North Korea threatens to withdraw from Korean War armistice

Jerusalem Post ^ | Jul. 1, 2003 | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

[yonif]

North Korea threatened Tuesday to abandon the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War, and warned that it will take "strong and merciless retaliatory measures" in response to any economic blockade.

The North's Korean People's Army said that "Korea is at the crossroads of war or peace" because of US efforts to stifle the communist state.

North Korea has recently stepped up its anti-US rhetoric in an apparent attempt to force the United States to negotiate a dispute over the North's nuclear ambitions.

"It is, in fact, hardly possible to preserve the cease-fire in Korea by the unilateral efforts of the Korean People's Army side," said the North Korean military's representative at Panmunjom, a truce village where the US-led UN Command and the North Korean military meet to oversee the armistice.

His statement was carried by the North's state-run KCNA news agency.

North Korea has often threatened to scrap the armistice, the key legal document that keeps an uneasy peace on the divided Korean Peninsula. It has called the armistice a "dead document" or a "useless piece of paper."

The United States and its allies are pressuring North Korea to abandon its suspected development of nuclear weapons. In recent weeks, they began cracking down on alleged North Korean trading in illicit drugs, counterfeit money and weapons.

North Korea calls the moves part of a US plan to impose an international siege on the isolated state and says they violate the armistice.

"If the US side applies sanctions against [North Korea] and conducts sea and air blockade against it anywhere and starts bolstering up troops in and around the Korean Peninsula, the KPA side will promptly regard it as a complete breach of the armistice agreement by the US side and will immediately take strong and merciless retaliatory measures," the North said.

Also Tuesday, North Korea accused the United States of conducting some 200 spy flights over its country in June.

KCNA said the United States used various reconnaissance planes to conduct aerial espionage last month.

This "proves that the US imperialists are becoming more undisguised in their moves to make a surprise pre-emptive attack (on North Korea) over its nuclear issue," KCNA said.

The nuclear standoff began in October when US officials said North Korea admitted having a covert nuclear program in violation of a 1994 pact.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not with a peace treaty.

[yonif]

I wish North Korea would "withdraw" from the Korean Peninsula all together.

[RJayneJ]

Not a wise choice on their part.

[TigerLikesRooster]

They are at it again. They have already repeated this threat a few times this year if my memory is correct.

[DAnconia55]

How do you say "bitch slapped" in Korean?

[libertylover]

I guess they don't think we'll have another Democrat administration anytime soon.

[HAL9000]

They are at it again. They have already repeated this threat a few times this year if my memory is correct.

Yes. It's their summer propaganda rerun season.

[dufekin]

I propose we get some extremely daring US Special Forces to ensure the death of several senior officials of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, assess their military capability, conduct psychological operations, and do miscellaneous spying. Then pre-emptively attack Pyongyang, freeing its people. The Democratic People's Republic starves its people into caniballism, maintains death camps so horrendous that they would make Hitler envious, and operates a terror state headed by a National Defense Commission. The capital is a façade, inhabited only by regime supporters, from which disabled persons and even pregnant women are banned. There is practically no food outside the capital. The people are stunted from severe malnutrition. The President, Kim Il Sung, was elected farcically in 1998 two years after his death to an eternal term.

I acknowledge that this war has tremendous, innumerable risks. But the rewards to the free world and the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea if victory comes swiftly are even greater. And I've heard that starvation has left the army demoralized. Use the "food upon surrender" tactic, and I don't know if they'll be able to resist.

[Tallguy]

I must be a little slow, but explain to me exactly how does a country "withdraw from an armistice agreement?" I mean all an armistice is is an agreement to suspend fighting, right? Does this mean the NK's are going to resume hostilities at any moment?

Withdrawing from a treaty, that I understand. Unless there are a bunch of "side agreements" that make the Armistice more than an Armistice (but less than a Treaty), I'd say the NK's have demonstrated (once again) that they are crazy-nuts!

[nravoter]

I mean all an armistice is is an agreement to suspend fighting, right?

Correct. That's why the article was wrong in the opening statement:

North Korea threatened Tuesday to abandon the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War...

It didn't end the war; the North and South technically are still at war, interrupted by a cease-fire (although there have been several hundred shooting deaths since the "end of hostilities").

[AFPhys]

Yep: they're saying it again... and I'll say again my standard response to this:

MAKE MY DAY

I'm sure that is the response many others in our military and administration have, too.

[Brian S]

Yawn...

North Korea cuts link with armistice body
			Posted by Rams82 On 03/26/2003 5:22 PM EST with 23 comments The Gaurdian ^ | Wednesday March 26, 2003
U.S. Calls N.Korean Armistice Threat 'Predictable'
			Posted by RCW2001 On 02/18/2003 3:09 PM EST with 5 comments Reuters ^
N. Korea Threatens to Abandon Armistice
			Posted by prairiebreeze On 02/18/2003 7:59 AM EST with 2 comments Associated Press , Yahoo News ^ | February 18, 2003 | SANG-HUN CHOE,
North Korea Threatens to Abandon 1953 Armistice Treaty
			Posted by Jay D. Dyson On 02/18/2003 1:33 AM EST with 5 comments Fox News ^ | 02/17/2003 | Associated Press
North Threatens Korean Armistice
			Posted by blam On 02/17/2003 8:08 PM EST with 3 comments Independent (UK) ^ | 2-18-2003 | Rupert Cornwell
North Korea threatens to abandon the 1953 Korean War armistice
			Posted by RCW2001 On 02/17/2003 7:50 PM EST with 17 comments Associated Press ^

[Teacher317]

"It is, in fact, hardly possible to preserve the cease-fire in Korea by the unilateral efforts of the Korean People's Army side," said the North Korean

Bagdhad Bob is in for some competition! Maybe this dolt saw the publicity and products generated around Bob, and wanted to get in on the action.

[Tai_Chung]

North Korea has often threatened to scrap the armistice, the key legal document that keeps an uneasy peace on the divided Korean Peninsula. It has called the armistice a "dead document" or a "useless piece of paper."

I hate to agree with the North Koreans on anything, but they are probably correct here.

No legal document can keep the peace. In terms of security, it is a "useless piece of paper".

If your enemy believes you are weak, you are much more likely to be attacked. Peace through Strength, not a piece of paper!

[Dubya]

NK dooesn't want any part of us. Except our money. They are upset because they can't rattle our Pres into giving them money.

It will be intresting to see how many troops China will send this time.

[Mamzelle]

North Korea wants another big payoff from South Korean corporations. Viva la "Sunshine."

[headsonpikes]

The Government of North Korea seems to have the personality of spoiled child, tantrums and all.

I wonder why?

[dark_lord]

All those bone heads in N. Korea have to do to absolutely guarantee the reelection of GWB is to detonate a nuke.

[aShepard]

Calling Maddie Halfbright

Calling Maddie Halfbright

You're needed in North Korea to get up on the stage and dance your flower petal dance so everything will be alright again.

[AmericanInTokyo]

How do you say "bitch slapped" in Korean?

"supkyok" or perhaps "yasusok uro"....

Regardless either way, they need it......

[AmericanInTokyo]

Creating a DPRK refugee exodus crisis, whereby the country is essentially overwhelmed with masses streaming out and hollowing it out, (ala East European model), is one of the prominent approaches in thinking these days, rather than taking them on directly and militarily.