EMP pulse. It’s also one of the reasons so much effort and money is invested on near-invisible and widely dispersed ballistic missile submarines.

The instant a North Korean ICBM was detected to be on a trajectory capable of delivering such a high-altitude blow, a retaliatory firestorm of nuclear warheads would almost certainly be unleashed on North Korea itself.

Such is the grim nature of Mutually Assured Destruction — the Cold War philosophy that compelled cool minds to avert the catastrophe which could have resulted from the likes of the 1960s Cuban missile crisis. "



The Apprentice Wizard

Let's now sum up the facts to get a realistic view on the matter:

The U.S. and North Korea could easily annihilate
each other in a showdown of nuclear power that
is lasting no longer than one single hour.

Thereby not to mention the huge "collateral damage"
left to neighbouring countries and the major global
consequences in the fields of economy and finance.

N Korea - Test of Hydrogen Bomb

Last Update: September 4



朝鲜称成功完成氢弹试验 时间压力转到美国

North Korea declares having successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.
Now pressure is turning against America.

据中国地震网测定，9月3日11时30分01秒在朝鲜（北纬41.35度，东经129.11度）发生6.3级地震，震源深度0千米。

According to measured data from China's Seismological Network, an earthquake of 6.3 [Richter] magnitude should have happened today, September 3 at 11:30:01 [Beijing Time], in North Korea at a latitude of 41.35 degrees north and a longitude of 129.11 degrees east. The epicenter should have been near to the surface.

[Source: SINA 新浪新闻中心 on 3rd September 2017]




Earthquakes in North Korea due to nuclear tests [BBC Chinese]



Spokesman for South Korea's National Earthquake and Volcano Center
showing the epicenter of the Sept. 3 earthquake and which is situated in
North Korea's nuclear test region. [Epoch Times 大纪元 on Sept. 4]



North Korean propaganda photo showing "Kim Jong-un
getting informed about missile-fitting hydrogen bomb".




Latest News: South Korea holds Live-Fire Missile Drill

South Korea's military said on Monday (September 4) that the simulated target for its missile test was "set in consideration of" Punggye-ri, the site where North Korea carried out its test.

"The training demonstrates the South Korean military's resolve to destroy not only the origin of provocation but also the enemy's leadership and supporting forces if they threaten the security of our people," Army Col. Roh Jae-cheon, the army spokesman is quoted by South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

[Source: BBC World Service on September 4, 2017]

Russia's Putin on Korea Conflict

普京表示朝鲜半岛问题应通过对话解决

Putin is convinced that any solution for the ‬problem of
the Korean peninsula could only be found by dialogue.

据塔斯社１日援引普京的话报道，事实证明，靠向朝鲜政府施压以使其暂停核导活动是错误的， 只有通过有关各方开展直接对话才能解决朝鲜半岛问题，而且这一对话应建立在不设前提条件、 不相互挑衅、不相互施压、不相互用武力威胁、不相互打“口水仗”的基础上。

Based on a TASS [Russia's news agency] report from 1st September Putin should have said that reality proves it would be a mistake to rely on putting pressure on North Korea to make it stop its nuclear missile activity for the short term.

Only by proceeding through a direct dialogue, both sides are interested to develop, a solution for the problem of the Korean peninsula could be reached.

Furthermore, that dialogue should be established on the basis of no preconditions, no mutual provocation, no mutual application of pressure, no mutual military threats and, as well, no mutual "spitting battles".

[Source: XinHua - New China 新华社 on 1st September, 2017]




"Spitting Battle":

North Korean fisherboat chased away from Japanese fishing grounds near Yamato Bank by Japanese Coastguard with the help of their water cannon. Since July 2017, North Korean boats had already ignored more than 820 coastguard warnings.

[Source: FT中文 on 1st September 2017]

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Visitor from South Korea.