WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New commercial satellite imagery indicates North Korea has resumed operation of a reactor at its main nuclear site used to produce plutonium for its nuclear weapons program, a U.S. think tank said on Friday.
Washington’s 38 North North Korea monitoring project said previous analysis from Jan. 18 showed signs that North Korea was preparing to restart the reactor at Yongbyon, having unloaded spent fuel rods for reprocessing to produce additional plutonium for its nuclear weapons stockpile.
With the South going ahead with the THAAD project I don’t see why anyone would bother with the standard “If we give you lots of money, will you go away?” solution this time.
@MTB Rider, this is straight from the standard North Korea playbook. With all the talk of trying to get Trump to sign a freeze deal with North Korea this is something the North Korean regime can negotiate a freeze for. Remember when Bush negotiated the nuclear freeze at Yongbyon complete with a cooling tower being demolished and the engagement crowd declared peace in our time? However, there was nothing irreversible about what the North Koreans did and eventually reneged on the deal when it suited them.
It is the same thing going on here lure Trump into signing a freeze deal over Yongbyon for a bunch of cash.
(SEOUL) — Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday that he won’t run for South Korea’s presidency, a surprise announcement that removes a well-known figure from contention and further stirs the country’s already tumultuous politics.
Ban, during a hastily arranged news conference, said he was disappointed by the country’s political establishment. He said, without elaborating, that he tried to dedicate himself to resolving a national crisis and achieving unity but his “pure patriotism” and push for political reform were badly damaged by political slander and “fake news ” that targeted him.
Since I’m not in country, I can’t see all the day-to-day of the Park Geun-Hye scandal. But I can say I haven’t really seen a smoking gun in Park’s hand.
Most of what I’m seeing is a 2 Star K-Drama with third tier actors and actresses. The whole thing started with a computer tablet, somehow mysteriously left behind in an empty office. I’m thinking there must be a bit more to it than that. All the paperwork, files, notebooks, pens, markers, white boards and “Hang in There” posters are removed, but a tablet is left sitting on the desk? Yeah, I was born at night, but not last night.
@MTB Rider, it is obvious that someone with an axe to grind with Choi left the tablet in the office and then tipped off JTBC to go there and pick it up. Despite that the files on the tablet do prove that Park was sending Choi documents to review that she should not have been doing which even Park has apologized for doing.
The real question is whether Park was in anyway involved in the corporate shakedowns for cash to Choi’s organizations. I have not seen a smoking gun yet to prove that.
@JoeC, thanks for sharing the article. Interesting read, I wonder if Turnbull kept pushing Trump on the refugee deal and he just finally had enough and abruptly ended the call?
Denny
7 years ago
Korean American restaurant owner apologizes for ‘Minorites Need Not Apply’ sign
Kenny’s Home Cooking in Spartanburg placed the sign in the window seeking more staff, although when diners noticed the message at the bottom they posted photographs on the internet.
The sign had the racist message written in both English and Spanish.
Owner Sook ‘Sue’ Shin told WYFF News: ‘I never ever meant that, so I’m really sorry.’
A friend claimed they mistook the word ‘minorities’ for ‘minors’.
Shin’s husband, who is Korean, purchased the sign on eBay.
setnaffa
7 years ago
David Burge @iowahawkblog wrote:
“I’ll let you ban hate speech when you let me define it. Deal?”
ChickenHead
7 years ago
So far in 2017, every news cycle is like Christmas.
I have a perpetual smile on my face.
Today’s highlights are…
Trump telling the stinkin’ Mexicans to get their act together or he might move some American soldiers across the border to take care of business. Then he was likely the source which leaked the conversation. Still want to “unleash the cartels” if the wall gets built? Speak up. Can’t hear you, Mexico.
And Clock Boy’s father lost yet another lawsuit against those who called out his bullshyt… and this time he gets to pay court costs and lawyer fees. Build a replica bomb, go to the White House. Chew a Pop Tart into an L shape, get arrested. His 15 minutes of stolen fame are about up… but hopefully the financial burden will last years and years.
@Chickenhead, thanks for the update. We haven’t heard anything for Clock Boy in quite a while. If anyone is wondering Chickenhead is referring to this story:
Looks like the North is rolling out the first of many challenges for Trump, Mattis, Park and Abe: Firing up the Yongbyon nuclear reactor.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/north-korea-appears-restarted-plutonium-reactor-think-tank-193954038.html
With the South going ahead with the THAAD project I don’t see why anyone would bother with the standard “If we give you lots of money, will you go away?” solution this time.
