N.Korean Rulers Worried Over Devaluation Backlash; Military Put On Sub-War Level Alert (Breaking)

Chosun Ilbo News, Seoul, S. Korea (original in Japanese) ^ | 7 December 2009 Pearl Harbor Day | Anh Yon Hyon, Reporter

[AmericanInTokyo]

OK, this is confusing: but this is the LINK to the original Japanese language article from the conservative/trustworthy South Korean "Chonsun Ilbo" daily newspaper website in Korean which reported from a Russian news agency just a little while ago.

The headline is 北朝鮮デノミ：「住民騒乱を懸念、軍が戦闘準備」 ("North Korean Currency Devaluation: Worries Over Uprising By North Korean People; North Korean Army Goes on Sub-War Status")

[AmericanInTokyo]

You and me BOTH.

[gogogodzilla]

That’s actually the old South Korean 10,000 won note.

[Anti-Bubba182]

The only way the Dictator goes is if the Army throws him out. Eventually that could happen when the Army can't feed themselves.

It is so past time for this Hell regime to go!

[rdl6989]

Kim Il Sung Praised by Former U.S. President
Pyongyang, December 6 (KCNA) — The personality of President Kim Il Sung as a great man was highly praised by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter recollected the time he was received by Kim Il Sung during his visit to the DPRK in 1994, when interviewed by the Thai newspaper “The Nation” on November 23.

He remembered President of the DPRK Kim Il Sung as a very outstanding great leader who was well versed in everything.

Having a very profound knowledge, Kim Il Sung knew almost everything, for example when a certain building was constructed and for what it was, he recalled, adding that he had a successful conversation with the President as he was simple and humble in his personality.

The President had been thoughtful of the north-south summit all the time until his demise, Carter said, expressing belief that there would be reconciliation between the north and the south of Korea.

He expressed hope that the present U.S. administration would have a direct dialogue with the DPRK.

The account of Jimmy Carter’s interview was reported by Reuters and Apsara Broadcasting Service of Cambodia on November 24.

http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm

[Reverend Wright]

GOP in MA wrote: “Let’s be positive!!! Remember, Nicolae Ceausescu learned his lession back in December, 1989.”

Yes, that is where I think this is going as well. The Romanian revolution started with the attempted eviction of a church pastor. Students surrounded his building to block the eviction, and events then spiraled out of control for the Ceausescu loyalists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_Revolution_of_1989

A “currency reform” which robs almost everyone in the country sets the stage for the same sort of dynamic in North Korea.

[toast]

I wonder how many of these suicides will be done using a firearm. Since the citizens are not allowed to own firearms.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

And me also!!! PRAYING HARD THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE OF N. KOREA TO THROW OUT THE UNSPEAKABLY EVIL GARBAGE WHO RULE OVER THEM!!!

[canadianally]

I could not imagine living in that hell-hole of a country. At what point does the population become so weakened that they can’t fight back even if they desperately wanted to?

[rfp1234]

Military Put On Sub-War Level Alert (Breaking)

Sub-humans wage sub-wars.

[Fee]

Your army is tied up in Iraq and the war did not go the way the neocons anticipated, and you want GWB go after North Korea??!!!! Now our army will be tied up in Afghanistan, and how are we going to take on the North Koreans???!!!! China who does not want a US ally up on her border (via a unified Korea dominated by South Korea) will simply say to US no more purchases of T Bills, if we attempted a move with South Korea. My prediction is there will be a revolt in North Korea, the Kim family will be removed or reduced to placate the mob and a committee of North Korean generals will run the country backed by China. China will transform North Korea into an adjunct szcerin. Unfortunately the North Korean rebels will be rounded up and shot to restore order.

[rfp1234]

Hail the Great Emperor Barak Su-Kwang!

[TigerLikesRooster]

Jimmy Carter, an imbecile for life. There is indeed irredeemable character and he is one of them. The guy is beyond salvation. I suppose one can do go to Hell for sheer incompetence.:-)

[GATOR NAVY]

My prediction is there will be a revolt in North Korea, the Kim family will be removed or reduced to placate the mob and a committee of North Korean generals will run the country backed by China.

I agree and this is probably the best that we could hope for at this point in time. North Korea has been so f*ed up for so long reunification would be a disaster for the South. The DPRK is not the DDR.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Tiger,

Seems the Rodong Shimun (Workers Daily) in North Korea today (7 December) ran a story or editorial that said that "30 anti-revolutionary elements" were detained by authorities for suspicion of ant-state activites and are under investigation. I did not get all the details about it--I would imagine they are in Pyongyang. Said something about them being members of the Reunification Patriotic Forces (통일애국세력), whatever subset of the DPRK government that is... But I am sure roundups are occuring. They did in East Germany, Poland, Romanian, USSR, anywhere initially as pro-democracy leaders were seized, but others took their places and the crowds only grew larger and larger. Lets hope. Lets REALLY hope on this one this time.

[AmericanInTokyo]

When it comes to the Korean Peninsula issues, our good FR friend "Tiger Likes Rooster" is the EMPEROR.

Thank you anyways though, one of a few. Appreciated greatly.

[AmericanInTokyo]

They actually meant a "war preparation level", in the sense of urgent need to put down a growing unease rising up from the masses under their feet, domestically. The Japanese word was 戦闘準備, so I could have given it an even stronger English word I suppose rather than "sub-war". The country is in a virtual state of martial law all the time anyways, lets put it at a *5*, and this situation would raise it to a *6*. I would look perhaps for defections from DPRK Embassies abroad perhaps to start. Certain foreign diplomats in Pyongyang are not too happy about this funny money business.

Talk about timing! A really, really great time for Stephen and Son to be in Pyongyang tomorrow with their bag of carrots at Obongo's appeasing behest, eh? /sarc

[TigerLikesRooster]

Yes, I heard the story that they did arrest dissident elements in Pyongyang some time ago. Couldn't locate the link, though. Junior level elites are the most unhappy bunch in the ruling class. I suspect those arrested also came from this stock.

[snowsislander]

Predicting anything to do with the possibilities of sudden political change is notoriously difficult, but this kind of unrest in a police state is an interesting development. I find it especially interesting since the unrest is based on dire, widespread economic circumstances with the sharp jolt of an apparently senseless, radical devaluation of the currency.

Unfortunately, if Honduras is anything to go by, the Kenyan Clown will make thunderingly stupid decisions if there are any to be made.

[AmericanInTokyo]

A real man with _____ would say this today on American TV, while on the road:

"I have informed the Government of the DPRK that we are going to suspend our government's top level diplomatic visit to Pyongyang on Tuesday, December 8th, due to the many reports we have been receiving of unrest and of a distraught population in North Korea due to recent economic news there, brought on by the North Korean government's currency actions. I have instructed Mr. Bosworth and his team to turn back and return to Washington, with stops in Seoul and Tokyo to discuss this fluid situation with our friends. This would not be an opportune time to engage in any discussions and in fact any discussions in the future will be preconditioned upon North Korea's commitment to cease any and all nuclear production activities and will be held in tandem with the participation of North Korea's neighbors in the region."

[oblomov]

Does the book make the case that FDR was surprised, or that he was not? Wendell Willkie had evidence that FDR knew about the Japanese prepartions for the attack, and that he should thus be impeached. Willkie was persuaded not to present this evidence in his 1944 Presidential campaign by the Army (the war was still on), since it would reveal that the Japanese code system had been cracked, and so he did not.