Tag: North Korea

This is a really good question considering the multiple deadly provocations that North Korea has launched against South Korea. Basically a warrant will not be issued because no state wants to bring it up and investigators cannot get into North Korea to investigate any accusations:

The International Criminal Court’s issuing of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin is “one of the most courageous steps taken” and “one that would eventually lead to accountability,” according to the war crimes court’s former president Hon. Song Sang-hyun.

However, bringing similar actions of international justice against North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un would be far more challenging, according to the three-term ICC judge. (…..)

On whether the leader of North Korea can be subject to ICC actions like Putin, Song said there had been an earlier attempt that wound up closing before the investigation could go forward.

In 2010, an investigation had opened against his predecessor and father Kim Jong-il by then-ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. His office said at the time it was looking into two 2010 provocations by North Korea — the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island near the maritime border and the sinking of the Cheonan, a South Korean military vessel. The investigation closed the following year in 2011 with his death.

Song said the investigation of the second-generation Kim was launched ex-officio by the ICC prosecutor and then authorized by the Court’s pre-trial chamber.

“The problem is it wasn’t feasible for our prosecutors to enter North Korea to conduct the necessary investigation. I remember we were trying to seek cooperation from China, which also would not have gone well,” he said. (……)

Song is skeptical about whether the ICC’s jurisdiction can reach Kim.

Aside from an ICC prosecutor deciding to pursue a case, as Moreno-Ocampo had done, the two other ways that an ICC investigation can be initiated are through a referral from the UN Security Council or a complaint by a state party. Here is where the challenge lies for an investigation of North Korea, he said.

He said while he had seen numerous complaints against the North Korean leader submitted by individuals and organizations during his time as the Court’s judge and president, most of them were dismissed.

“Only a state party can bring a case to the Court,” he explained.

He said that given the state of things, he believes it’s improbable that a state party government would file a complaint against Kim Jong-un.

“I don’t think the South Korean government would, much less the governments of North Korea’s other neighbors like China or Japan,” he said.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

It is interesting that the North Koreans allowed this person to be pictured in the first place if his position is so sensitive:

Mystery surrounds a man in military uniform who was pictured in the state media next to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as he watched a drill simulating a tactical nuclear attack on Monday. 

Unprecedentedly, the man’s face has been pixelated out, sending observers into a frenzy of speculation. 

Judging by his uniform, the man is a two-star army general. To make the mystery complete, he is wearing sunglasses and a face mask.

An intelligence source here offered little illumination. “He’s presumed to be an official whose identity is being kept secret like the commander of a tactical nuclear operations unit,” the source speculated. 

Chosun Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

North Korea has continued its war against the fish in the East Sea:

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) toward the East Sea on Monday, hours before a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier staged joint drills in waters south of Jeju Island, according to South Korea’s military.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from the Chunghwa County area in North Hwanghae Province between 7:47 a.m. and 8 a.m. The missiles flew some 370 kilometers before splashing into the sea, it added.

Pyongyang’s latest provocation came as South Korea and the United States kicked off the Ssangyong (double dragon) amphibious landing exercise last week. It is scheduled to end next Monday.

The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group also trained together with the South’s major warships in waters south of the peninsula Monday, according to the Navy here.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Sounds like more North Korean propaganda to try and strike fear in South Korea and impress their own domestic audience with something that probably doesn’t even work:

North Korea has tested a new nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, state media reported on Friday, as leader Kim Jong Un warned joint military drills by South Korea and the U.S. should stop.

During the test, the new North Korean drone cruised underwater at a depth of 80 to 150 metres (260-500 feet) for over 59 hours and detonated a non-nuclear payload in waters off its east coast on Thursday, North Korean state news agency KCNA said.

Reuters

You can read more at the link, but North Korea claims they can make underwater nuclear tsunamis to destroy naval fleets.

Here is the latest missile test from North Korea during the ongoing Freedom Shield exercise that ends this week:

North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles toward the East Sea on Wednesday, the South Korean military said.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from the Hamhung area on the North’s east coast from 10:15 a.m. It did not immediately provide other details.

Observers raised the possibility that the launch might have involved a long-range strategic cruise missile known as the North Korean version of the U.S.’ Tomahawk missile.

The launch came as South Korea and the United States are conducting the combined Freedom Shield (FS) command post exercise as well as the concurrent field training exercise, called the Warrior Shield. The 11-day FS is set to end Thursday.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.