N. Korea says it
targets S. Korean media for possible attack
-
The General Staff of
the Korean People's Army said the country's troops have been targeting some
conservative South Korean media offices (븍한 인민군 총참모부)
-
The threat was in
response to some South Korean media reports critical of the North's celebration
of the Korean Children's Union (KCU) under way in Pyongyang.
-
It is the first time
the North has released coordinates of intended targets
-
no particular
movements in the North Korean military have been observed.
-
The South Korean
government "will maintain a posture to immediately cope with any North
Korean provocation."
General Staff of KPA
Sends Open Ultimatum to S. Korean Group of Traitors
-
only the Lee Myung Bak
group of traitors is chilling the atmosphere of these auspicious events of the
children
N. Korea's Game
Software Turns Many PC's into Zombie PC's
-
a South Korean surnamed
Cho was arrested for distributing game programs embedded with malignant codes
developed by North Korea's reconnaissance unit
S. Korean held for selling
N. Korean malware
-
Cho is also accused of
allowing North Korean agents to use his server for distributing
denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on the South's online systems.
-
Seoul accused
Pyongyang of staging cyber attacks on websites of South Korean government
agencies and financial institutions in March 2011 and July 2009. Seoul claimed a
North Korean cyber attack paralysed operations at one of its largest banks in
May 2011
-
Pyongyang accuses
Seoul of inventing the charges
'Door for Dialogue
Open', South Korea Tells North Korea
-
A senior policy
planning officer at the Ministry of Unification, the door for dialogue is still
open for North Korea to pursue peaceful talks despite its provocations
North's Nuclear
Ambition Alarming, says South Korea
S. Korea, U.S.
struggle over a proposed revision of a bilateral pact to allow Seoul to develop
longer-range ballistic missiles, extending the missile range stipulated in the
deal to 550 km from the current 300 km
North-South
integration: socializing risk
-
While most of the
Chinese enterprises feel that they are “on their own” obtaining little direct
or implicit support from the Chinese government, in the case of North-South
economic integration, the South Korean government plays a much more central
role.
-
In effect, the South Korean
government has substituted relatively strong South Korean institutions for the
relatively weak Northern ones in the KIC, thus socializing risk
S. Korea, U.S.
struggle over missile pact revision
2012-06-04 20:37, By
Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldm.com)
South Korea and the
United States are still struggling to narrow their differences over a proposed
revision of a bilateral pact to allow Seoul to develop longer-range ballistic
missiles, officials here said Monday.
The Korean government
in Seoul denied a news report that the allies reached an agreement to extend
the missile range stipulated in the deal to 550 km from the current 300 km,
saying that negotiations are still ongoing.
The two countries have
been in consultations for the past few months as North Korea has continuously
sought to develop longer-range delivery vehicles and military nuclear
technology.
“Working-level
consultations are ongoing over the range extension, and we have yet to reach
any agreement. We think it may be difficult to strike an agreement within this
month,” a Seoul official told media on condition of anonymity.
“Seoul argues that the
range should cover all areas of the peninsula while the U.S. holds a cautious
stance. To narrow our differences, working-level negotiations will continue.”
A JoongAng Ilbo report
said that the two sides had agreed to extend the range and will take steps to
revise the pact after announcing the decision at a meeting of the countries’
foreign and defense ministers in Washington in mid-June.
But Defense Ministry
spokesperson Kim Min-seok countered that by saying nothing has yet been
decided.
“The two countries
have held consultations over it, but there is nothing decided as of yet,” he
said during a regular press briefing.
“The two share the
view that the allies should draw up measures against North Korea’s long-range
missiles and strengthen South Korea’s missile capabilities. We also have yet to
finalize the agenda items for the allies’ ministers’ meeting later this month.”
Under a 2001
revision to the initial agreement, Seoul is banned from developing
ballistic missiles with a range of more than 300 km. But it does not restrict
the range of cruise missiles, which are much slower and easier to intercept.
It also stipulates
that a payload must weigh no more than 500kg to block the development of
nuclear warheads.
Seoul has apparently moved fast to revise the
missile pact due to continuing threats from the North and considering
the Washington government may have less flexibility over the sensitive issue
ahead of its upcoming presidential election in November.
