North Korea Makes Threats Against US and South Korea

North Korea Makes Threats Against US and South Korea

A powerful North Korean military leader has made some harsh comments against the US and South Korea. The statements come just a short few weeks after their launch-test missile failed in front of the world’s media. KTVU has more details.

“North Korea has some threatening words for the US this morning, a senior North Korean army official says his country is armed with powerful mobile weapons that are capable of striking the US.”

The threats made against the US come as North Korea’s army celebrates their 80th anniversary today, April 25th. Fox News addressed the cause of North Korea’s threatening statements, speaking to Jim Walsh - an international security expert from MIT, who believe their motives don’t seem out of the ordinary.

“It fits the pattern of history. In the past they have had a missile test followed by a nuclear test. That missile test did not go well so this is a way for them to recoup and save some face.”

A writer for The Chrisitan Science Monitor says the new military leader for North Korea needs to convince the population that he has control. They spoke to Mark Fitzpatrick, a former US State Department official, for his expertise.

“'Yet another issue is the need to convince the North Korean people that Kim Jong-un is a strong leader, capable of controlling a military establishment ... while solidifying his power over the country. Having failed on the missile, they’ve got to do something that goes boom,' says Fitzpatrick.”

The ongoing political disputes between the North and South are flaring with the military threats. The Chosunilbo, a South Korean news publication, agrees that the motive is an attempt to save face.

“Every time it becomes more isolated, North Korea typically steps up its threats…The regime is probably trying to regain face by turning aggressively on South Korea. Although the threats may sound like emotional blather, Seoul needs to be fully prepared to deal with any provocations, and if the North does act on its words, it must respond in such a way as to stop North Korea ever thinking of doing it again.”

The Korean Herald reported that the threats could actually be real after speaking to World North Korea Research Center director Ahn Chan-il.

“(North Korea) always conducts attacks under unpredictable circumstances, so an attack is entirely possible.”

Since the military threats from North Korea increased, the Obama administration has chosen to halt food aid to the country. The Chosunilbo says even China agreed to the UN’s Security Council condemnation.

South Korea 'On Alert' for Possible North Korea Attack

Police say they have increased patrols around headquarters of nine conservative media outlets in Seoul after North Korea vowed to soon carry out a "special military action" on them by "unprecedented means and methods."

South Korea's government says it is concerned about Pyongyang's threat to reduce to ashes, in several minutes, the support base for the country's president, including several broadcasters and a leading daily newspaper, the Dong-a Ilbo.

Foreign ministry spokesman Cho Byung-je characterizes the latest threat from Pyongyang as “very dangerous and harsh.”

Cho says South Korea's government and military are strengthening their security postures and are on alert to prepare for any situation. He also warns that any military provocation by North Korea will be answered with a punishment by the South.

At the defense ministry, spokesman Kim Min-suk tells reporters he can say little about the possibility of fresh provocations by North Korea.

Kim says South Korean forces are monitoring the North's military but he cannot elaborate.

Officials in the South Korean government say there are no reports of any unusual military movements in the North.

That has led to speculation that the unique assault North Korea's military vows to carry out against the South could be nontraditional, such as cyber attacks on the government and media.

Kim Hung-kwang, who was a computer science professor at a North Korean university - and now heads a defectors' intellectual group - says Pyongyang has a proven capability for distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks via the Internet.

Kim says he anticipates North Korea will attempt something much more paralyzing than those previous attacks, such as taking down South Korean government internal computer systems. And as far as an attack on the South Korean media, he says, based on Monday's declared threat by Pyongyang, it will be something unexpected and unprecedented.

Tension has been high on the Korean peninsula since the sinking of a South Korean naval ship in the Yellow Sea and the shelling of one of its frontier islands in 2010.

North Korea has denied any involvement in the first incident but acknowledged the second attack, saying it was responding to the South's provocative military exercise in disputed waters.

The North has a long history of terrorist attacks against the South, including attempts to assassinate South Korean presidents.

In recent days Pyongyang's state media reported North Koreans rallied in the streets to demand South Korean president Lee Myung-bak be killed.

North Korea has accused Lee of the “unforgivable sin” of insulting the country while mourning was under way for its late leader, Kim Jong Il and then celebrating, this month, the centennial of the birth of the nation's founder, Kim Il Sung.