''Tokyo - Seoul call emergency meetings on N Korean rocket launch''

From Voice of Russia

''The Government of Japan announced the convening of the Security Council of the country in connection with the North Korean missile launch, and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has also convened an emergency meeting of his countriy's security ministers.''

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''China imports North Koreans to beat rising wages''

From Times Of India
 

''China is tackling labour shortage and rising wages by importing thousands of North Korean workers from across the border. The Chinese immigration has permitted a second batch of 20,000 workers bringing the total number of North Koreans in China to 40,000 in recent months, according to media reports.

Most imported labour is women because the North Korean government is wary of political dissidents escaping the country if more men are allowed. Besides, China wants to avoid a rush of North Korean men after violent incidents resulting in the death of some Chinese citizens in past.''

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''North Korea, China and the abducted Chinese fishing boats''

From East Asia Forum

''For more than half a century, Beijing’s attitude toward the Korean Peninsula has revolved around avoiding three scenarios: ‘no new war on the Korean Peninsula’, ‘no regime change in North Korea’ and ‘no American troops on the Sino–Korean border’. But could the developments of recent weeks shake this strategic alliance tested by time, wars and revolutions?

Earlier this year North Korea declared that it has ‘passed through the gate’ to prosperity on the way to its self-professed goal of becoming a strong and prosperous nation (Kangsong Taeguk). Yet there are signs that within North Korea’s closed borders the domestic situation is deteriorating and the regime is taking every opportunity to earn desperately needed cash and goods through the activities of its government agencies.''

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''Pentagon flexing muscles at Pyongyang: B-52 bombers take part in largest U.S. exercise in Korea for the first time''

my favorite new blog......From The Aviatoinist

''Even if the news that U.S. Special Forces have already parachuted into North Korea to perform surveillance operations on Pyongyang activities, reportedly (accidentally?) disclosed by Army Brig. Gen. Neil Tolley, commander of U.S. Special Operations Forces in South Korea, was (awkwardly) denied by U.S. Forces Korea, an official PACAF press release leaves no room for interpretations.

According to the news release, two B-52 Bombers from Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, took part in exercise Max Thunder 12-1 at Gwangji Air Base, Republic of Korea, on May 17, 2012.''

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''South Korea Deploys Hyunmu-3C Missile with 1,500km Range''

From New Pacific Institute

"We’ve covered this in the past, but it’s worth noting this announcement, as South Korea is normally considerably more discrete in their missile development and deployment information releases:

South Korea has deployed a new long-range cruise missile that puts nuclear and missile sites in the entire North Korean territory within striking distance, defense ministry officials said Thursday, amid growing security jitters sparked by the North’s botched rocket launch.

The new, home-grown cruise missile has a range of “more than 1,000 kilometers and can immediately strike anywhere in North Korea,” said Maj. Gen. Shin Won-sik, the senior official in charge of policy planning at the ministry."

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''Beating Up on North Korea and Iran''

From Steve Lendman Blog

"Washington needs enemies. When none exist, they're created. North Korea and Iran are prime targets. Neither poses threats. Yet they faced decades of false accusations.

Like other nations, both reject domination. They want their sovereignty respected. They seek normalized relations with regional neighbors and the West. America's imperial ambitions block them. Threats follow."

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''Pyongyang hits US with one-two punch''

From Asia Times

"No doubt about it, United States negotiator Glyn Davies got suckered into one of the all-time negotiating tricks when he fell for the deal with North Korea's veteran double-talker Kim Kye-gwan on February 29 in which Kim convinced him, really, this time North Korea would honor a "moratorium" on all missile and nuclear tests.

The trick, when you think about it, was basic. All Kim needed was for Davies to promise 240,000 tons in food aid - "nutritional" stuff for kids, not rice for soldiers - and the great North Korean disinformation machine could then advance to phase two of the trick."

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''Missile makes Japan twitch new muscle''

From Asia Times

''Japan has been one of the most active players in the North Korean "satellite" crisis. As a country well within the range of Pyongyang's ballistic missiles, Tokyo has good reason to be concerned, but the implications of its assertiveness in the past month are interesting in their own right.''

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''Japan goes off script at summit to slam North Korea''

From Reuters

"Japan steered off the agenda at a nuclear security summit on Tuesday to hit out at North Korea's plans for a rocket launch next month, as U.S. President Barack Obama cautioned against complacency in dealing with the threat of nuclear terrorism.

North Korea and Iran's nuclear weapons programmes are not on the agenda at the summit in the South Korean capital, Seoul, and neither country was invited to the forum involving some 50 world leaders tasked with improving security at nuclear facilities."

