A TV screen at the Seoul Railway Station in South Korea shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday. The text reads: "Kim Jong Un attended Thursday night's parade celebrating the ruling party congress." Photo: AP/Lee Jin-man
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N Korea holds huge military parade as Kim vows nuclear might

55 Comments
By KIM TONG-HYUNG

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55 Comments

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Once again American exceptionalism that ignores their responsibility in having stolen the money in the first place, requiring it to be returned.

You conveniently ignore the fact that Iranian "students" took over the US Embassy and held 52 US diplomats and other embassy personnel as hostages for 444 days. Technically that was an act of war. The US could have legally bombed the place flat, invaded and occupied Iran. It did not. Holding the money they had on deposit was a mild form of retribution for what the Iranians did. And the US did not spend it either but held it in the bank thinking it would be given to a democratic Iran if/when the ayatollahs were tossed out.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

the Obama/Biden deal with Iran not only lent legitimacy to the regime but also provided cash rewards for their behavior.

Once again American exceptionalism that ignores their responsibility in having stolen the money in the first place, requiring it to be returned.

Yes yes, we get it, you guys are exceptional and no one should ever DARE to expect America to take responsibility for it's actions. How DARE we not accept America is as exceptional as America says it is?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Even the current dictator in chief whom he said isn’t a threat to the US.

Again you misrepresent what was said. What Mr. Biden said was China was not going to dominate us because they have so many internal weaknesses.

So Obama/Biden rewarded Iran for taking American hostages and invading the embassy. Iran has never paid to make amends for taking the hostages yet somehow Obama/Biden reward that crime without recompense. Shameful.

The 19 January 1981 Algiers Accord negotiated between the US and Iran that freed the US hostages prohibits future lawsuits over the matter. The terms of the agreement are these:

The US would not intervene politically or militarily in Iranian internal affairs;

The US would remove the freeze on Iranian assets and trade sanctions on Iran;

Both countries would end litigation between their respective governments and citizens, referring them instead to international arbitration, namely to the Iran–United States Claims Tribunal, created as a result of the agreement;

The US would ensure that US court decisions regarding the transfer of any property of the former Shah would be independent from "sovereign immunity principles" and would be enforced;

Iranian debts to US institutions would be paid.

As a point in fact the US never fully complied with the agreement until 2016 when the US released funds to Iran, the pallet of cash you fixate on. Note the agreement prohibits future litigation outside of an Iran-US Claims Tribunal. The hostages have since been paid $10,00 for each day of captivity and each of the hostage's families received a lump sum payment of $600,000.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I am just so thankful he didn’t give him anything more materially tangible like cash and sanctions relief.

Yeah, instead he armed him with political power and backing like no other president in history.

And stopped war games, without anything in concession.

Trump was as pathetic in his NK policy as he was in his America policy.

A true Loser in every step of the game.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Yes, there is actual video released by Iran’s Supreme Leader of the pallets coming off the transports meant to prove Americans humiliation. Put that down the memory hole did you

Again, that wasn't US tax money. That money was Iran's, seized from Iranian accounts by the US in 1979. Quit spouting lies.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Mr Kims way of saying to trump, BYE BYE. My Bang is more bigly than yours.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Good job Trump. You legitimized the Kims. But you also trolled America for four years! So there's that...

I agree - Trump lent a certain degree of legitimacy to Kim’s socialist utopian dictatorship by giving him a photo op. I am just so thankful he didn’t give him anything more materially tangible like cash and sanctions relief.

It is more than a little disingenuous for any of those who are Trumps political enemies to attack him over his dealings with Kim when the Obama/Biden deal with Iran not only lent legitimacy to the regime but also provided cash rewards for their behavior. This behavior not only involved state sponsored terrorism but also military arms and personnel support to kill US military personnel. At least Trump did get any Americans killed due to his photo op antics.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Trump single-handedly legitimized the dictatorial leadership of North Korea. He gave a photo-op of the third dictator in the dynasty shaking hands and smiling with the president of the strongest country in the world, and didn't have to give up anything.

For a dictator, that's the equivalent of graduating Magna Cum Laude. Before he had to lie about such things, now they are truth.

Good job Trump. You legitimized the Kims. But you also trolled America for four years! So there's that...

1 ( +3 / -2 )

No US President before Donald Trump would meet with a North Korean dictator and give that dictator recognition as North Korea's legitimate leader. 