The U.S. has been reluctant over the range
extension as it could undermine its initiatives of non-proliferation and
arms control.
Seoul signed the first
bilateral missile pact with Washington in 1979, despite the range limit of 180
km, on the condition the U.S. would assist with the South’s missile technology
development.
After years of
negotiations with the U.S. amid the North’s push for the development of
advanced missile technology, the two allies agreed in 2001 to revise the
original pact to extend the range to 300 km.
The longest-range
North Korean ballistic missile, deployed since 2007, is the Musudan missile
with a range of 3,000-4,000 km. This missile, in theory, brings Guam, a
key U.S. strategic base in the Asia-Pacific region, within its range.
The longest-range
North Korean missile under development
is the Taepodong-2 missile, presumed to have a range of more than 6,700
km, enough to hit parts of Alaska, but still short of reaching the U.S.
mainland. The missile’s tests have so far failed.
Exclusive: 'Door for
Dialogue Open', South Korea Tells North Korea
By VASUDEVAN
SRIDHARAN: June 4, 2012
The door for dialogue
is still open for North Korea to pursue peaceful talks despite its
provocations, opined a South Korean government official in an exclusive
interview to the International Business Times UK. (For full interview
transcript, click here.)
A senior policy
planning officer at the Ministry of Unification in South Korea who spoke on
condition of anonymity, revealed that the country wanted to improve
inter-Korean relationship through dialogues.
Even after several
instances of provocations by the defiant North Korea which include a failed
rocket launch and a controversial nuclear programme, South believes there is
still window of opportunity for dialogues in order to get the issues resolved.
"The Korean
government hopes that North Korea makes a good choice by changing its course of
direction and sincerely responding to our proposal for dialogue. Moreover, we
hope that North Korea abandons its ambitions for nuclear development and
military provocations; comes forward and take the path of dialogue and
cooperation. Once again, we would like to underline that the Korean
government has not closed the 'window of opportunity' despite
Pyongyang's provocative actions," said the senior official in the
interview.
In a latest
provocation against Seoul, North Korea reportedly threatened to 'blow up' the
media offices in the country for its alleged controversial coverage of a
children's event. It also jammed South's GPS signals in late April but later
reversed the action.
The ministry official
also insisted that the North should stop engaging in such threats by abandoning
the nuclear programme and military provocations.
When the official was
asked how the North is responding to the South's calls for dialogue, the reply
was much restrained saying Pyongyang prefers a unilateral approach rather than
a bilateral approach.
"North Korea
refuses to respond to our proposals for dialogue while criticizing our flexible
measures as a delusive strategy. By hurling harsh vitriol against Korea's head
of state and the government, Pyongyang continues to engage in actions that
undermine inter-Korean relations," the official added.
According to the
official, Seoul has been responding with calm and restraint to such
denunciations and threats. The official also assured that South will continue
to encourage North to have dialogues and at the same time maintaining a
principle stance to establish peace on the Korean peninsula.
South Korea maintained
that Pyongyang should show signs of change in attitude to take responsible
steps in solving the problems it has created. Seoul also called for a positive
response from North Korea.
North's Nuclear
Ambition Alarming, says South Korea
By Vasudevan Sridharan
, Monday, June 4, 2012 12:06 PM GMT
In an exclusive
interview, a senior policy planning officer at the Ministry of Unification in
South Korea who spoke on condition of anonynity to theInternational Business Times UK, revealed that the country is
keeping the door for dialogue wide open for North Korea even after many
provocations. For the news story, click
here.
Excerpts from the
interview:
IBTimes UK : What exactly is happening in North Korea right now, in terms
of nuclear test? Are there any developments?
Official : The
international community estimates that North Korea has secured approximately
40kg of plutonium after undergoing at least three times of reprocessing since
the operation of a nuclear reactor with the capacity of 5MWe in the 1980s.
Moreover, it is
assumed that North Korea is also developing enriched uranium based on
the fact that it invited Professor Hecker, co-director of the 'Centre
for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University' and
disclosed its centrifuge facility as well as the construction site of
light-water reactor in November 2010.
IBTimes UK : There have been reports that North Korea is jamming South
Korea's flight signals and reportedly this has been stopped few days back. What
is the current situation?
