Morning Jolt: North Korea’s Recent History of Random, Sudden, Violent Provocations

One aspect of the threat from North Korea that doesn't get addressed seriously enough is the regime is either unable or unwilling to accurately assess the risks of its actions. It's as if the entire Pyongyang government has no sense of what kind of provocation is so serious that its foes will retaliate with force.

Put aside the regime's blustery threats; look at what the North Korean government and its military actually does:

November 10, 2009: A North Korean navy patrol boat crosses into South Korean territorial waters, ignores radio warnings and warning shots from South Korean naval units, and opens fire on a South Korean patrol boat. The two boats exchange fire, take light damage, and the North Korean boat returns to its national waters. Similar exchanges of fire between naval vessels occurred in 1999 and 2002, with more significant casualties.

March 26, 2010: A North Korean "midget submarine" fired a torpedo and sunk the South Korean Naval corvette Cheonan, killing 46 sailors and wounding 56 more. North Korea denied responsibility but South Korea and its allies have no doubt they ...

August 10 2017

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North Korea's Recent History of Random, Sudden, Violent Provocations Jim Geraghty One aspect of the threat from North Korea that doesn't get addressed seriously enough is the regime is either unable or unwilling to accurately assess the risks of its actions. It's as if the entire Pyongyang government has no sense of what kind of provocation is so serious that its foes will retaliate with force. Put aside the regime's blustery threats; look at what the North Korean government and its military actually does: November 10, 2009: A North Korean navy patrol boat crosses into South Korean territorial waters, ignores radio warnings and warning shots from South Korean naval units, and opens fire on a South Korean patrol boat. The two boats exchange fire, take light damage, and the North Korean boat returns to its national waters. Similar exchanges of fire between naval vessels occurred in 1999 and 2002, with more significant casualties. March 26, 2010: A North Korean "midget submarine" fired a torpedo and sunk the South Korean Naval corvette Cheonan, killing 46 sailors and wounding 56 more. North Korea denied responsibility but South Korea and its allies have no doubt they ... READ MORE Is California Cracking Up? Victor Davis Hanson Corporate profits at California-based transnational corporations such as Apple, Facebook, and Google are hitting record highs. California housing prices from La Jolla to Berkeley along the... Smartphones Are Destroying My Generation Max Bloom Smartphones Are Destroying My Generation ADVERTISEMENT Mueller's Raid on Manafort's Home Andrew C. McCarthy Here's the thing to bear in mind about the Washington Post's report that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had the FBI execute a search warrant against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort... Chicago Sues Trump's DOJ in Attempt to Have It Both Ways on Immigration Alexandra DeSanctis The city of Chicago has plenty of problems. Its latest? The Justice Department plans to deny it law-enforcement grants over its government's refusal to enforce federal immigration law. In... Into the Abyss: A Scenario for the Next Korean War David French "One principal lesson of the Gulf War is that, if a state intends to fight the United States, it should avoid doing so until and unless it possesses nuclear weapons." — Krishnaswamy Sundarji,... Obamacare Is Uninsuring the Insured Doug Badger The number of people with individual health-insurance coverage is shrinking. Despite $146 billion in federal subsidies to low-income households and well-capitalized insurers, 2.6 million... ADVERTISEMENT The Golden Pelican: A Novel Gene Helveston 'The timeliness of The Golden Pelican blurs the distinction between fiction and real-time news. Helveston paints a scary scenario with a compelling plot, likable and despicable characters, and the right amount of CIA background information to make it understandable and suspenseful.' - Edward O'Malley LEARN MORE Top Shots Michelangelo's Marble ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us & Share 215 Lexington Ave., New York, NY, 10016, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser.