It has been an interesting week on the Korean peninsula… with many things happening related to the sinking of the South Korean ship, the Cheonan.
On July 9, the UN Security Council released a statement about the sinking, “condemn[ing]” the attack but not placing the blame on North Korea. So, no new sanctions on Kim Jong Il.
This statement comes out despite a seemingly exhaustive investigation by South Korea and many international partners that found that the Cheonan was sunk by a North Korean torpedo.
The North Koreans, who have steadfastly denied the attack, were ecstatic about the UN report, calling it a “great diplomatic victory.”
But then… today we get news that North Korea has released a new propaganda poster with a fist smashing a ship that is eerily similar to… the Cheonan! The poster says “Ready to crush any attack with a single blow!” (via JoongAng).
I realize this isn’t the first instance of duplicity on the part of North Korea, but given how hard they lobbied the UN to not be blamed for the ship’s sinking, this poster just seems to be in poor taste. It’s like OJ coming out with his If I Did It book one week after his acquittal (because doing it 10 years later is so much more classy).
Still, some folks in South Korea seem to be a bit skeptical about North Korea’s role. That’s understandable. It’s not like I believed everything George Bush said about the 9/11 attacks. It’s not like I believed what George Bush said about anything.
But hopefully, an international consensus will be reached at some point. Otherwise South Korea and America will continue to piss off everyone (everyone = China) with their planned military exercises in the Yellow Sea. (Btw/ what happens in a planned military exercise?)
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Map of where the Cheonan sank.
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