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South Korea has some apologising to do to North Korea.
I realise that earlier this week North Korean artillery shelled the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong. There is no disputing that. It was a terrifying event for the civilians living there. It also marked the most serious incident since the Korean Armistice in 1953.
But the question should be asked - who precipitated these events? South Korea has acknowledged that it fired the first shots as part of a military exercise. The South Koreans, along with their US allies, were engaging in regular military exercises in the area when the incident occurred. Furthermore, North Korea sent a message to South Korea asking as to whether the military exercise constituted an attack on its territory and to cease the exercise at once. More importantly, the North sent a clear warning in the message that it would attack the South if matters were not clarified. This message went unreplied to. Consequently, the North carried out its threat . Therefore, the South Korean and US militaries should have known better than to conduct military exercises in a sensitive area and using live ammunition at that. This action has been the equivalent of waving a red rag to a bull. What were the South Koreans and the Americans thinking? Did they seriously believe that Kim Jong Il's forces wouldn't respond at some stage?
In recent days, the usual commentary about Kim Jong Il precipitating another crisis in order to extract concessions has been made. But this misses the point. It is well known that the Kim regime in the North is a Stalinist redoubt. Anyone with a reasonable knowledge of socialist history should realise that the state's founder, Kim Il Sung, practically learnt his politics at the feet of the late Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. A large part of Stalin's personality was paranoic and the elder Kim picked up this trait. Thus, when the elder Kim was installed as the North's ruler in 1948, he instituted a Stalinist style regime complete with a full cult of personality.
Given these factors, it's little wonder that the Kim family haven't been keen about relaxing their grip on power. After the US attack on Iraq in 2003, Kim Jong Il became noticably concerned that the US would launch a similar war aimed at toppling him. Having noted the ultimate fate of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein (who was executed in 2006), Kim is in no hurry to go out the same way. That's why the North intensified its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons during the early 2000s and appears poised to expand that arsenal. It should be clear that Kim Jong Il is doing everything with an eye to securing the regime's survival past his death. Kim's recent decision to anoint his third son Kim Jong Un as his successor shows how determined he is in this regard.
So the question should be asked as to why would Kim Jong Il risk triggering a war that would ultimately annihilate his regime? This would be the case as recent war game scenarios hold that after a protracted and bloody conflict, the South Koreans and their US-led allies would triumph. China clearly doesn't want this outcome as it favours the status quo of retaining North Korea as a buffer state to counteract the influence that the US exercises in the South. If the North Korean regime collapsed, then the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist regime could also be questioned. Besides, neither China (or South Korea for that matter) want to meet the potentially horrendous cost of hosting millions of refugees.
Ultimately, South Korea as the country that fired the first shots should apologise. This should be one of the key elements of any moves to resolve the current Korean crisis. From there, both North and South Korea should engage in confidence building measures such as an agreement to not conduct military exercises within 30 kilometres either side of the Demilitarized Zone and to pre-notify one another of any future exercises. Both sides should also agree to withdraw their military forces behind those new limits. Also the six party talks should be unconditionally reinstated and seperate talks between the US and North Korea commenced without preconditions.
If these things are done then there is every chance that Kim Jong Il will come to the party. It's now up to South Korea to do the right thing and make the first move.
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Comments
Nonsense. The South should
Nonsense. The South should do no such thing. Both sides regularly conduct naval exercises along their disputed maritime border. It's hardly out of the ordinary. What's more, there was 0% of civilian casualties. North Korea fires artillery as part of military exercises all the time, so it's hardly wrong for the South to do the same. When North Korea recklessly shells a Southern village killing civilians, that is a clear aggressive wartime action on their part. How on earth can you then go and say that the South should apologise to the North for the North killing South Korean civilians? That is a disgusting position to take. North Korea invaded South Korean sparking a war, then goes on to continue violent attacks against them for the next 60 years, and yet you think that South Korea should apologise to the North? No. Never. The only apology should be a 1000kg bomb.
It is crap news reporting
It is crap news reporting like this that gives reporters a bad name. South Korea never fired onto North Korean territory. Haven't sunk any of their ships either.
Once again Chris Ford shows
Once again Chris Ford shows his Communist Views. Do us all a favour Ford and move to Nth Korea with all your loony Communist Mates. How anyone can take this idiot seriously is a joke.
An apology is only words and
An apology is only words and may not be enough. The south should apologize and resume massive aid to NK. That would buy peace for a year.
Would SK be bettor off giving $1 billion aid to NK, or sending $1B aid to Africa, or keeping the $1B for their own economy?
If they send $1B aid to the
If they send $1B aid to the North it will accomplish nothing. None of the money will go to the starving people who need it. Instead Kim Jong-il and his son will take the money for themselves and spend it on the military and their nuclear weapons program. It will encourage NK to keep repeating what they are doing since it's getting them money in the form of aid.
Should South Korea apologize
Should South Korea apologize for North Korea attacking them?!
