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Rogue State: How a Nuclear North Korea Threatens America
Arguing that North Korea is little more than a carefully constructed Chinese puppet state, the author looks into the heart of this "rogue nation" and finds the Chinese behind much of the terrorism and nuclear weapons manufacturing on the Korean peninsula.
- GenresNonfiction
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
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August 13, 2012
Before discussing the current threat of a nuclear-armed Korea, the author first gives us some background. I learned some interesting information regarding the Korean War. After World War II, the United States State Department intentionally weakened the South Korean military, so it would not be perceived as a threat to North Korea, and also so that it would not try to liberate North Korea.
Leading up to and during the Korean War, the British Communist Cambridge spy ring passed to Stalin lots of information regarding American war plans in Asia. Learning that the Americans were unsure about including South Korea in their defense perimeter, Stalin and Mao were encouraged to strengthen North Korea's military.
More recently, the North Korean communists have used terrorism to advance their cause. In 1968 they seized the United States Navy ship Pueblo. The United States did not treat it as an act of war. In 1974 North Korea sent a spy into Seoul to try to assassinate President Park Chung Hee. He failed to kill Park, but one of his bullet's killed Park's wife, Yook Young-soo. The North Korean intelligence agencies have a large, underground training area that recreates parts of Seoul and Tokyo, so that their spies can become familiar with their target locations. In 1983 North Korean terrorists bombed a South Korean delegation visiting Rangoon, Burma. Seventeen South Koreans and three Burmese were killed. In order to disrupt preparations for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, North Korean Dictator Kim Jung Il had a bomb planted on Korean Airlines (KAL) flight 858 in late 1987. One hundred fifteen people were killed.
There are many ethnic Koreans in Japan. Since 1955, the North Korean government has operated a Korean cultural organization in Japan called Chosen Soren. Chosen Soren has encouraged many ethnic Koreans in Japan to move to north Korea. Chosen Soren is involved with Japanese organized crime and provides a large source of revenue for North Korea. It also kidnaps Japanese citizens and smuggles them into North Korea. One reason for the kidnappings is to teach Japanese to North Korean spies. Another reason is to use North Korean spies to impersonate Japanese nationals. These choose Japanese citizens who have no family, so the impersonators will not be found out.
Leading up to and during the Korean War, the British Communist Cambridge spy ring passed to Stalin lots of information regarding American war plans in Asia. Learning that the Americans were unsure about including South Korea in their defense perimeter, Stalin and Mao were encouraged to strengthen North Korea's military.
More recently, the North Korean communists have used terrorism to advance their cause. In 1968 they seized the United States Navy ship Pueblo. The United States did not treat it as an act of war. In 1974 North Korea sent a spy into Seoul to try to assassinate President Park Chung Hee. He failed to kill Park, but one of his bullet's killed Park's wife, Yook Young-soo. The North Korean intelligence agencies have a large, underground training area that recreates parts of Seoul and Tokyo, so that their spies can become familiar with their target locations. In 1983 North Korean terrorists bombed a South Korean delegation visiting Rangoon, Burma. Seventeen South Koreans and three Burmese were killed. In order to disrupt preparations for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, North Korean Dictator Kim Jung Il had a bomb planted on Korean Airlines (KAL) flight 858 in late 1987. One hundred fifteen people were killed.
There are many ethnic Koreans in Japan. Since 1955, the North Korean government has operated a Korean cultural organization in Japan called Chosen Soren. Chosen Soren has encouraged many ethnic Koreans in Japan to move to north Korea. Chosen Soren is involved with Japanese organized crime and provides a large source of revenue for North Korea. It also kidnaps Japanese citizens and smuggles them into North Korea. One reason for the kidnappings is to teach Japanese to North Korean spies. Another reason is to use North Korean spies to impersonate Japanese nationals. These choose Japanese citizens who have no family, so the impersonators will not be found out.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review