NKorea set to test-fire missiles

[Turborama]

Source: AFP

North Korea is preparing to test-fire short-range missiles in the Yellow Sea, one day after it staged a nuclear test, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

"North Korea has declared an off-limits area for vessels in the Yellow Sea off Jungsan county in South Pyongan province," it quoted a Seoul government source as saying. "The North is likely to fire short-range missiles today or tomorrow."

Jungsan is about 40 km (25 miles) west of Pyongyang.

=snip=

The North Monday staged its second underground nuclear test, with an explosive force much larger than the first in October 2006.

It also fired three short-range ground-to-air missiles from locations near its east coast, Seoul's military said.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jIFtFvfo47qqEcEvb_v_7wSNCplQ

[Massacure]

1. This is one more thing that makes Iraq so infuriating.

The United States has spent so much of its political capital and its military resources in Iraq that is makes it that much more difficult to give North Korea a proper spanking.

Ideally the United States would lay down rules saying no nuclear or missile research and use air strikes to prevent those kinds of test. Ideally the United States would also have more forces in South Korea to keep North Korea on the straight and narrow regarding any kind of retaliation.

[Adsos Letter]

2. I agree with you, to a point, but...

I wonder how N. Korea would respond to airstrikes?

[psychopomp]

3. No point in increasing US forces stationed in SK

The troops there never were meant to fight off NK, but instead serve as a tripwire for US counterstrike. The troop level is below 30,000, which is a good thing--NK has so much ordinance pointed at SK that the first day would see Seoul reduced to a flaming pile of rubble. That includes the Marines based there.

China would seem to be key here as NK relies on China to bring in goods to defeat any restrictions on exports to NK. Their relationship is much like the US-Israel one; Israel often bucks its benefactor and protector when it feels like it, much the same way that NK bucks China. Still, one would think that China has given NK the go-ahead to flip off the US and Japan in this instance.

[LiberalFighter]

4. If Russian or China had any guts they would accidentally fire test missles at NK

[Turborama]

5. N Korea 'test-fires more missiles'

Source: Al Jazeera English

North Korea has test-fired two short-range missiles, reports say, a day after the country triggered international condemnation by conducting an underground nuclear test.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted government officials in Seoul as saying the tests on Tuesday took place near the east coast city of Hamhung and involved one ground-to-air and one ground-to-ship missile.

If confirmed, the launches would be the fourth fired this week and come amid a dramatic escalation in tensions on the Korean peninsula following Monday's underground nuclear test.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/05/200952671713182441.html