Considering the long history of bellicose threats by the north (not to mention their kidnapings and blowing up an airliner) and the history of routine live fire drills, in the same general area, by both the north and south, your argument is obviously invalid and even offensive to the South Koreans who have died at the hands of yet another sneak attack. The south has never threatened to launch an offensive against North Korea, unlike the North's many threats against the south, thus attempting to cast the North Koreans as being the misunderstood victims that you claim them to be is ridiculous.
If we indulge in your perverted logic, perhaps the south should also apologize to the north for forcing North Korean soldiers to murder Park WangJa -- a South Koreans woman -- who was shot in the back while she was watching the sunrise during her visit to the Kumgangsan resort area.
Additionally, giving aid to the north is nothing short of a bribe and should no longer be done since it has not changed the attitudes of the ruling cadre in North Korea. After ten years of a "sunshine policy" on the south's part, it is clear that the north is not changing in a positive manner and is unlikely to.
Complete biased
Complete biased nonsense
both nations hold wartime exercises, when has pyongyang ever stopped exercises when the south and us dont like it? Each country has the right to do what they want im their EEZ. If they think we fired onto them, then its the fault of their equipment and intelligence.
Your conclusion, that both 'north and south' should build confidence in each other was tried by the administration of kim dae jung and roh moo hyun. The sunshine policy. During that time, who has built nukes, manipulated aid and also sunk ROKS Cheonan, and also the 2002 battle of yeonpyung. Who has changed without consultation the sea borders of the 1953 armstice?
Your article is based on simple, detail-lacking conclusions displaying a lot of opinions, but not many facts to back it up.
Is it inevitable That there
Is it inevitable That there will be another war perhaps very violent in nature? Do you wave a red Flag at a bull? It would seem so. There are serious discprencies in the story over the sinking of the South Koreon warship. Investigate before posting I am wrong. I think Nth Korea may been played here a little. Some of your blog may be closer to the truth Chris(and I have been very criticle at times)Than seems possable. The only Party here is War. Perhaps a cover for the worlds shocking debit crises. Korea vs Korea. China takes Taiwan. It was promised to them by the UN in the 50s. On to the Middle East.Sunni vs Shite? History people is repeating itself.
Shes all set to go everwhere.Look at the big picture. I am not in your camp at all Chris but I respect your right to stirr up some outward thinking from an insuler country. Got your hard hat.
There can be no excuse for
There can be no excuse for what North Korea have done. Your attempts at providing excuses for so called provocation are appalling. Whilst I don't bemoan the fact you have an opinion I do bemoan the fact you write articles that reflect a one sided view of the world. Might I suggest you go on holiday to North Korea and get a wider view of the world.
Thank you. South Korea fired
Thank you. South Korea fired first. Thay admitted it. You cant.
fired at what and hit what?
fired at what and hit what?
South korea fired into a
South korea fired into a disputed Border area that is recognised only by themselves. This is the red rag to the bull. Remember that they only signed an armistace not a peace treaty but that may have been before your time. If you reread my original post, that you have misread, I dont suppoert Nth Korea, They are a rouge state so to speak. Yes there retaliation is on the strong side. Im not sure what excuses you are talking about. I am displaying a bigger picture that is obviousily beyond what you can comprehend. How do you think its going to go down? At least give yourself a name and stop hiding behind anon. Perhaps you should post on Blogs you can understand a little closer to home. Search the net for reliable sources before attempting whose one sided view? Yours... as I havent really taken a side.
Boilermaker. North korea
Boilermaker. North korea kiled people..what else is there to say...what excuse can anyone give for killing people..
Oh dear....Irag and
Oh dear....Irag and Arghanistan have been pillaged by the US on flimsy evidence. They have killed people. There allied to South Korea. China are allied to North Korea. There record is shoddy. Where are you going to stop and Start pointing the finger. Nice to live in little old somewhat sake NZ. In this perfect World whos not Guilty. Look at the big picture. Are South Korea blameless? I support neither. But there both pawns in the Globalist games. Think One World Govt and you will perhaps understand why national soverinity is been eroded. Too Much.....
Can't agree with you. Forget
Can't agree with you. Forget your fixation with the US just focus on what North Korea did. It is wrong....
And yes what the US does is wrong...
While I have clearly stated
While I have clearly stated that the North is a belligerent dictatorship, do you want to take a chance and start a war which could have devastating consequences for both sides? While the ROK/US alliance will win any such conflict, it will be after months of intensive fighting. The economic and military costs to South Korea and the US would be significant. I am glad, for one thing, that the Chinese have stepped in and agreed to facilitate direct North-South talks next month. That is perhaps what is needed to calm the situation down. The North may throw its toys out of the cot at times but further provoking it won't do anyone any good.
Hi Chris. My point exactly.
Hi Chris. My point exactly. There is provocation from the South and the USA. There is an intention here to start a war.I hope I am wrong. Your Blog heading answered?.. then it would be Yes in the short term.There is a bigger picture here at foot.
you boys are conspiracy
you boys are conspiracy theorists...good to see small time kiwis with such a wide view on world matters....brilliant.