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''North Korea Likely Enriching Uranium Outside of Yongbyon Facility''

From Asia Security Watch

"In the last week, North Korea has managed to drive an entire ballistic missile through loopholes in the recent U.S. and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreement of delivering food aide in exchange for North Korean concessions in nuclear and missile research."

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''South Korea’s Iran''

From Turkish Weekly

"The United States is now wrestling with the nuclear fears of two of its close allies, Israel and South Korea. Israel’s alarm at the prospect of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon is existential in nature. The same is true of South Korea, whose capital sits only 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the border with the North."

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''North Korea halts missile launches for US food aid''

"In a surprising move North Korea has agreed to halt their long-range missile launches and nuclear weapons tests and suspend their Uranium enrichment. The move comes in exchange for food aid from the U.S." 


from voice of russia...

''China sends defectors back to North''

"In a flat rejection of South Korea’s plea to stop the repatriation of North Korean defectors, China sent home some recently captured refugees, sources told the JoongAng Ilbo." 


from joongang daily...

''Kim Jong-un Reshuffles Top Military Brass''

''The man fingered by South Korean authorities as being responsible for the torpedo attack against the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan, has been promoted from lieutenant general to general, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported on Wednesday." 


from the south korean chosun....

Photo Essay: "Kim Jong Un Looking at Things'

"Like father, like son. Since the recent death of Kim Jong Il, North Korean state-run media has been releasing a series of images of the "Great Successor," Kim Jong Un, visiting schools, factories, and military facilities. These visits, which were frequently publicized by his father and his grandfather Kim Il Sung, are called "field guidance" trips -- opportunities for the supreme leader to give on-the-spot advice. 


For decades, the North Korean myth-making machine endowed Kim Jong Il with amazing wisdom, prowess, and intelligence, and it continues that tradition now with his son, touting him as a marksman, poet, economic genius, and wise military strategist. Little is actually known about Kim Jong Un. Even his age remains in doubt -- he may be 28, 29, or 30. Based on the state-released photos collected here, he is following closely in his father's footsteps, albeit with a touch more visible affection"........view here..... [35 photos]


from the atlantic...

''S. Korea, US to boost guard against N. Korea attacks''

read more from channel news asia...

"The South Korean and US military will soon sign a new plan to counter any North Korean attacks and hold regular exercises, Seoul said Wednesday, amid wariness over the North's power transition.

"We believe there remains a possibility of provocations by the North during the power succession to Kim Jong-Un," deputy defence minister Lim Kwan-Bin told reporters."

Pepe Escobar: ''The old Kim is gone and the new Kim is in, but not much will change in the land of the Kim family dynasty''

read more........from aljazeera.......

"As all matters Kim dynasty-related, the Shakespearean overtones are fascinating. The young Kim will have to deal with the Dear Leader's powerful wife, Kim Ok, his extremely devious aunt, Kim Kyung-hui, and her equally scheming husband, Jang Song-thaek.

Jang is one of only four vice-chairmen of the National Defence Commission, the holy of holies in North Korea. The former chairman was - you guessed it - the Dear Leader himself."

Video: 'Inside North Korea'

short video........from france24....

"Crossing the North Korean border is like leaving the 21st century and the modern world to dive into the unknown. It's a step back in time to the era of the socialist ideal, to the first century according to the Kim dynasty calendar established by the regime.

Under the constant surveillance of minders, we visit the capital of Pyongyang and even get a glimpse of the countryside in this hermetically sealed nation over the course of five days in the most closed country in the world."

"China/North Korea Border Closed Before Announcement of Kim's Death''

read more........from dailynk........

.............."Thus, it is clear that the North Korean authorities took steps to avert civilian unrest and potential mass defection attempts by shutting down the border and reinforcing patrols prior to announcing Kim’s death."

''South Korea is the key''

read more.......from asia times online......

"Kim Jong-il actually died on Saturday morning. During the 48 hours until North Korean state TV's official announcement, what North Korea might have done remains a key to understanding the Hermit Kingdom's internal situation. Unfortunately, very few people know about it. It's only an educated guess that Pyongyang firstly broke the news to Beijing and the two have likely to come up with a strategy to "manage" the situation. By Monday afternoon, Beijing had made no official comment. 

Yet the fact that Pyongyang decided to go on TV and publicly announce the most earth-shattering news (since Kim Il-sung's death in 1994) indicates that Pyongyang doesn't want any trouble. This signal should be carefully grasped by Seoul."