"Crazy Korea Story"

[dameonmac14]

http://lewis.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/6370/crazy-korea-story

I am not sure I have any special insight into WTF this official is talking about, but here is some text to accompany the sounds of itching skulls.


Let’s start with the oddest statements from the story — emphasis mine throughout — and then I’ll make some observations in no particular order.

After two Korea-U.S. joint military drills end, American vessels equipped with nuclear weapons will stay in South Korean waters to fully guarantee the U.S. “nuclear umbrella” in case North Korea attacks.

A high-ranking South Korean government official told the JoongAng Ilbo yesterday, “If North Korea makes a nuclear attack, retaliation can come from U.S. nuclear weapons stationed in Okinawa or Guam. But considering the time that might take, we need to have a nuclear weapon near the Korean Peninsula.

“By not withdrawing U.S. weapons participating in the Korea-U.S. military exercises, we decided to let them stay a while and see what happens in North Korea,” he said.

…

“We decided to convene another Korea-U.S. submarine drill after the Foal Eagle training ends at the end of April,” the official told the JoongAng Ilbo. “We are still negotiating [with Washington] how to utilize the nuclear weapons after then.”

The official did not specify which warships would remain behind with nuclear weapons.

Sources in the South Korean military told the JoongAng Ilbo that a nuclear-armed submarine is a strong candidate.

“Since the third nuclear test by North Korea in February, there have been calls for us to possess anuclear weapon,” a South Korean military official said. “Among various options – our own development, adoption of tactical nuclear weapons and utilizing the U.S. nuclear umbrella – the third is the most realistic.

The reason I put this in discussion is because I am unsure of the current status of the story, but I am working on getting a second and more reliable source. The point is, if South Korea is really publishing words like this, they are looking to push North Korea's buttons, a (quite frankly) stupid thing to do, considering the leader of North Korea just might be crazy enough to believe it...