Towed artillery guns fire as soldiers of the Army’s 23rd Infantry Division conduct a live-fire drill against a potential landing enemy along the shore in Gangneung, a coastal city in South Korea’s northeastern province of Gangwon, on Jan. 10, 2017. (Yonhap)
Here is another example of how North Korea is really a “Soprano State” and why every country should be hesitant to have a DPRK embassy in their country:
Bangladesh authorities have seized a luxury Rolls-Royce Ghost car illegally brought into the country for a former North Korean diplomat expelled for smuggling.
Customs intelligence chief Moinul Khan said Han Son Ik intended to bring in the car without paying duty due to his diplomatic status and sell it on to a local buyer. Officials said the luxury car would have been liable for import duties of more than 800 percent had it been brought in legally.
Han was first secretary of the North Korean embassy in Dhaka until he was expelled in August after being accused of smuggling more than a million cigarettes as well as electronics worth half a million dollars.
“We had intelligence that Han made a deal with a local buyer to bring the person a Rolls-Royce with Han’s diplomatic immunity, therefore he attempted to evade customs tax,” Khan told AFP. “Han has been marked as a frequent offender.” AFP was unable to contact the North Korean embassy for comment.
In March 2015 a North Korean diplomat was forced to apologise after he was caught at Dhaka airport trying to smuggle nearly 27 kilograms (60 pounds) of gold worth $1.7 million into the country. A North Korean restaurant in Dhaka was shut down the same year after officials found it was selling wine and drugs such as Viagra without permission. [The Indian Express]
One Free Korea makes a great recommendation in this Tweet:
It looks like the Chinese are sending a message to South Korea once again that they don’t recognize their ownership of the Ieodo seamount and are still unhappy about the THAAD deployment:
The Chinese planes flew into the KADIZ near Ieodo, a submerged rock located off the southern coast of Jeju Island “several times” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the source. He said that South Korea countered by sending some 10 fighter jets including F-15Ks and KF-16s to the area.
The South Korean jets sent a warning signal to the Chinese planes, while its Air Force also delivered warning messages to the Chinese side, the source said. The Chinese planes were said to include bombers and early warning aircraft.
In 2013, South Korea expanded its own KADIZ to cover Ieodo on which it has scientific research facilities. China also includes it in its air defense identification zone. [Yonhap]
It seems like this same question has to be answered every time North Korea threatens to fire a long range missile. According to the article the US military will not shoot down the missile unless it threatens an area protected by US missile defenses. North Korea has historically fired their long range missiles on test trajectories out into the ocean. These tests allow intelligence agencies to collect information on the Kim regime’s progress in developing their missiles:
South Korean Defense Ministry retrieved an object believed to be a part of North Korean rocket, which was launched on February 7, 2016.
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday that if launches do not pose a risk to the US or an ally, “it may be more to our advantage… to gather intelligence from the flight.”
The US and other observers “can learn a lot” from any missile test, said Tal Inbar, a North Korea expert at the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies.
“We can analyze the trajectory and conclude some insight about the power of the engines and the amount of fuel, and estimate the potential range of the missile.”
If it is possible to retrieve the missile or rocket from the sea, as South Korea did in February last year, Inbar said there “is a wealth of intelligence in such debris.”
He added that it was generally unwise to shoot down any missile that does not pose a threat as not only would you lose the ability to examine the missile and its flight, “if you try and shoot it down and miss, that’s a huge PR embarrassment.” [CNN]
Take it for what is worth, but unidentified sources are saying that US Special Operations Forces would participate in an operation to kill Kim Jong-un in case of conflict:
The South Korean Army is engaged in a special infiltration exercise in the East Sea on Aug. 6, 2016. (Yonhap)
– U.S. special operation forces are expected to participate in a South Korean-led operation to kill North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un in the event of war, according to military sources Sunday.
“The South Korean military will form a special brigade based on that of the U.S. sometime later this year,” said a high-ranking government official on the condition of anonymity, adding that U.S. special agents are expected to be under Korean command during the operation.
“Although the brigade is modeled after that in the U.S., it will be tailored to the special environments of the peninsula,” he said.
The 1,000-2,000-strong unit is tasked with eliminating Pyongyang’s wartime command, including Kim Jong-un, and paralyzing its functions. [Yonhap]
This photo, captured from North Korea’s Central TV Station on Jan. 8, 2017, shows a newscaster reading a warning from the North’s foreign ministry that Pyongyang may launch its long-range ballistic missile at anytime and anywhere its leaders choose. (Yonhap)
Considering how President-Elect Trump tweeted that he would stop a North Korean rocket launch, I would be totally surprised if the Kim regime does not launch something in the near term just to call his bluff. The challenge for the North Koreans will be ensuring that the missile doesn’t blow up after launch which is what their track record for long range missiles has been lately:
North Korea on Sunday said it may launch its long-range missile at any time and anywhere its leaders choose, possibly hinting at its mobile capabilities while also asserting its right to do so.
In an interview carried by the North’s official Korean Central Television, a spokesman from the North’s foreign ministry also claimed his country has already developed standardized nuclear warheads.
“The United States continues to denounce our just preparations to launch rockets as a provocation and talk about sanctions as if a thief wields a stick,” the unidentified spokesman said.
In his New Year speech, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country was in the final stage of preparing to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). [Yonhap]
I have met people of Maori descent who serve in the US military. I wonder what the Pentagon’s reaction would be to someone of Maori heritage wanting a facial tattoo for cultural reasons?:
After serving 20 years in the Navy a combat specialist has become the first to be allowed a full facial Maori tattoo.
Rawiri Barriball was granted clearance in December to wear the moko after having to apply for it under navy law, NZME reported.
“I’ve always felt I was gonna get it, I just wanted to achieve a few things first and one of them was doing 20 years’ [service],” he told NewsHub. [Stuff.co.nz]
You can read more at the link, but I have spent quite a bit of time in New Zealand and it is not uncommon to see Maori with a facial tattoo. However, I saw very few Maori have facial tattoos as large as Mr. Barriball.