Official : We believe that
North Korea has recently stopped jamming GPS signals which had started on
28 April.
However, the Korean
government is keeping a close eye on Pyongyang should it resume GPS signal
distraction.
Such an action by
North Korea is both a violation of the ITU charters which ban harmful
cross transmission of signals, and ICAO agreements which guarantees the
security of international commercial airplanes.
The government hopes
that Pyongyang stops such provocative actions and look after its people's
livelihood by cooperating with Korea and the international community.
IBTimes UK : Do you currently hold any kind of talks or discussions with
North Korea in any platform? Are there any communications from their side?
Official : It is our
government's stance to solve current issues between the two Koreas through
dialogue. Under such recognition, the Korean government has proposed
inter-Korean working-level talks to discuss joint pest control near ancient
tombs (UNESCO designated historic site) in the North and a Red Cross
working-level dialogue over the reunion of the separated families.
However, the North has not responded to our proposal yet.
Instead, North Korea
continues to direct invectives and military threats against the South.
Pyongyang insists that it will no longer engage with our government for not
having expressed official condolences over Kim Jong-il's death at the
end of last year.
The Korean government
hopes that North Korea makes a 'good choice' by changing its course of
direction and sincerely responding to our proposal for dialogue. Moreover, we
hope that North Korea abandons its ambitions for nuclear development and
military provocations; comes forward and take the path of dialogue and
cooperation. Once again, we would like to underline that the Korean government
has not closed the 'window of opportunity' despite Pyongyang's provocative
actions.
IBTimes UK : How does North Korea respond to your calls? On major issues?
Official : The Korean
government has been pursuing its unification policy under the policy goal of
'normalising and developing inter-Korean relations.' We have responded firmly
to Pyongyang's nuclear tests and armed provocations based on our North Korea
policy of principle. At the same time, we have tried to establish a mutually
beneficial relationship by introducing 'flexibility measures'. We are
keeping the 'door for dialogue' open and urge that North Korea make
positive changes.
However, North Korea
has repeatedly engaged in threats and provocations against the South in
attempts to alter our government's North Korea policy and redirect inter-Korean
relationship into one that's more unilateral. In defiance of warnings from
Korea and the international community, North Korea went ahead with a long range
missile launch last month. North Korea refuses to respond to our proposals for
dialogue while criticizing our 'flexible measures' as a delusive strategy. By
hurling harsh vitriol against Korea's head of state and the government,
Pyongyang continues to engage in actions that undermine inter-Korean relations.
The Korean government,
under a consistent principle, has responded with calm and restraint to such
denunciations and threats. We will continue to encourage the North to make a
'good choice' by keeping the window of opportunity open while maintaining our principled
stance to establish peace on the Korean peninsula and develop a normal
inter-Korean relations.
IBTimes UK : Is the US re-deploying its strategic nuclear weapons in
South Korea to strengthen the country against the North? Can you please shed
light on that?
Official : We believe that the
discussion within the US Congress on re-deploying strategic nuclear
weapons came about as various efforts to solve the North Korean nuclear
issue have not produced tangible results and as Pyongyang continues to
develop its nuclear program.
The Korean government
maintains its basic stance toward denuclearization based on the 'Joint Declaration on the
Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula' agreed by the two Koreas.
In other words, it must be guaranteed that no nuclear weapon will be tested,
manufactured, produced, deployed, and used on the Korean peninsula.
Furthermore, we have firmly maintained the fundamental principle that
possession of facilities for nuclear reprocessing and uranium enrichment will
not be permitted.
However, North Korea
continues to raise tension as it develops its nuclear program in neglect of the
'Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula' and the
agreements made at the 6-party talks. This is the reason why we are demanding
for North Korea's denuclearization.
IBTimes UK : How do you think these conflicts will resolve? What should
North Korea do in order to resolve the matters peacefully? Both long-term and
immediate measures.
Official : There have been ups and downs in
inter-Korean relations over the past six decades. There were times of greater
crisis but the concerted efforts of the Korean government and its people have
enabled us to overcome the hardship and achieve the development we see today.
It is our firm belief that we can surmount any difficulties as long as we have
a sincere willingness toward enhancement of inter-Korean relations and a
peaceful reunification.
