North Korea threatens 'shots' over South's leaflets

[Gerald]

North Korea says it will fire across the border at South Korea, if Seoul continues to drop propaganda leaflets .

The South has been launching balloons, carrying leaflets about the recent democracy protests in Egypt and DVDs, over the heavily fortified border.

The South should "immediately stop psychological warfare," said the state KCNA news agency.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12589748


Note: 27 February 2011 Last updated at 04:35 GMT

[Castout]

In my opinion South should cease provoking North. If they want to get even with the Cheonan and island bombardment do it quick and fast then forget about it.

This kind of actions such as dropping leaflet are completely useless and merely serve to agitate North leadership and no way to repay the lives lost on Cheonan and Yeonpyeong bombardment.

[Gerald]

Wasted strategy, if you prefer to use the word

[Castout]

Wasted strategy, if you prefer to use the word

Yeah completely useless and childish and laughable on the part of the South. It will get them nowhere either. So yeah really a wasted strategy. It's like a kid's fight.

More on North Korea rhetoric.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110227/ap_on_re_as/as_koreas_clash

[Takeda Shingen]

In my opinion South should cease provoking North. If they want to get even with the Cheonan and island bombardment do it quick and fast then forget about it.

This kind of actions such as dropping leaflet are completely useless and merely serve to agitate North leadership and no way to repay the lives lost on Cheonan and Yeonpyeong bombardment.

I kind of see it the opposite way. North Korea has overplayed it's hand. It acted with violence already, so the only step that it can further go is full-scale retaliation; something that it's leadership clearly wouldn't want because they know that it will lead to the end of the regime. I'd call their bluff and drop as many leaflets as I wanted.

[Gerald]

What has happened now is more a reaction to past problems, or rather, ongoing problems, I might think that this was unnecessary as surely seen in NK as a ridiculous shimmer.

[TLAM Strike]

I kind of see it the opposite way. North Korea has overplayed it's hand. It acted with violence already, so the only step that it can further go is full-scale retaliation; something that it's leadership clearly wouldn't want because they know that it will lead to the end of the regime. I'd call their bluff and drop as many leaflets as I wanted.
I'm with Tak. The north acting or threatening violence over leaflets only makes the north look bad.

[Castout]

I kind of see it the opposite way. North Korea has overplayed it's hand. It acted with violence already, so the only step that it can further go is full-scale retaliation; something that it's leadership clearly wouldn't want because they know that it will lead to the end of the regime. I'd call their bluff and drop as many leaflets as I wanted.

Leaflets is a pathetic retaliation to Cheonan and Yeonpyeong bombardment. If they wouldn't want to risk war by committing retaliation then they should just get over it. If they really object to bloody provocation they really should retaliate immediately.

Flying leaflets is so pathetic imo and it gains South nothing but an image of being a provocateur. North will think South as weak too in the end.

Military exercise however is well within South's sovereign rights and EVEN that irks North even more. But flying leaflets.....it's like being a hopeless helpless online activist while South is a whole sovereign country. To me in the end it only made South to look silly and stupid both to North Korea and international community.

It's akin to simply refusing to talk to your neighbor because that neighbor robbed and bloodied you

[Takeda Shingen]

Leaflets is a pathetic retaliation to Cheonan and Yeonpyeong bombardment. If they wouldn't want to risk war by doing retaliation then they should just get over it. If they really object to bloody provocation they really should retaliate immediately.

Flying leaflets is so pathetic imo and it gains South nothing but an image of being a provocateur.

Military exercise however is South's sovereign rights and that irks North even more. But flying leaflets.....it's like being a hopeless helpless online activist.

How can you be a provocateur when someone has already shot at you? I think it's a smart move; North Korea is counting on the South to escalate through military means so they can say 'See! See! I told you so! They're militant!'. South Korea is taking a completely non-threatening approach to confrontation, and that's pretty slick of them.

[Molon Labe]

Between Yonpeyong and the Cheonan, I'd say the north already is firing at the south. They might as well leaflet if they're already paying the price.