Any thoughts?
@MTB Rider, this is straight from the standard North Korea playbook. With all the talk of trying to get Trump to sign a freeze deal with North Korea this is something the North Korean regime can negotiate a freeze for. Remember when Bush negotiated the nuclear freeze at Yongbyon complete with a cooling tower being demolished and the engagement crowd declared peace in our time? However, there was nothing irreversible about what the North Koreans did and eventually reneged on the deal when it suited them.
It is the same thing going on here lure Trump into signing a freeze deal over Yongbyon for a bunch of cash.
We can hope Trump has something better than Clinton/Bush/Obama… He may end up with the Norks giving up the nukes and buying timeshares…
A little humor:
http://www.thepoke.co.uk/2017/01/20/at-least-someone-is-happy/
@MTB Rider, unfortunately there are probably many liberals who right now do think President Trump is more crazy than Kim Jong-un.
Even the Dilbert cartoonist agrees… http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156540315831/be-careful-what-you-wish-for-especially-if-it-is
Looks like Ban Ki-Moon is dropping out before the race really even gets started:
http://time.com/4656226/ban-ki-moon-south-korea-presidency/
Since I’m not in country, I can’t see all the day-to-day of the Park Geun-Hye scandal. But I can say I haven’t really seen a smoking gun in Park’s hand.
Most of what I’m seeing is a 2 Star K-Drama with third tier actors and actresses. The whole thing started with a computer tablet, somehow mysteriously left behind in an empty office. I’m thinking there must be a bit more to it than that. All the paperwork, files, notebooks, pens, markers, white boards and “Hang in There” posters are removed, but a tablet is left sitting on the desk? Yeah, I was born at night, but not last night.
@MTB Rider, it is obvious that someone with an axe to grind with Choi left the tablet in the office and then tipped off JTBC to go there and pick it up. Despite that the files on the tablet do prove that Park was sending Choi documents to review that she should not have been doing which even Park has apologized for doing.
The real question is whether Park was in anyway involved in the corporate shakedowns for cash to Choi’s organizations. I have not seen a smoking gun yet to prove that.
The Asia Pivot is starting to pinwheel.
@JoeC, thanks for sharing the article. Interesting read, I wonder if Turnbull kept pushing Trump on the refugee deal and he just finally had enough and abruptly ended the call?
Korean American restaurant owner apologizes for ‘Minorites Need Not Apply’ sign
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4183872/South-Carolina-restaurant-apologizes-racist-sign.html
Kenny’s Home Cooking in Spartanburg placed the sign in the window seeking more staff, although when diners noticed the message at the bottom they posted photographs on the internet.
The sign had the racist message written in both English and Spanish.
Owner Sook ‘Sue’ Shin told WYFF News: ‘I never ever meant that, so I’m really sorry.’
A friend claimed they mistook the word ‘minorities’ for ‘minors’.
Shin’s husband, who is Korean, purchased the sign on eBay.
David Burge @iowahawkblog wrote:
“I’ll let you ban hate speech when you let me define it. Deal?”
So far in 2017, every news cycle is like Christmas.
I have a perpetual smile on my face.
Today’s highlights are…
Trump telling the stinkin’ Mexicans to get their act together or he might move some American soldiers across the border to take care of business. Then he was likely the source which leaked the conversation. Still want to “unleash the cartels” if the wall gets built? Speak up. Can’t hear you, Mexico.
And Clock Boy’s father lost yet another lawsuit against those who called out his bullshyt… and this time he gets to pay court costs and lawyer fees. Build a replica bomb, go to the White House. Chew a Pop Tart into an L shape, get arrested. His 15 minutes of stolen fame are about up… but hopefully the financial burden will last years and years.
Every day, something nice happens.
@Chickenhead, thanks for the update. We haven’t heard anything for Clock Boy in quite a while. If anyone is wondering Chickenhead is referring to this story:
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2017/02/02/ben-shapiro-crushes-clock-boy-in-court-n2280520
Good luck to Shapiro in trying to get the lawyer fees from this family.
Denny, thanks for the reader tip. This couple made a simple mistake which I can easily understand how they could have mixed up minors and minorities.