North Korea Proposes War Threats

There has been a lot of talking going on over the war threat made by North Korea on a North Korean news channel by a military spokesman in full uniform. People are wondering if this should be considered as just a fake threat or if this should be considered as a global crisis.

South Korea has intensified its military surveillance nonetheless, especially in the west coasts and the sea. The North and the South had engaged in naval skirmishes over the disputed sea border in the West Sea in 1999 and 2002.

The military spokesman accuses South Korea of planning an invasion, and stated, "Our revolutionary armed forces will launch into an all-out confrontational posture to crush the South." The North stated that the 30.8 kilograms of plutonium had been used to make warheads for missiles, and with 30.8 kilograms, 4~5 warheads could be made.

Why are people so worried when this is not the first war threat made by North Korea? This was the first time a spokeman made a fully-uniformed appearance. Analysts are guessing that they might be serious this time. However, most Korean citiznes are oblivious to the threat of nuclear bombs flying over their heads. Some analysts are even saying that the North are just trying to grab attention from the world due to their impoverished society.

Just days before, the new-elected prime minister Barack Obama received a message from North Korea that the 30.8 kilograms of plutonium has been weaponized. The message was delivered by the director of the Washington-based Center for International Policy's Asia Program, Selig Harrison.

Harrison also reported that Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun stated that the North wants better relations with Obama's new government. He said that the North wants Obama to make sure North Korea receives promised energy aid and to help revive their agriculture.

Harrison also said that the North Korean officials are going to stop disabling the North's Yongbyon reactor if Japan does not give them 200,000 tons of fuel oil promised by Japan. Japan had fulfilled its part in the deal saying that the North had abducted the Japanese nationals.

As a citizen of South Korea, there cannot be a worse news than the news of your country jumping into a war again, especially against your own people. The question is, "Is this another bluff? And how should we react to this threat?" I think that whether this is just a bluff to be in a better position in a negotiation or an actual threat, South Korea should really take this seriously even at the price of getting a bad deal at the next negotiation because a third world war is not needed in place of a tiny bit of the national budget. We should try to meet their demands and talk things out towards world peace. The officials should keep talking of peace, and I think that the United Nations should take part in the talks also and help out the people in North Korea who are living in poverty.