Like I said, what did Kim get other than a photo op? No deal. No pallets of cash. Nothing. But I agree, the recognition of the rouge regime was wrong. But then again, it’s not much different from Nixon’s recognition of China in the early 70’s. Biden has had no trouble hobnobbing with his Communist pals. Even the current dictator in chief whom he said isn’t a threat to the US.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Desert: For the sake of historical accuracy, it was George W. Bush who delivered pallets of cash to the Iraqi government after the US invasion.

Unrelated to Obama/Biden’s appeasement of a terrorist state by their nuclear blackmail. But nice try. BTW - Obama/Biden also gave big money to Iraq and Afghanistan to support their continued occupation and war efforts.

In the case of the Iran nuclear deal, the money in question was money the US seized from Iran in 1979, Iranian money held in US banks at the time of the takeover of the US Embassy and subsequent hostage crisis. 

So Obama/Biden rewarded Iran for taking American hostages and invading the embassy. Iran has never paid to make amends for taking the hostages yet somehow Obama/Biden reward that crime without recompense. Shameful.

There were no "pallets of case" as the post asserts. 

Yes, there is actual video released by Iran’s Supreme Leader of the pallets coming off the transports meant to prove Americans humiliation. Put that down the memory hole did you?

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

About the best the US and South Korea can do is well armed deterrence and patience. North Korea's military isn't the major threat. It is China. Kim won't go to war without China's blessing and if that ever comes there will be divisions of PLA and squadrons of PLAAF right behind, and the PLAAN will make it very hard for US and Allied forces to operate near Korea as they did during the Korean War. Without Chinese support DPRK forces would last maybe two or three weeks. It is China that tips the scale in their favor.

Btw, Kim wants nuclear weapons because he thinks the US and South Korea might try a surprise invasion and he doesn't trust the Russians and Chinese to come to his aid. He saw the old USSR abandon Vietnam when China invaded in 1979. North Korea had very bad relations with Kruschev but also had bad relations with Mao. They were especially resentful of Mao reconciling with the US in the 1970s while not demanding the US withdraw its forces from Korea as a condition of diplomatic recognition. North Korea also feared the disruption caused by the Cultural Revolution had weakened China greatly and they would not be able to come to their aid as they were consumed with internal warfare. The end result was Juche, self reliance. The North Koreans don't trust the US, but they don't trust the Chinese or Russians much either and want to have some ability to defend themselves in case either erstwhile ally failed to come through for them.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

What exactly did Kim get that stoked Donald’s ego so much?

You apparently missed the significance of a North Korean dictator walking around a market in Singapore.

No US President before Donald Trump would meet with a North Korean dictator and give that dictator recognition as North Korea's legitimate leader. The North Koreans were always a pariah state to be shunned. Their leaders beneath the dignity of a US President and not worth their time. The US would never even say formally that the North Korean government was the legitimate government of the North Korean people. Those meetings gave Kim and the DPRK the stamp of legitimacy they had so long craved. It was a huge domestic and international political victory for Kim.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

He certainly didn’t get pallets of cash delivered in the dark of night in unmarked bills.

For the sake of historical accuracy, it was George W. Bush who delivered pallets of cash to the Iraqi government after the US invasion. Whole planeloads of cash. In the case of the Iran nuclear deal, the money in question was money the US seized from Iran in 1979, Iranian money held in US banks at the time of the takeover of the US Embassy and subsequent hostage crisis. In addition, due to US sanctions there were billions of US dollars held in bank accounts around Europe and Asia that were frozen when the US made it illegal to make payments to Iran in US Dollars. This was money the Iranians earned from oil sales but had not yet been paid that was caught up by US sanctions. The US released this money as part of the agreement. There were no "pallets of case" as the post asserts. That is a lie perpetrated by the right to mis-characterize the terms of the agreement. No US taxpayers money changed hand either. That too is a lie often told by the right.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Where can I find the same hair tonic? That's quite a 'fro in the photo.

It's a fur hat. People in really cold places wear hats like this.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Japan must acquire offensive weaponry.

That will put a stop to all the non-sense in the immediate neighbourhood.

Sooner the better.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@smith: Had Trump won he and his supporters would have continued giving NK everything it wanted -- all for a little bit of praise from Kim to stoke Donald's ego. 

What do Kim get other than a photo op? He certainly didn’t get pallets of cash delivered in the dark of night in unmarked bills. He didn’t get a guarantee that in 10 years his nuclear weapons program would have been legitimatized by the international community. What exactly did Kim get that stoked Donald’s ego so much?

