Is South Korea deliberately trying to start a war with the North?
It seems far-fetched on the surface, but everyone was preparing for a major war Monday, when South Korea carried out a live-fire drill along its maritime border with North Korea, the exact same drill which last month ended with them trading fire.
That war didn’t happen, but civilians oughtn’t get too far from the bunkers just yet, as South Korea is announcing a new live-fire “mega drill,” far bigger and more provocative than the one on Monday.
The timing is particularly bizarre as North Korea has issued a few conciliatory statements in recent days, and the drill will undoubtedly be viewed not just as another military challenge but a slap in the face of those overtures.
Which seems to suit South Korean military officials just fine, as Brigadier General Ju announced the drill was about preparing to “punish the enemy” and insisted the South was ready for “surprise attacks.”
The White House condemned North Korea’s offer for talks as well, insisting they were too belligerent for negotiations. But it is the hawkish South Korean government openly talking about annexing the north in recent days, and despite the official claims to the contrary it has been the South announcing all the drills.
Indeed, it was only North Korea acting sensibly cautious that prevented a major war starting on Monday, and we all know how out of character that is for them. How many more times does the South intend to roll the dice on the North, and how many will it take before a new shooting war?
Looks to me like North Korea has for years been trying to intimidate the south and the world into war.
Come on, it's been clear for months now that, if the US and SK aren't seeking war, they certainly are wanting to look like they are.
Is there something in that Korean water? I thought only lunatics in the mold of Uncle Sam went about twisting noses and then acting surprised. Silly me. Seems that lunacy, like garlic, is cultivated on the Korean peninsula, too.
Let South Korea "punish" the north all it wants. Lets just bring the American troops there, home, where they belong.
The South Koreans are only talking big about "annexing" the North because the FedGov is encouraging them to do so.
why does every one keep insisting that north korean leadership is insane.
if i lived in a country that had been at war with the united states for 60 years i would expect much the same, especially if i had living memories of my entire country being drowned under napalm, and lived with constant threats to being nuked by the only country that has nuked another.
NK has lived under the threat of nuclear attack for almost 60 years.
It’s amazing how macho these gutless politicians can be – knowing full well they will go nowhere near the front line. Unless the front line comes to them c.f. Cheney’s scuttling to his bunker on 9/11. Leading from the rear seems to be born into these ‘guys’.
birds of a feather really do flock together