Update on N. Korea from Peter Beck

[riky]

Update on N. Korea from Peter Beck
      

On Wednesday we highlighted the Congressional You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login of Korean expert and Britannica contributor Peter Beck.  He's sent in some additional thoughts in light of N. Korea's threat to You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login on anyone interferring with an upcoming satellite launch, which S. Korea and the U.S. believe is really a guise for test-firing a long-range missile. Writes Peter:

"The North has decided to scream and yell about an essential U.S.-South Korea joint training exercise that has been held regularly for decades. The question is, why now? Is the North just living up to its reputation for being the 'paranoid peninsula?' That’s not impossible, but I think it is more likely to be part of a broader effort to rally both elites and the masses in North Korea.

The same goes for the North’s planned missle test. The conventional wisdom is that the North is trying to get the Obama Administration’s attention. However, it could be the case that the regime has decided it needs more enemies than friends right now to rally public support. If that is the case, we may be in for a rough ride."


         

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