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

@zichi: Trump added $9 trillion to the National Debt. The most by any president and in a single term. Almost equal to Obama over two terms.

Yes. Horrible isn’t it? No wait - apparently for the Left the debt is great if it’s their guy spending the as yet earned tax dollars of future generations. Based on the unsustainable structure of the American federal budget and the socialists grip on the presidency and Congress, Biden will surely beat Trumps spending. That is if the old geezer can fight off father time long enough.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Wolfpack, indeed, also factoring the forward military commitments.

It is important that the financial burden is shared.

The question is whether savings can be made in the European theatre. If EU member stated commit to there budget pledges and promises

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

There has to be a global freedom of navigation military directive. This has to be maintained up to and, yes if deemed necessary confronting the Government of China with intervention.

The United States has bankrupted itself and is in no position to oppose the Chinese military build up and Kim’s missile launches - which are sure to follow with Biden. Biden hasn’t even taken office yet and he is already planning to add $2 trillion to the national debt! This right after a campaign condemning his opponent for running up the debt!

Kim knows Biden have a planning to give in again to Iran’s nuclear blackmail. I opposed Trump meeting with Kim but was relieved that he refused to give him any aid without disarming his nuclear program. Obama/Biden gave Iran billions to use to spread terrorism and kill American troops in Iraq and Syria all while allowing the Ayatollahs to have a bomb if they just wait 10 years. Dark days ahead.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Bob the Subject matter is …..

N Korea holds huge military parade as Kim vows nuclear might

I am well aware the opinion you have on me personally.

In that respect, manners, get to the back of the queue.

The question is, what do you have to contribute to the subject matter?

Elaborate.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

In order to engage Japan, China continues to reinforce North Korea. In such a scenario, there are two overlapping threats facing Japan, such as China and North Korea. Japan should, therefore, abandon its post-World War II strategy and concentrate again on increasing of its army's ability. The continued production of long-range missiles and nuclear weapons by North Korea presents a significant security threat to Japan. Instead of depending on the US, Japan can now depend on its own power. On the one hand, Japan is lagging behind in military matters, while North Korea and China are constantly strengthening their armies. Japan must reinforce its army in order to meet the danger faced by China and North Korea in the future.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

bass4funk: "Just wait until Joe gets in"

Well, I'm glad you don't deny supporting what Kim Jong Un has become, and North Korea -- I mean, the guy you support literally said he and Kim "Love each other" and send love letters! The US got NOTHING while Trump gave NK everything. Well done, bass.

"So the saber rattling will continue."

Yeah, and it'll STAY sabre rattling, unlike with Trump, who actually helped NK and its nuclear program process to the point where it now has several missiles, possibly capable now of hitting the US. Had Trump won he and his supporters would have continued giving NK everything it wanted -- all for a little bit of praise from Kim to stoke Donald's ego.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

The regional pivotal significance to Barak Obama's administration could and will throw light on the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris short term foreign policy solutions in the light of the many challenges both face at home.

And for the record it's Miss rockandroll.

I don't sport a tash/upper-lip holstery.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Thanks to Donald Trump, yes, who gave him nuclear status and allowed him to openly continue his weapons program. You supported that.

Just wait until Joe gets in, they’re going to ratcheted up for sure now, why would they fear Biden? So the saber rattling will continue. Hold on to your hats.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Trump era is over, move on.

Then goes back to talking about Obama...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Well ignorance is bliss, Bob, condemnant quod non intellegunt.

Oh, I wouldn’t say that Mr rockandroll.

I enjoy a good daydream as much as the next person. Still, when it comes to politics and other such divisive issues I’d have to say I prefer facts to flights of fancy.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

In many ways Barak Obama attempted to defuse, step back from a confrontational stance.

With the benefit of hindsight, coupled with a vacuous Global community unwilling to hold the Government of China to account, allowed a belligerent force to multiply unabated.

South China Sea: A Biden-Duterte reset…..

https://amti.csis.org/south-china-sea-a-biden-duterte-reset/

And here is where the debate and subsequent fall out could signal surely a wake up call…

Joe Biden/Kamala Harris have an unenviable task, along with the struggles foist upon both with the pandemic.

Leave Trump, give the new administration one hundred days to settle in.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

To fully understanding the trust deficit.

A balanced perspective.

Assessing U.S.-China relations under the Obama administration......2016

https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/assessing-u-s-china-relations-under-the-obama-administration/

Trump era is over, move on.

*
-3 ( +2 / -5 )

What? Thought your guy Trump had solved this? Was going to be so easy.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Between ten - fifteen minutes, and my entire J family will be incinerated.

