N.K. announces freeze on nuclear, missile tests UPDATE
Yonhap News is reporting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has announced that the country will suspend nuclear and missile tests, and shut down a nuclear test site in the northern area, state media said Saturday.
“From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles,” the Korean Central News Agency said.
“The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country’s northern side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear test,” it added.
The pronouncement was made at a plenary meeting of the ruling Worker’s Party of Korea (WPK) Friday, according to the KCNA.
An olive branch to Trump, prior to the meeting? A nice gesture, but essentially worthless without on-site inspections.
Edited to add:
Trump tweet- North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World – big progress! Look forward to our Summit.
UPDATE
CNN’s Pyongyang correspondent Will Ripley, on the phone with Wolf Blitzer:
“Wolf, I just got off the phone with a North Korea official who confirms news that is breaking right now in north Korea state media. Kim Jong-un announced to his country and his own people he’s completed his nuclear program. And therefore, there is no need to continue developing nuclear weapons. Kim Jong-un saying North Korea no longer needs any nuclear tests, mid-ranged and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. And he’s saying the nuclear test site in the northern area near the Chinese border has completed its mission. Therefore, it will likely be closed. This is an extraordinarily significant development. And frankly, a huge win for President Trump going into these potential summits with north Korean leader Kim Jong-un. I want to read to you a quote from a north Korean force I just spoke to on the phone. Finally, Kim Jong-un decided to open up. This is a new chapter for the dprk. He’s committed himself to the task of denuclearization and focus solely on economic growth and improving the national economy. Finally, he has realized the best path forward is to open up the country and normalize relations. He is finally being recognized by the international community and this is an historic timely opportunity. Wolf, I am speechless here at the pace at which North Korea has done this u-turn.”
Category: North Korea
But, but, I thought that Trump’s bluster and threats to Bowl Cut Jr was leading us to immediate war? Rodman must have pulled this off. I’m so confused.
Zactly. Um. Needle Dick was intending to do this during the prior administration but was too busy firing off missiles toward Japan. It’s just a coincidence that the administration changed and President Trump happened to be the beneficiary of this action.
Coincidence? not hardly, phat boi found out he was up against someone that wasn’t going to play the clinton game! In addition, he created a major problem with his underground tests, and created an earthquake and a collapse of a huge mine, if I remember right, so I assume, he shut it down because it was contaminated and dangerous…even tho he could care less about danger to his people IMHO
Re-calibrate your sarcasm detector.
Set for “dry humor”.
Right. It was less than a year ago they were talking about how reckless Trump’s tweeting was. Once again, he’s been proven right.
Like 2/17 says though, the media will give the credit to anyone but Trump.
We didn’t get the true tax reform or scuttling of Obamacare we wanted, but this has been a productive as hell first year and a half for a presidency.
Gee whiz, this and the DNC puppet media is still going full throttle about Russia and Stormy Daniels. Let’s not forget their previous propaganda campaign that President Trump was leading us into a nuclear war with them and now they’re begging to come to the table!
There were also reports a while back that the last test irrevocably damaged the test facility. It is not a big concession to shut down someplace you already have to shut down.
OR China said, “Shut this shit down or you’re on your own when the US makes your facilities go splat.”
But it is, politically or diplomatically speaking, to announce it like this. This could be a huge signal that they’re willing to negotiate.
Halting their ballistic missile program is a BFD, David.
Didn’t say they were shutting down the programs, just the test launches.
And the counterpoint remains the same: It is HUGE that the little man actually said he is shutting them down. Argue all you want to about that, the truth is still the same.
In a real negotiation, letting the other guy save a little face is great. He knows that we know it is relatively meaningless, but we gave him a gift, which he is gracefully accepting. It’s all good.
David, your correct, the facility collapse and closed itself. 🙂 Thanks to Clinton, Bush, and Obama; NPRK now has nukes, chem and bio weapons. Trump is the only President who had semi effective sanctions, previous administrations’ were far less effective and easily bypassed.
Still, I think this goes one of three ways, first a repeat of the Leap Year Agreement of 2012, abject failure. Another possibility is KJU uses Moon and progressive South Koreans to drive a wedge between US/ROK, the proposed ‘peace treaty’ is used to withdraw US troops, and then Moon and KJU use the ROK’s strict defamation laws to shut down dissent.
Lastly, least likely, but my hope/wish is this succeeds. But Kim has worked long and hard to get nukes and knows giving them up means he could end up like Saddam. Mark my words, that ain’t going to happen.
The 2ID ant going nowhere (imho).
Now for the rest of the story…
First, Trump’s method was economic strangulation. By seizing ships bound for NK and getting China to suspend rail shipments he is depriving the nation of petroleum and metal imports. Shipping companies are simply refusing to accept the risk of carrying goods to the NK.
Then, the squeeze is denying NK access to fungible items that they can spend on materials and technical knowledge. Banks, investment firms, other nations and criminal enterprises are simply no longer able to transfer fungible assets or cash into the NK regime and NK has cash/currency only to operate into May or June.
These two efforts have led to a situation where NK no longer has the currency or trade options to keep the nuclear effort alive. In other words, Trump and Mattis have literally starved the NK of cash and bankrupted them.
Add the real possibility that the USA poses an existential threat to the NK regime in a way no previous administration did and you get a regime willing to play the game we are proposing.
Whether that can be maintained as a status quo depends entirely on US resolve to keep a hand on the pressure valve, not on the “goodness” of the NK regime.
