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Subscribe to RSSNorth Korea's military has threatened to reduce South Korea’s conservative government "to ashes" in "three or four minutes" – an escalation of its recent belligerent language.
It vowed Monday to launch unspecified "special actions" of "unprecedented peculiar means," an unusually specific warning.
North Korea regularly criticizes Seoul and just last week renewed its promise to wage a "sacred war," saying South Korean President Lee Myung-bak had insulted the North's April 15 celebrations of the birth centennial of national founder Kim Il Sung.
Kim Jong Il's 'last will' to son: Make peace, build more weapons
Its latest threat follows U.N. condemnation of North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket that exploded shortly after liftoff April 13. Washington, Seoul and others called the launch a cover for testing long-range missile technology. Pyongyang said the launch was meant to put a satellite into orbit.
Despite launch failure, North Korea celebrates military-style
The North's special actions "will reduce all the rat-like groups and the bases for provocations to ashes in three or four minutes, (or) in much shorter time, by unprecedented peculiar means and methods of our own style," according to the statement by the special operation action group of the Korean People's Army's Supreme Command.
Elizabeth Dalziel / AP
From work to play, see pictures from inside the secretive country.
Terrorist attacks?
Some South Korean analysts speculated the North's statement was meant to unnerve Seoul; others that the North could be planning terrorist attacks.
It seemed unlikely that North Korea would launch a large-scale military attack against Seoul, which is backed by nearly 30,000 U.S. troops stationed in the South, said Kim Young-soo, a professor at Sogang University in Seoul.
However, Dr. Cheon Seong-whun, of the Korean Institute for National Unification, told NBC News that he "wouldn’t be surprised if the North takes some military actions against the South soon given the concrete words announced by the North today.”
“I believe the North’s statements have passed the rhetoric stage,” he added.
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Pyongyang refuses to let failed rocket launch dampen tone of festivities.
The North's latest threat, which was carried by its state media, comes amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula, with both Koreas recently unveiling new missiles.
The animosity has prompted worries that North Korea may conduct a new nuclear test — something it did after rocket launches in 2006 and 2009. South Korean intelligence officials have said that recent satellite images show North Korea has been digging a new tunnel in what appears to be preparation for a third nuclear test.
We may never know why North Korea rocket failed
South Korea's Unification Ministry said it was examining North Korea's intentions behind the statement; the Defense Ministry said no special military movement had been observed in the North. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules.
Relations between the Koreas have been abysmal since Lee took office in 2008 with a hard-line policy that ended unconditional aid shipments to the North.
In Beijing, North Korea's biggest ally, China's top foreign policy official met Sunday with a North Korean delegation and expressed confidence in the country's new young leader, Kim Jong Un.
NBC News' Julie Yoo, msnbc.com staff and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
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North Korea obviously needs to review the film footage of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. This is how the future will look if they don't stop this kind of senseless chatter and escalation. They should also review the half life data for cesium-137 and uranium-238. If they think a conflagration will leave them unscathed, then they need to quit the opium before it's too late...
In 3 or 4 minutes? Sorry but your missiles don't last that long!
Ha, these guys need to put down whatever it is they're smoking!
If it weren't for China, we would have won the Korean War hands down. Now, China has a stance that it will defend North Korea if it is attacked by the South, so the idea of a pre-emptive strike is out of the question as we don't want a war with China. North Korea is a nice buffer between China and South Korea (US), and China will do everything within it's power to ensure that buffer remains in place.
The only real action the South can take is retaliation for any North Korean attacks. Perhaps a massive barrage on Pyong Yang would silence the North for a little while next time they fire artillery at the South.
Todd
I agree with your "buffer " theory. You can study conflicts through the centuries and many of them were for that reason. If the military of these buffer nations can be utilized, all the better. Conquer them without having to subdue them.
These a$$holes are probably making a play to their food aid restored. And, the idiots in DC will probably give it to them.
China is the Biggest Friend/Ally of All Rogue Nations in world?.
North Korea threatens to reduce South Korea's government 'to ashes' On behalf of south korea. "I'd like to see you try."
Looks like the little porker spouts off like the daddy porker does...
Every Rogue nation is a China Proxy. North Korea is also a China Proxy.
Why do I have this image stuck in my head of "Kim Jr." ......sitting in a large chair .....petting a white cat ....while dictating this message to one of his underlings ?
I always wondered what happened to Mr. Bigglesworth.