Barely enough time for a Gin Tonic on my patio.

How Much Trade Transits the South China Sea?

https://chinapower.csis.org/much-trade-transits-south-china-sea/

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimates that roughly 80 percent of global trade by volume and 70 percent by value is transported by sea. Of that volume, 60 percent of maritime trade passes through Asia, with the South China Sea carrying an estimated one-third of global shipping.

 Its waters are particularly critical for China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, all of which rely on the Strait of Malacca, which connects the South China Sea and, by extension, the Pacific Ocean with the Indian Ocean. As the second-largest economy in the world with over 60 percent of its trade in value traveling by sea, China’s economic security is closely tied to the South China Sea.

There has to be a global freedom of navigation military directive. This has to be maintained up to and, yes if deemed necessary confronting the Government of China with intervention.

In every conference, including war both tactical and strategic.    

Japan's 'shield' against North Korean missiles would not have worked….

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Comment/Japan-s-shield-against-North-Korean-missiles-would-not-have-worked

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Kim will likely start launching missiles again knowing that he has a good chance of getting a cushy deal from Biden - probably to include several pallets of cash.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Well ignorance is bliss, Bob, condemnant quod non intellegunt.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Has it never occurred to you that Trump-holism, is a defined mental disorder, a Trumpoholic, the Trump-phobic dependency, in mind and behavior?

No.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I see ... The rocket man lives up to his name! "facepalm" A few days ago he acknowledged this: "Almost all sectors fell a long way short of the set objectives" I think we can guess where his priorities lie. In warmongering and a change in tactics in state propaganda to secure his own position in the country ...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Not helping world peace at all.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@bass4funk

Kim is now feeling more emboldened than ever, here we go again with more saber rattling for the next 4 years....smh...

The Deep State always needs an enemy. Bush & Obama had their Evil Doers. Trump's Evil Doers were the Dems and fake GOP. The Pentagon has been begging Trump to start something with China. (btw, both trump and biden suck. just so you know my politics)

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Joe Biden whilst Vice President, in Government, stood by and appeased North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, one UN security council resolution after another…. January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017..

Joe Biden did nothing, zero, as the Government of China systematically aided North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whilst building fortified sandcastles in the South China Sea  

UN resolutions concerning North Korea….

http://www.koreanlii.or.kr/w/index.php/UN_resolutions_concerning_North_Korea?ckattempt=1

Has it never occurred to you that Trump-holism, is a defined mental disorder, a Trumpoholic, the Trump-phobic dependency, in mind and behavior?

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Hopefully there's something to be said for NK not testing a nuke or a long-rage missile these past several years, as well as something to diplomatic channels established during the meetings with the US.

This might just be a message to the new administration, reminding them to keep NK at the forefront of new agendas the first days in office. They may wish to negotiate further.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Kim is now feeling more emboldened than ever, here we go again with more saber rattling for the next 4 years....smh...

Weren’t you lauding trump’s amazing achievement as worthy of the Nobel peace prize? I seem to recall you were quite a believer in that. Shame it was all a sham.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

bass4funk: "Kim is now feeling more emboldened than ever,"

Thanks to Donald Trump, yes, who gave him nuclear status and allowed him to openly continue his weapons program. You supported that.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

When not poised over the nuclear trigger, leader Kim Jong Un fingers are the digits President of South Korea Moon Jae-in wants to grip, connected to the hand President of South Korea Moon Jae-in wants to shake.

Ask yourselves what mind and logic, that require South Korea to turn it back on peaceful co-existence with Japan, a people devoted to mend historic grievances. To purse a constitution that at it centre, at its heart, rejects nuclear proliferation.

Truly remarkable.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

North Korea can already nuke every Japanese city within 20 minutes.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Kim is now feeling more emboldened than ever, here we go again with more saber rattling for the next 4 years....smh...

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

Lil kim is feeling insecure now that his pal trump is out of power.

He'll make a lot of noise over the next few months and needs a firm kick to be put back in his place.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

No one is scared of you, tiny Kim. Except the people of North Korea who you hate.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

Where can I find the same hair tonic? That's quite a 'fro in the photo.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Given Trump's days in office numbered, there is no better time for Kim to remind the Biden Government that he is still well and ready for show time again!

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Photos released by state media showed trucks transporting what appeared to be a new submarine-launched ballistic missile that was larger than the ones the North previously tested.

Yeah, that'll really help improve the lot of the starving, impoverished citizens.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

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