The current tension on
the Korean peninsula is triggered by the North's nuclear development, armed
provocations, and threats. Pyongyang continues to develop its nuclear program
in neglect of the promise it had made with Korea and the international
community. Moreover, 50 Korean citizens were killed as a result of the North's
two armed provocations in 2010. The Korean government is taking decisive
measures in close cooperation with the global community under the recognition
that normalisation and development of inter-Korean relationship are possible
only by tackling such problems. Above all, as the aggressor, North Korea should
show signs of change in attitude and take responsible steps in solving problems
it has created. At the same time, a stable inter-Korean communication channel
should be established to continue improving relations. The Korean government
continues to keep the 'window of opportunity' open and hopes that North
Korea makes a good choice. We call for a positive response from North Korea.
S. Korean held for
selling N. Korean malware
AFP, Monday, Jun 04,
2012
SEOUL - A South Korean
has been arrested and accused of distributing illegal computer game programmes
infected with malignant codes developed by North Korea, police said Monday.
The man identified
only as Cho, 39, allegedly met North Korean agents in 2009 in China's
northeastern city of Shenyang and provided money to develop the programmes.
The agents from North
Korea's cyber hacking unit were posing as members of a trading firm in China,
police said in a statement.
Cho, who was detained
on May 23, sold the programmes to South Korean game operators, according to
police.
They said the
malicious software would paralyse users' computers and steal personal
information. It was not immediately clear how many computers may have been
infected.
Cho is also accused of
allowing North Korean agents to use his server for distributing
denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on the South's online systems.
He is alleged to have
kept personal information on hundreds of thousands of people from major portals
at his home.
Seoul accused
Pyongyang of staging cyber attacks on websites of South Korean government
agencies and financial institutions in March 2011 and July 2009.
In May 2011 the South
said a North Korean cyber attack paralysed operations at one of its largest
banks.
Pyongyang accuses
Seoul of inventing the charges but South Korean officials say the North
maintains elite hacker units.
N. Korea's Game
Software Turns Many PC's into Zombie PC's
Jun 4, 2012 yjkim@arirang.co.kr
North Korea is
continuing to launch cyber attacks on South Korea this time with game programs
infected with malignant codes.
Police say a South
Korean man surnamed Cho was arrested Sunday for distributing game programs
embedded with malignant codes developed by North Korea's reconnaissance unit.
Cho is suspected of
purchasing the game programs in Shenyang, China knowing that they were infected
with malignant codes and then selling them back to South Korean game operators.
The software turned
hundreds of thousands PC's in South Korea into so-called 'zombie' PC's,
transferring some 500-thousand pieces of personal information to North Korea.
Investigators believe
it was with this data that the North tried to hack into the main server of
Seoul's Incheon International Airport last April
General Staff of KPA
Sends Open Ultimatum to S. Korean Group of Traitors
BY ADMIN · JUNE 4,
2012
Pyongyang, June 4
(KCNA) — The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army sent the following open
ultimatum to the south Korean group of traitors on Monday:
The celebrations of
the 66th anniversary of the Korean Children’s Union are now taking place in the
revolutionary capital of Pyongyang with splendor.
They are a great
political festival of children unprecedented not only in the history of the
Korean nation but in the long history of mankind.
As many as 20 000
delegates of school children have come to Pyongyang on invitation from all
parts of the country, including remote villages and solitary islands.
It was the noble
outlook of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il on the younger
generation and the future that they showed paternal loving care and solicitude
for them, calling them kings of the country. This outlook has been steadfastly
carried forward by the dear respectedKim Jong Un.
All the service
members and people are immensely excited and pleased with this stirring
reality.
The world is becoming
envious of the DPRK, noting that such great event can take place in socialist
Korea only.
But it is only the Lee
Myung Bak group of traitors in south Korea that is chilling the atmosphere of
these auspicious events of the children.
From May 29 the group
set in motion Chosun Ilbo, Choongang Ilbo, “A channel” of Dong-A Ilbo, KBS,
CBS, MBC, SBS and other media to launch a campaign defaming the above-said celebrations.
It went the lengths of resorting to a new campaign of hurting the dignity of
the supreme leadership of the DPRK, availing itself of this opportunity.
