N. Korea Severs Communication Hotline With S. Korea

Asia • March 2013 • Views: 942

North Korea severed the inter-Korean communication hotline that runs through the truce village of Panmunjom following its threat to do so last week, South Korea’s unification ministry said Monday.

The ministry said the North seems to have disconnected the emergency link set up to ensure prompt two-way communication to deal with any sudden developments along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas. It said attempts to contact the North by telephone at 9 a.m. failed.

More: (LEAD) N. Korea Severs Communication Hotline With S. Korea

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4 comments

EiMitch Mon, Mar 11, 2013 1:14:55am

You mean to tell me that Kim Jong Il was a moderating influence compared to his own son?

Either Kim Jong Un is insane, or his bravado is a cover for his inability to reign in an insane military. Neither bodes well.

TDG2112 Mon, Mar 11, 2013 6:00:41am

re: #1 EiMitch

No, they are both about regime survival. Prior to 2000 there is a LONG history of cross border shootings, commando raids, provocations, submarine incursions etc. It was all about keeping the South and the US aware of their unpredictability.

As for why they are going back to this, we can merely speculate. But they are pretty convinced that they cannot open up without the West overthrowing their regime.

The most likely explanation is they are trying to change up the situation in some way so they can extort more aid.

They know that the smallest amount of escalation causes problems for the South’s economy. They also figure the US doesn’t want a shooting war, considering how much recent wars have cost us. So they just need to act a little crazy to extort some concessions they figure.

What are we going to do? Nuke them? Despite their own rhetoric, they’re likely pretty sure we won’t.

Major Tom Mon, Mar 11, 2013 6:05:21am

$20 bucks says it’s a rotary phone.

lawhawk Mon, Mar 11, 2013 6:06:04am

Kim Jong Un isn’t insane, but he may have a method to his madness.

I’ve suggested before that he may be using the recent nuclear test and threats as a means to secure more humanitarian aid (the latest in a long line of such threats), but he’s taken it to a new low.

Or, he’s using it as a loyalty test of top military officials in some form. He could be using it to gauge how the top level brass are willing to take provocative acts like the nuclear tests and whether he’ll get pushback from within the regime. I think it may be along these lines - that he’s using this as a loyalty test and purging those who may oppose his actions, though the opposite is also possible - that he’s looking to see who’s giving pushback and using that as a basis to eliminate the hard core elements as part of a shift towards a better eventual relationship with the rest of the world. I’d put the odds at about 85-15 for purging to keep the hardliners.

Still another possibility is that his uncle is pulling the strings and Jong Un is more of a figurehead. It’s rather sad that so little is known about the regime’s inner workings and that Dennis Rodman has more knowledge about Jong Un than any other westerner.

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