As of 11:40 pm, October 8th:
South Korea's official news agencies are reporting that North Korea has performed a successful nuclear test.
A South Korean seismic monitoring center also confirms tremors felt at the time of North Koreas alleged nuclear test. They say they were not natural occurrences. This would be North Koreas first ever nuclear weapons test.
North Korea said last week it would conduct a nuclear test as part of its deterrent against a possible United States invasion.
Last Friday the United Nations Security Council issued a statement warning North Korea not to do the test. Also, a UN statement says if nuclear tests were conducted it would jeapordize peace, stability, and security in the asia region and beyond.
***The closest experience I had with North Korea was going to the DMZ, or the demilitarized zone. It is basically the place where North and South Korea meet. I remember walking through the area feeling scared. (We had to sign waivers basically relinquishing the US of any liability in the event of being maimed, shot or killed. Afterwards, we went to a massacre site where North Korean soldiers had once ambushed American troops.) Soldiers from both the North and South were standing silent and tall with their guns. I stood at the top of a hill where I heard eery propoganda-opera-type music and saw these white, Hollywood-type signs in the distance--both used to apparently entice South Koreans to cross the border. I saw the propoganda village North Korea built to give the appearance of being a rich country, when actually no one lived there at all. But something I will never forget was walking to the bottom of an infiltration tunnel and seeing a young (18 or so) South Korean soldier standing on guard with his gun at a metal door with a small glass window...then seeing an equally young North Korean solider on the other side. At that moment, I remember feeling sorry for the boys because they had to stare at each other all day as enemies, even though they were cut from the same cloth.***
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4 comments:
Great Post. Thanks.
It's amazing huh?
Korean friends of mine say just this - North Koreans are Korean.
I know of families who have relatives on both sides of the border.
By the way, have you ever looked at North Korea through Google Earth...it's incredible - one of the few places on the earch that don't have light...except in the capital..
Good read.
The satellite picture is amazing. At last check, North Korea was one of the few countries left that didn't have a McDonalds.
I know people who have defected to South Korea from the North by crossing over from China...their stories are incredible.
Hi Michelle-
Thanks for posting- I was wondering if I would hear some thoughts from you on this. Very scary times. Hope you are well- happy almost birthday!! MISS YOU!
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