The children of the
kindergarten in magnificent and modern Changjon Street were so happy as to have
a photo taken with Kim Jong Un and sons and daughters of ordinary working
people are participating in the above-said celebrations. However, the Lee group
is letting loose a string of vituperations describing all these blessings as
“charades intentionally orchestrated” by the supreme leadership of the DPRK.
The auspicious
political festival was opened amid joy and cheers of three million of
schoolchildren, hailed by their fathers and mothers throughout the country. The
group, however, is playing down it as “events for publicity stunt,” “events to
win popularity”, “events to curry favor with them.” It made no scruple of
letting loose a spate of such invectives as deliberately hurting the dignity of
the supreme leadership of the DPRK, describing the great inheritance of the
love for the younger generation and the future as “act of imitating gesture and
copying after Hitler” and “the north’s staging of a political show as that
staged by the Nazis to train the Juvenile Corps.
And the Lee group went
the lengths of describing the unblemished naive schoolchildren as “children on
markets” more familiar with capitalist markets than socialist policies and
“mere children knowing nothing about the world”.
This is a new form of
evil action hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK. It is a
thrice-cursed criminal act as it is a monstrous mud-slinging at the rosy future
of our revolution.
There is no country in
the world as the DPRK which projects children as kings of the country.
When babies are born,
they are taken care of at palaces of babies and children are rapidly growing at
children’s palaces, bringing their talents into full bloom. They are leading
such blessed lives under the immensely profound loving care of the great
persons of Mt. Paektu, something rare to be found in any other parts of the
world.
It was President Kim
Il Sung who brought up all the children under his deep care with the noblest
viewpoint on the younger generation and the future, despite snow and rain. It
was leaderKim Jong Il who saw off the children leaving for their camps while starting
his journey to the front along rugged roads in adversity.
It was Kim Jong Un who
visited the Mangyongdae Revolutionary School on the New Year’s Day and put
forward its children as future pillars.
It was thanks to this
profound care of the sun that the children were provided with ampler
opportunities of learning and flags of the Children’s Union fluttered more
vigorously over their camps under the clean and blue sky of the country even
under the difficult situation where its people had to fasten their belts in
manifold adversity.
Children are the
future of the country and a symbol of hope and victory.
The above-said
vituperation let loose by the group of traitors is nothing but a shriek made by
the group, utterly discomfited by the bright future of the supreme headquarters
of the DPRK and rosy future of the younger generation.
From olden times,
idiots are apt to see everything quite different from a reality.
It is quite natural
that the group of traitors branded as fools, idiots and blockheads can hardly
see the present world correctly.
If it is not true, how
can the group describe the great inheritance of our nation as “imitation” and
compare the children who would shoulder upon themselves the future of the
nation with the juvenile organization of fascist Hitler?
As for Hitler, he was
the fascist fanatic who drove guiltless humankind into pitfalls of disasters
and death, special class war criminal who destroyed his country and nation and
die-hard tyrant who had no love for its children.
The south Korean
people had already branded the worst traitor Lee as a notorious “Hitler Lee”
and burned the traitor in effigy in Nazi uniform, bearing the same moustache as
Hitler’s as he has been hell-bent on mercilessly suppressing the protestors at
the point of bayonet and enforcing an unpopular rule.
It is said that one’s
wrong tongue-lashing is as harmful as a sword cutting off one’s head.
Upon hearing the news
that the Lee Myung Bak group of traitors hurt the dignity of the supreme
leadership of the DPRK and slandered its loved children, the officers and men
of the three services of the KPA are expressing towering resentment and
pledging themselves as one to resolutely settle accounts by force of arms with
those who violated the moral law of the nation and defamed the great man whom
the people follow and the world look up to.
Officers and men of
the army corps, divisions and regiments on the front and strategic rocket
forces in the depth of the country are loudly calling for the issue of order to
mete out punishment, declaring that they have already targeted Chosun Ilbo at
coordinates of 37 degrees 56 minutes 83 seconds North Latitude and 126 degrees
97 minutes 65 seconds East Longitude in the Central District, Seoul, Choongang
Ilbo at coordinates of 37 degrees 33 minutes 45 seconds North Latitude and 126
degrees 58 minutes 14 seconds East Longitude in the Central District, Seoul,
the Dong-A Ilbo at coordinates of 37 degrees 57 minutes 10 seconds North
Latitude and 126 degrees 97 minutes 81 seconds East Longitude in Jongro
District, Seoul, KBS, CBS, MBC and SBS, the strongholds of the Lee group
orchestrating the new vicious smear campaign.