[Castout]

How can you be a provocateur when someone has already shot at you? I think it's a smart move; North Korea is counting on the South to escalate through military means so they can say 'See! See! I told you so! They're militant!'. South Korea is taking a completely non-threatening approach to confrontation, and that's pretty slick of them.

It's akin to simply refusing to talk to your neighbor because that neighbor robbed and bloodied you

Let me repharse that it's akin to simply making faces to your neighbor because that neighbor robbed and bloodied you.


Umm obviously that people in power in South Korea are holding a grudge towards North recent actions and that is understandable. South Korea military retaliation if done immediately would't be viewed by international community as South Korea aggression towards North. North may try to say otherwise but who's going to be fooled? Nobody!

But that's not the reason with South reluctance to retaliate militarily when they are provoked militarily. The reason is that they are enjoying vast economic progress and wouldn't want to see it hurt by risking a war with the North. AND that the US may be seen as being very reluctant in supporting war eventuality between North and South Korea because of recent commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan and the current budget & debt crisis.

Knowing this reluctance, North will in time be gambling on it again to gain either concessions or boost domestic support.

The question when and if that eventuality happens is what's the South going to do next?

Diplomatic protest and flying in more leaflets? or Retaliate militarily and risk war?

War could happen simply because one side is gambling that the other wouldn't risk it and they were afterward proven wrong.

[TLAM Strike]

Let me repharse that it's akin to simply making faces to your neighbor because that neighbor robbed and bloodied you.


Umm obviously that people in power in South Korea are holding a grudge towards North recent actions and that is understandable. South Korea military retaliation if done immediately would't be viewed by international community as South Korea aggression towards North. North may try to say otherwise but who's going to be fooled? Nobody!

But that's not the reason with South reluctance to retaliate militarily when they are provoked militarily. The reason is that they are enjoying vast economic progress and wouldn't want to see it hurt by risking a war with the North. AND that the US may be seen as being very reluctant in supporting war eventuality between North and South Korea because of recent commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan and the current budget & debt crisis.

Knowing this reluctance, North will in time be gambling on it again to gain either concessions or boost domestic support.

Wait...

... the South does respond militarily, it just respond proportionately. Except for the Cheonan... unless there is a DPRK Yeono class boat on the bottom right now...

[Jimbuna]

I kind of see it the opposite way. North Korea has overplayed it's hand. It acted with violence already, so the only step that it can further go is full-scale retaliation; something that it's leadership clearly wouldn't want because they know that it will lead to the end of the regime. I'd call their bluff and drop as many leaflets as I wanted.

How can you be a provocateur when someone has already shot at you? I think it's a smart move; North Korea is counting on the South to escalate through military means so they can say 'See! See! I told you so! They're militant!'. South Korea is taking a completely non-threatening approach to confrontation, and that's pretty slick of them.

Aye....I should imagine the regime in the north are soiling their pants should word leak out to their people that opression can be challenged successfully :yep:

[Growler]

... Retaliate militarily and risk war?


There's already a war, though. It's just not "hot" at the moment; I have my suspicions that's going to change soon.

And when it comes right down to the 38th parallel, the DPRK leadership could give a rat's rear-end about what the rest of the world thinks. They're actively manufacturing reasons that they're "being provoked," and one of these days, probably sometime soon, and unless something significant changes at the highest levels in the DPRK, they're gonna be coming South again.

[Castout]

Wait...

... the South does respond militarily, it just respond proportionately. Except for the Cheonan... unless there is a DPRK Yeono class boat on the bottom right now...

Then what's the leaflets are for if Yeonpyeong was already responded to? And they are useless. North Koreans aren't going to revolt any time soon.
The only chance is the military.

[August]

Leaflets may be the only outside voice the North Korean people ever hear. As such it is certainly more productive than trading artillery fire.

[TLAM Strike]

Leaflets may be the only outside voice the North Korean people ever hear. As such it is certainly more productive than trading artillery fire.

The ROK has a big loudspeaker near the DMZ they use to transmit messages to the north on. The DPRK has one too.

Also there is the VofA broadcasts on several frequencies the Korean language, for those in the DPRK who risk listening. The ROK has similar radio stations.