The Korean Dilemma

[TopHatter]

The guestbook message signed by Kim. He wrote: “A new history begins now. The age of peace, at the starting point of history.” Then he signed his name along with the date.

Kim kicked off the meeting by telling Moon they should meet more often. “As I walked over here, I thought, why was it so difficult to get here?” Kim told Moon and the South Korean delegation. “The separating line wasn’t even that high to cross. It was too easy to walk over that line and it took us 11 years to get here.”

People are usually polite when they're desperate for something like food and money.

[Double Edge]

Quite the scene in pictures...

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2018...tos/index.html

Indeed.

Kim and Moon cross the military demarcation line together. Kim is the first North Korean leader to cross the line since fighting ended in the Korean War.

The guestbook message signed by Kim. He wrote: “A new history begins now. The age of peace, at the starting point of history.” Then he signed his name along with the date.

Kim kicked off the meeting by telling Moon they should meet more often. “As I walked over here, I thought, why was it so difficult to get here?” Kim told Moon and the South Korean delegation. “The separating line wasn’t even that high to cross. It was too easy to walk over that line and it took us 11 years to get here.”

The words.... Paju preparing for reunification...Is this recent or always been there?



Mike's in better shape. KJU needs to go on diet

[Ironduke]

Quite the scene in pictures...

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2018...tos/index.html

Just think - they're only about 100 feet or so from where the North Korean soldier who defected and got shot doing so several months ago crossed. Ironic.

You know, I'd have paid all of somebody else's million dollars to stand there while the SK President and LRM were holding hands, with Quad Whoppers and McQuads in hand, shouting:

Kim Jong-Un, komm ruber!
Wir haben viele doppelbrot mit fleisch uber hier!
Komm ruber!
Es schmeckt dir gut!
Komm ruber!*



*He went to high school in Switzerland. Hence the German.

[tbm3fan]

Quite the scene in pictures...

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2018...tos/index.html

[Officer of Engineers]

A matter of time ?

I'm not seeing this development as the door shut on NK nuke testing forever

It's currently not in the budget.

[Double Edge]

A matter of time ?

I'm not seeing this development as the door shut on NK nuke testing forever

[Officer of Engineers]

There are other test sites in NK that can be used ?

None that are developed.

[Double Edge]

There are other test sites in NK that can be used ?

[Officer of Engineers]

Stupid me. I should have remembered the mountain collapse. The offer to not test is simple. They can't test. KJU is trying to get something out of nothing.

[Double Edge]

So what was a mountain on top of the test has turned into rubble and that's how the radioactivity leaks out. Wow.

It can be fixed though by sealing the top with special cement

The mountain’s collapse has likely dealt a huge blow to North Korea’s nuclear programme, Hu said.

hah, what an auspicious turn of events

So what made Kim come to the table. Who dunnit

We had the Americans dunnit then the chinese then Kim himself and now its the mountain

Hey, there's always Lop Nor but this is against juche

[TopHatter]

1. China is finally, fatally, fed up with the DPRK's antics. They tolerated the Old Man and his son. But the grandson is a different jar of kimchi altogether. Literally everything about Fat Boy is working against him.(Having a potential radiological catastrophe barely 60 miles/95 kilometers from Chinese soil likely hasn't improve the CCP's mood in the slightest.

Man I hate being right...

North Korea’s nuclear test site has collapsed ... and that may be why Kim Jong-un suspended tests

[Double Edge]

Xi also just got shut out of the DPRK-USA-ROK dialogue. That isn't necessarily the smartest move, and may lead to problems.

Why do you say that ? Had there been no Xi meet before Trump meet what you said would be true.

On the trip over to Beijing Xi would have told KJU what the red lines are and what is acceptable.

Beijing is working in the shadows i thought

The one feeling shut out right now is Abe though for the right admission price Japan can also join the list of countries soon to get a shake down : D

Talk about bloody extortion...

Update: If the armistice is transformed into a peace agreement by making a declaration to end the korean war then China as party to the armistice agreement automatically becomes a legal party to any peace agreement. So China is not shut out.

[DOR]

I think for the first time, the Chinese are speaking with a united voice under Xi. Xi just got to be President for Life, meaning that he no longer has to fear someone new coming along to undo his work. He no longer has to make deals with the pro-Kim gang for their support that he deemed necessary. It's especially telling that KJU visited not long after Xi's cornation.

Xi also just got shut out of the DPRK-USA-ROK dialogue. That isn't necessarily the smartest move, and may lead to problems.

[Double Edge]

The Kingmakers made their move. And they're now demanding payback. They want their money and KJU now has gone begging to the Chinese and a grand bargin sale to the Americans. The Chinese at least before continued to make money for the elite. No longer.

There's another implication here, KJU lasted this long because the Chinese helped keep those elite satisfied. For better or worse China thinks its best to keep the dynasty, for now

China's invested in KJU

[Officer of Engineers]

So for the first time the Chinese are putting the squeeze on NK. What is their motivation ?

I think for the first time, the Chinese are speaking with a united voice under Xi. Xi just got to be President for Life, meaning that he no longer has to fear someone new coming along to undo his work. He no longer has to make deals with the pro-Kim gang for their support that he deemed necessary. It's especially telling that KJU visited not long after Xi's cornation.