In view of this grave
situation the KPA General Staff sends the following ultimatum to the Lee group
of traitors:
The revolutionary
armed forces of the DPRK are the army of the supreme commander and the people’s
army which is devotedly defending the supreme commander and protecting his idea
and the people and children whom he values and loves so much.
It is the iron will of
the army of the DPRK that the dens of heinous provocateurs hurting the dignity
of the supreme leadership of the DPRK and desecrating its idea, system and
people should not be allowed to exist as they are.
We would like ask the
Lee group if it wants leave all this to be struck by the DPRK or opt for
apologizing and putting the situation under control, though belatedly.
It should take a final
choice by itself.
Now it is impossible
for the officers and men of the KPA three services to keep back their towering
resentment any longer. In case dens of monstrous crimes are blown up one after
another, the Lee group will be entirely held responsible for this.
If the Lee group
recklessly challenges our army’s eruption of resentment, it will retaliate
against it with a merciless sacred war of its own style as it has already
declared.
We are fully ready for
everything
N. Korea says it
targets S. Korean media for possible attack
2012/06/04 17:46 KST
SEOUL, June 4 (Yonhap)
-- North Korea said Monday its military has entered map coordinates of some
conservative South Korean media offices as it threatened to strike their
headquarters for their alleged insult to North Korea's new leader Kim Jong-un.
The
General Staff of the Korean People's Army said the country's troops have been
targeting the Seoul headquarters of the Chosun Ilbo at coordinates of 37
degrees 56 minutes 83 seconds North latitude and 126 degrees 97 minutes 65
seconds East longitude. It also revealed the coordinates of the JoongAng Ilbo
and Dong-a Ilbo newspapers, as well as the KBS, MBC and SBS television stations
and CBS radio.
It is the first time the North has released
coordinates of intended targets in South Korea.
"We would like to ask the Lee group if
it wants to leave all this to be struck by the (North) or opt for apologizing
and putting the situation under control, though belatedly," the General
Staff said in an English-language ultimatum, referring to South Korean President
Lee Myung-bak.
Seoul, the South Korean capital city of more
than 10 million people and home to South Korean media headquarters, is within
range of North Korea's artillery and rockets.
"If the Lee group recklessly challenges
our army's eruption of resentment, it will retaliate against it with a
merciless sacred war of its own style as it has already declared," the
General Staff said in the ultimatum carried by the North's official Korean
Central News Agency.
It also warned the North is "fully
ready for everything" and "time is running out."
South Korea defended its media reports on
its communist neighbor, saying freedom of the press is a basic right guaranteed
in free and democratic countries around the world.
The South Korean government said in a
statement it "will maintain a posture to immediately cope with any North
Korean provocation." A South Korean military official said no particular
movements in the North Korean military have been observed.
Also Monday, Unification Ministry spokesman
Kim Hyung-suk urged the North to immediately stop threatening the South's media
outlets. He said the North's threat was a grave "provocation" against
South Korea's free and democratic system.
There is no freedom of the press in North
Korea where authorities use state media as a propaganda tool to strengthen
personality cults of the country's leaders.
The North's latest threat was in response to
some South Korean media reports critical of the North's celebration of the
Korean Children's Union (KCU) under way in Pyongyang.
About 20,000 North Korean children pledged
their allegiance to Kim as the North began a six-day festival on Sunday to mark
the 66th anniversary of the KCU, according to Pyongyang's state media.
Some South Korean media dismissed the
celebration as part of the North's attempt to win support for Kim, who took
over the country following the December death of his father, long-time leader
Kim Jong-il.
Channel A, a television arm of the Dong-a
Ilbo newspaper, likened Kim to the late German dictator Adolf Hitler over the
anniversary celebration.
The North has long bristled at any outside
criticism of its leader and has made similar threats against the South over the
past several months, although no actual attack has occurred.
South Korea has repeatedly vowed to avenge
any North Korean attacks following two attacks by the North in 2010 that killed
50 South Koreans, mostly soldiers.
