Daily Headline – 08/03/13

Korean peninsula on verge of war

The situation on the Korean peninsula is amazingly tense, further escalations have taken things to the verge of war.

All of the 15 UN security council members voted unanimously for tighter sanctions on North Korea (DPRK) (known as resolution 2094).

The 15 members of the UN security council consists of 5 permanent members and 10 other members who normally serve 1 year terms before being changed:

5 permanent members:
China
France
Russia
UK
US

10 current other members:
Azerbaijan
Argentina
Australia
Guatemala
Republic of Korea
Morocco
Pakistan
Luxembourg
Rwanda
Togo

In response to resolution 2094 North Korea has scrapped the ceasefire armistice agreement that was signed in 1953 by the UN, North Korea and China.

The North went on to say that it had the right to launch pre-emptive strikes following on from foreign aggression.

The scrapping of the armistice agreement leaves the Korean peninsula in a desperate situation and on the verge of war.

Daily Headline – 12/02/13

North Korea tests nuclear bomb

Working for the Advancement of North Korean Energy Research

North Korea tests a nuclear weapon, the US does nothing. Someone mentions in a pentagon corridor that Iraq might have WMD, the US invades.

What’s the difference?

The skeptic says: Iraq has oil
The realist says: Chinese soldiers will kill US soldiers (again)
The optimist says: The US is a peaceful nation

North Korea said it would test a small nuclear bomb after the UN added further sanctions and it did just that this morning (3am GMT).

The situation so far…

Dec-11 Kim Jong-un becomes the leader of DPRK
Dec-11 EU adds sanction against DPRK
Dec-12 DPRK successfully launches a space rocket carrying a satellite
Jan-13 US/UN increases sanctions against DPRK
Jan-13 ROK successfully launches a space rocket carrying a satellite
Feb-13 DPRK successfully carries out 3rd nuclear test

Following this mornings nuclear test the UN’s Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it was a “clear and grave violation” of UN resolutions and that it was “deeply destabilising”.

The UN will meet at 2pm (GMT) to decide what action should be taken.

Daily Headline – 30/01/13

South Korea launches into space

South Korea has successfully launched it’s Naro-1 rocket into space for the first time, on board is a Science and Technology Satellite (STSAT 2C).

Previous attempts by South Korea in 2009 and 2010 both failed.

Last month North Korea launched their Unha-3 rocket into space which was followed by further UN sanctions.

Why is it that two nations who are technically still at war face a situation of complete double standards?
North Korea launches a space rocket, gets more UN sanctions, South Korea launches a space rocket, gets a pat on the back.

Whether we agree or not with North and/or South Korean politics and general way of doing things surely they must be treated in the same way considering their joint history and the fact that both sides over-step the cease fire agreement.