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North Korea Threatens to Close Factories It Runs With South
The New York Times ^ | March 30, 2013 | CHOE SANG-HUN and GERRY MULLANY

Posted on 03/30/2013 11:19:07 AM PDT by Corporate Democrat

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea, reiterating that it considered the Korean Peninsula back in “a state of war,” threatened Saturday to shut down a factory complex it jointly operates with South Korea that stands as the last significant symbol of cooperation.

The industrial park, the eight-year-old Kaesong complex in the North Korean border town of the same name, is a crucial source of badly needed cash for the heavily sanctioned North. It funnels more than $92 million a year in wages for 53,400 North Koreans employed there, and its operation has survived despite years of military tensions. The latest threat to close down Kaesong came amid a torrent of bellicose statements by the North in recent days, widely seen as a strategy to increase pressure on South Korea and the United States to soften their policies on the North.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: chihuahua; kimjongun; northkorea; threats
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I know that North Korea has 'declared war' on us already, but I am honestly not all that worried. To me, Kaesong actually closing would be a much more dangerous sign of NK's will to wage war, considering NK's dependence on the income generated by the joint economic area.
1 posted on 03/30/2013 11:19:07 AM PDT by Corporate Democrat
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To: Corporate Democrat

And who is this going to hurt more?

The South gives them the work to help keep them from starving.

Meanwhile, the little fat man has told the ChiComs that it’s still safe to spend their tourist money in his little prison planet, because he will not start a war.


2 posted on 03/30/2013 11:23:59 AM PDT by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it.)
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To: Westbrook

So, shut the MFer down !


3 posted on 03/30/2013 11:25:54 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (NRA Life Member)
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To: Corporate Democrat

The guy and his father has been starving their people for years....Only the army gets paid...This is a recruiting trick. ‘cept IIRC, the army was short of “stuff”, too.


4 posted on 03/30/2013 11:29:26 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Westbrook

The biggest threat to the South would be for the North to open its border to allow the starving hordes from the North to flood over into the South.


5 posted on 03/30/2013 11:32:05 AM PDT by Arthurio
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To: Arthurio

What I don’t understand is why doesn’t some enterprising South Korean open identical factories on their side of the border?


6 posted on 03/30/2013 11:33:44 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 .....The fairest Deduction to be reduced is the Standard Deduction)
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To: Corporate Democrat
Kim Ima Fat Boy is quickly running out of hollow threats. Soon he'll be spitting kim chee on those 80 year-old military sycophants that are always following him around and jotting down his every vapid word. Even Pyongyang Patty is secretly laughing at the fat little punk.
7 posted on 03/30/2013 12:13:18 PM PDT by JPG (Stay strong.)
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To: bert

“What I don’t understand is why doesn’t some enterprising South Korean open identical factories on their side of the border?”

Because the average wage there, according to the article, is $144/mo. Even South Koreans won’t work for that.


8 posted on 03/30/2013 12:40:52 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("a shadow...draped nobly in the folds of a gorgeous eloquence.")
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To: VanShuyten

It is my understanding that some are near the border and south Koreans cross the border to work


9 posted on 03/30/2013 12:48:33 PM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 .....The fairest Deduction to be reduced is the Standard Deduction)
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To: Westbrook
And who is this going to hurt more?

My thoughts exactly!

Well to show them, Barry is going hold his breath until his lips turn purple! /sarc

10 posted on 03/30/2013 12:58:27 PM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (It's not "GUN CONTROL"! It's "PEOPLE CONTROL"!)
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To: Westbrook

SK companies made the investment to build the plants in exchange for cheap NK labor. I don’t think the labor could be cheap enough for me to invest anything in NK and trust them not to take it.


11 posted on 03/30/2013 1:10:50 PM PDT by Rusty0604
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To: bert

See my post 11.


12 posted on 03/30/2013 1:11:39 PM PDT by Rusty0604
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To: Corporate Democrat

53k NORKS at work?
That’s a pretty large complex.


13 posted on 03/30/2013 1:17:56 PM PDT by nascarnation (Baraq's economic policy: trickle up poverty)
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To: Corporate Democrat

I thought they had already declared war? How could the factories still be open?


14 posted on 03/30/2013 1:24:48 PM PDT by Empireoftheatom48 (God help the Republic but will he?)
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To: Westbrook

not just the chi-coms
Americans and others are said to be going to this utopia for vacations. With your personal minder.


15 posted on 03/30/2013 1:36:03 PM PDT by Joe Boucher ((FUBO))
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To: Corporate Democrat

I hope they do it....finally we get a chance to lance this festering boil. No doubt it will be bloody, more on them than us. They have no means to resupply or feed their army...it will be a one shot best shot deal


16 posted on 03/30/2013 2:04:20 PM PDT by fahraint (git theah fuhstest with the mostest)
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To: Corporate Democrat

North Korea is sliding inexorably down the toilet of poverty and ignorance, not to say national insanity.

The only question is whether or not they’ll attempt to take anyone else with them down the tank.


17 posted on 03/30/2013 2:42:49 PM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: Corporate Democrat
I`d close it myself, f`em! Let them eat their dear leader`s wondrous words of wisdom.
18 posted on 03/30/2013 2:47:59 PM PDT by nomad
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To: fahraint
They have no means to resupply or feed their army...

CHINA! As it's always been...

19 posted on 03/30/2013 3:01:27 PM PDT by Moltke ("I am Dr. Sonderborg," he said, "and I don't want any nonsense.")
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To: Moltke

Back in the Korea War, we had no leverage on China.

I think that’s changed dramatically as we have become such a huge comsumer of their labor.

Heck we could even threaten to shut down their Kentucky Fried outlets....


20 posted on 03/30/2013 3:05:54 PM PDT by nascarnation (Baraq's economic policy: trickle up poverty)
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