One has to wonder if North Korean leadership may be crazy enough to use suicide in the literal sense as a way of getting revenge upon the South Koreans. I think they truly are crazy and many, even what passes for their intelligencia, are totally out of touch with the "real" world. I don't think China would really try to assist them as it would destroy their economy which can't seel anywhere near as much stuff to the NKoreans as it can to the rest of the world and especially to the US. Honestly do any of you see a big market for iPhones in North Korea?
North Korea's dear leader(s) have left their people in abject proverty for generations. Perhaps everyone should stop sending food and let the entire population starve. Who then will dear leader have to do his bidding? I'm all for humanitarian aid, and I know that the common people of North Korea do suffer, but we can't continue to feed them when our country has so many of its own to feed, clothe and shelter, not to mention that North Korea would blow us off the face of the earth given the first opportunity.
we cant starve the north because in a few months later obama will probaly resume food aid again after north behaves for few days plain old appeasement but u cant appease north korea which is threating to kill everything in the south i mean everything i mean thats genecidal and hitler like additude and shame on chinese for protecting this new h itler
Because of the emergence of China's economy, the prospect of losing all sales to the USA could not look like a preferable option to the cynical leaders of China. I would not be surprised if one day soon, China occupies N. Korea, "for humanitarian reasons, and in the interest of world peace" when they realize that their little barking dog is more of a nuisance than a security measure.
Over past statements from N. Korea ... producing nuclear power for peaceful purposes, sounds like Iran plays a large impact on N. Korea's rhetoric. All attention appears to have shifted to N. Korea v. Iran. Bet Iran wanted Western attention to be diverted away from them and utilizing N. Korea to master this plan.
I bet that is not far off the mark at all.
"Pyongyang refuses to let failed rocket launch dampen tone of festivities." Excuse me MSNBC, but did you look at the picture you also posted of the 'festivities'? Could the North Korean celebration BE any more dampened? Sorry I missed it. What a Hoot!
Perhaps a worldwide "Laugh At North Korea Day" is in order.....
Ignore these crazed chinks.
So what's the real outcome of all this crap going to be? Not just this North Korea situation but across the globe. Are we going to actually ever have some type of world peace or are we getting ready to literally destroy the planet?
It kind of feels like what the world leaders, (if that's the correct term), are saying is: "We have the bomb and our trigger fingers are getting itchy".
America knew North Korea was building weapons of mass destruction before they overthrew Iraq. Why are they too afraid to try and stop them? They attack the Middle East at a moments notice, even making things up, but they refuse to address the real threat to the US and the world. Why is this? Is armageddon really just meant to play out as it appears, or is someone trying to make it happen? These really are the billion dollar questions aren't they?
Aside from any observances regarding the incipient insanity of the cult-like government of North Korea, and stepping aside from questions of what prior and present U.S. Presidents ought to have done or are not doing, I wonder just how long I would survive in such a society.
Not long, I expect. Sooner or later, I would say the wrong thing in a private conversation, or be caught with the wrong look on my face when a party official happened to be watching, and that would be it.
When the day comes when this heredity regime of mad men is overthrown, I believe the people of NOrth Korea will give a collective sigh of relief which will be heard around the world, and it will be at that point that this nation will begin to crawl out of the economic, social and political hole it has dug over the last 6 decades.
That day cannot come too soon.
I wonder what social mechanism keeps such a plainly destructive, counter productive system in place, when one has only to cast one's eyes south, across the 38th parallel, to see the alternative.
Do the military leaders and party officials of North Korea not love their own country?
I wonder how much influence China has over Kim Jong Un.
This is why we have problems with nukes today because of Germany first and U.S. going threw with keeping the Scientist alive, making the nukes and dropping 'em on a country that never had 'em. Cowards.
Use nukes again and you'll have the world hate you 10x's more.
Now we have the world making nukes to protect other countries from nukes. To make other countries see they shouldn't evade their soil.
Want to be a super power? Well, let go to bombs that can ruin the world and step up an fight face to face like my people did 2,000yrs ago.
Everybody that has nukes are cowards, period.
Your thoughts are good and I agree but try using a spell checker nedxt time
What a crock.....a penti-anti b.s. "country' (a stretch at that) sabre rattling! Nobody, the Chinas, USA'a, or anyone else should let a ragged country influence anything.
The North's special actions "will reduce all the rat-like groups and the bases for provocations to ashes in three or four minutes, (or) in much shorter time, by unprecedented peculiar means and methods of our own style,"
Sure sounds like threat to me.