North Korea has sent jet fighters to test the South's air defenses and threatened to reduce its wealthy neighbor to ashes as it tries to push the new government in Seoul to back off from its hard line with Pyongyang.
South Korea's biggest daily newspaper said yesterday the North's jets had flown sorties close to South Korea's airspace at least 10 times since Lee Myung-bak became president on Feb. 25. Over the weekend the North said it was ready to attack.
"These should be understood as the first actions signalling a freeze in North and South Korean relations," said Yang Moo-jin, a specialist on North Korea at the South's Kyungnam University.
Lee's government has warned Pyongyang that if it wants to keep receiving aid it should improve human rights, abide by an international nuclear deal and start returning the more than 1,000 South Koreans kidnapped or held since the Korean War.
Lee's stand has infuriated the North, used to taking in billions of dollars from Lee's left-of-center predecessors who asked for little in return under their so-called "sunshine policy" of engagement, analysts said.
THE CHINA EFFECT
But analysts said China, one of Pyongyang's biggest benefactors and the closest it can claim to a major ally, would lean on the North to prevent the situation on the Korean Peninsula from spinning out of control.
Beijing, already facing criticism for its handling of the crises in Tibet and Sudan, does not want North Korea to be another headache and spoil its hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games, they said.
"China doesn't want any turmoil," said Kim Sung-han, a Korea University professor and expert in international relations.
China may be willing to step in and make up the difference in the hefty amount of food and monetary aid North Korea loses due to cutting ties with the South in order to keep things quiet for the Games, he said.
Last week North Korea expelled South Korean officials from a joint factory park just north of the heavily armed border once hailed as a model of economic cooperation.
WAR GAMES
It then test-fired missiles into the Yellow Sea, following that up at the weekend with a threat to launch a pre-emptive strike to "not merely plunge everything into flames, but reduce it [the South] to ashes."
It has threatened to attack South Korean naval vessels patrolling in disputed Yellow Sea waters, stop taking apart its nuclear weapons plant as called for under an international deal and suspend reconciliation talks if the South fails to apologize over comments by General Kim Tae-young, the chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, whose office has since said his remarks were misinterpreted.
South Korean military leaders were meeting yesterday to discuss how to respond to the apology demand, a Defense Ministry official said, citing ministry policy in requesting anonymity.
He said a decision was expected today.
A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines’ millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement. Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have already cast their ballots in the race dominated by a bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his impeached vice president, Sara Duterte. While official turnout figures are not yet publicly available, data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) showed that at least 134,000 of the 1.22 million registered overseas voters have signed up for the new online system, which opened on April 13. However,
ALLIES: Calling Putin his ‘old friend,’ Xi said Beijing stood alongside Russia ‘in the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying’ Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday was in Moscow for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin’s grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia’s army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce. More than 20 foreign leaders were in Russia to attend a vast military parade today marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, taking place three years into Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and has marshaled the memory of Soviet victory against Nazi Germany to justify his campaign and rally society behind the offensive,
ENTERTAINMENT: Rio officials have a history of organizing massive concerts on Copacabana Beach, with Madonna’s show drawing about 1.6 million fans last year Lady Gaga on Saturday night gave a free concert in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for the biggest show of her career. “Tonight, we’re making history... Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd. The Mother Monster, as she is known, started the show at about 10:10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary. Cries of joy rose from the tightly packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Concert organizers said 2.1 million people attended the show. Lady Gaga
CONFLICTING REPORTS: Beijing said it was ‘not familiar with the matter’ when asked if Chinese jets were used in the conflict, after Pakistan’s foreign minister said they were The Pakistan Army yesterday said it shot down 25 Indian drones, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to retaliate after India launched deadly missile strikes on Wednesday morning, escalating days of gunfire along their border. At least 45 deaths were reported from both sides following Wednesday’s violence, including children. Pakistan’s military said in a statement yesterday that it had “so far shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones” at multiple location across the country. “Last night, India showed another act of aggression by sending drones to multiple locations,” Pakistan military spokesman Ahmed
RSS