Straight out of RR’s playbook, which resulted in the collapse of the Soviet Union.
things that actually work generally work almost all of the time…
They need to keep the pressure up. Kim needs to feel like Atlas, the weight of the world on his back. That kind of pressure.
it needs to be a “ratchet” approach.
If we have to turn the handle, it will “lock” the new pressure in place.
John Dickerson: What keeps you awake at night?
James Mattis: Nothing, I keep other people awake at night.
Exchange in an interview between John Dickerson and James Mattis on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on May 28, 2017.
And there ended the lesson.
Just a mile marking with many more to go before a celebration is in order. IMO…YMMV
Trust, but verify
Well, what youse guys don’t unnderstands here is dat Fatty Kim da T’ird went to the winter Olympics across the border, and other people went with him, and they all had a nice long talk after they got home, about how much better off The Duchy of Norkiland could be if it pursued Peace With the South, and cut the crap with the missile tests.
Doesn’t mean they won’t stop trying to steal your bank info and your credit card numbers, stuff like that, but it’s a start.
Seems your tongue-in-cheek post was pretty damn close to reality, Ex.
I’ll keep close guard on my credit cards, just as you recommend.
*grin*
I check my bank balance constantly, because I know to the penny how much I spend, and what the balance should be.
That does not mean the Norks can’t invade my bank space and rip off whatever they want to.
Fortunately, there is FDIC insurance for even modest accounts, but you still have to keep tabs on everything now.
Stand down for retooling.
Out with the old in with the new. Upgrade and enter the next phase under the guise of “talks”.
probably not…the regime appears to be out of cash and their “friends” don’t work for free….
I’m sure Obama will receive the Nobel Peace Prize for this and wide load a hat tip.
Trump did in 16 months what dipshit couldn’t/didn’t do in 8 freaking years. Well, he did draw line in the sand about something, sometime. I rarely watch MSM news, for obvious reasons. I want to see how they treat this coup, though. Folks, this is a big damn deal if it is permanent. I could see a reunion of NK & SK. Good news
Independent News
Good news indeed.
They should call North Korea a state and S. Korea the southern states, one country, two huge states! imho
China has no interest in having a liberal democracy united Korea on it’s front doorstep. They’ll do whatever is necessary to keep Nork propped up for the next 65+ years. SOSAD.
No one has said shit about a liberal democracy, Devtun. Merely de-nuclearization and entering the world community.
Baby steps…
Word
My concern is Kim will stand down long enough to get sanctions lifted to get his handlers paid. It also gives Kim time build up enough material and money to start programs again when a new administration is in office that will not be as restrictive.
I hope everything works out for us and the lefty Swedish euroshits have to give Trump the Nobel peace prize
Don’t see that happening. The only presidents in recent history to receive it were Carter and Obama, with Obama’s being given to him ten minutes after getting the job.
Where’s Reagan’s for ending the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact countries? Where’s Bush the elder’s for liberating Kuwait from the aggressive invasion by Saddam?
When the Berlin Wall fell, very little was heard from Pres Bush 41 or Pres Reagan – no victory laps. They didn’t want to detract from the celebrations in Germany.
Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush had way too much class and tact to make a big deal of themselves versus the mega-narcissist that President Trump’s predecessor still is.
Trump is not what I would call “humble”.
But he does seem to base his pride on good stuff getting done.
They phonied up the peace prize to the point it is a farce! giving it to the queer, muslim, kenyan joke after 2 weeks for doing nothing but having a bowel movement was beyond ridiculous!! imho
Updated with, of all things, a CNN quote admitting a win for Trump, and more detail on Kim’s intentions.
*thump*
That was the sound of my mouth hitting the floor. Did the sat feed mysteriously get cut on their “Pyongyang correspondent” when he gave the slightest praise to Trump? I’ll assume they’ve already returned to their regular programming? Stormy Daniels and Putin 24/7?
And CNN has a correspondent in Pyongyang? Cause they have really shined the light on real life in Norky-land. /sarc
Would guess that it’s a lowly CNN International reporter. Don’t know if they still are, but they used to be much more straight forward with actual news than the US variety.
Whatever caused it, it is pretty shocking. Sometimes you have to catch this stuff in real time, before the editors carve out all the good parts.
Next thing you know, Iran will be signing an agreement to stop doing bad things with Nuclear material too….
‘Cause they know they’re the next stop on the Trump Train. They’re shitting peach pits, right about now.
Oh, USS Warner? Heading back to port to reload those Tomahawks expended in Syria, no doubt.
Two things…
The media is shitting their pants over this. The JEF couldn’t do jack shit in eight years and THE DONALD gets something accomplished in 15 months. Another dent in the ;legacy of the JEF…
Our former SJW and adorer of the OWS crowd and Bezerkeley student is probably in full fucking Chernobyl mode over this bit of news… because “he knows what’s best” and THE DONALD is WRONG…
This sounds like potential for an opening and serious negotiations. From “Kelly’s Heroes”:
Crapgame:
Try making a DEAL!
Big Joe:
What kind of DEAL?
Crapgame:
A DEAL, deal! Maybe he’s a Republican. You know, “Business is business.”
https://www.quotes.net/mquote/50469
The DPRK angle is probably
“These things are ruinously expensive to make, prohibitively expensive to maintain, and the things are totally and humiliatingly unreliable.”
“Maybe those Yankees would fall for a clever deal…”
No matter what deal gets made, we will never be sure there isn’t one more weapon stashed in a cave somewhere. So, he can “de-nuclearize” and still be a respectable threat.
And in that bit of face-saving may be the way to end this multi-generational flash-point.