Kim Jong Un Says North Korea Is Ready for War if Provoked

[Hans Mann]

Today, many North Koreans braved the cold and snowy January weather to make their way to Mansu Hill in central Pyongyang to lay flowers at the feet of the giant statues of Kim Jong II and his father Kim II Sung, the founder of this ultra-authoritarian state.

Later, Kim Jong Un, the grandson of the founding father and leader of this communist country, appeared on giant TV screens to deliver his annual New Year speech. This is the highpoint of New Year’s Day in North Korea.

This was Kim's fourth Jan. 1 speech since becoming leader. Standing behind a huge gold-colored podium, he told the country in his normal bellicose style that he was ready for war if provoked but steered away from threats he has made in the past to use North Korea’s arsenal of nuclear weapons.

“If invasive outsiders and provocateurs touch us even slightly, we will not be forgiving in the least and sternly with a merciless holy war of justice," Kim said.

As in previous years, much of Kim’s speech was devoted to criticizing South Korea and its alliance with the U.S.

"South Korea has made a unilateral case for unification and increased mistrust and conflict between us," he said. Kim did note that he was open to talks with anyone truly interested in “reconciliation and peace” in the Korean Peninsula and was ready to “aggressively” work to improve ties with the South, a more conciliatory tone from his prior speeches.

After a tense military stand-off in the summer, when two South Korean soldiers were injured by land mines, high level talks were resumed in December but broke off with no concrete proposals.

Kim, speaking for 30 minutes, promised to improve North Korea’s struggling economy and improve the country’s desperate living standards. Pyongyang resident Choe Myong Jin reflected on the speech.

“This New Year’s Day is significant for me and I will do my best to carry out the tasks mentioned in the New Year’s address," he said.

North Koreans, however, have little choice but to praise and follow their dictator leader.

http://news.yahoo.com/kim-jong-un-sa...opstories.html

[thaimeme]

Deluded little boy.

They need an upheaval revolution.

[david44]

So's the wife

[Davis Knowlton]

Fat as that maniac has gotten, he'll probably pop an artery soon enough. MORE CHEESE!

[Black Heart]

He often "ready to go to war."

And if that photo is recent, it seems tubby is packing on even more pounds.

[HermantheGerman]

I think little Kim is cute

[KEVIN2008]

North Korea has launched a new purge, targeting citizens with long hair and ordering them to copy Kim Jong-un's much-mocked 'ambitious' style. Here are three examples showing the leader's luxurious black 'barnet'. Sources in Pyongyang, quoted by South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper, said authorities in the North Korean capital have issued an order requiring that men keep their hair to a maximum 2 cm (0.8 inches) in length.
Picture: KCNA/AFP/Getty

[Kurgen]

the middle pic.....wtf happened to its eyebrows???

[billy the kid]

^ kinda lines up with the hair-line. Fashionable innit.

[Hans Mann]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in an annual New Year's speech Friday that he was ready for war if provoked by "invasive" outsiders, but he stayed away from past threats involving the country's nuclear weapons and long-range missile ambitions.
His comments stuck to well-worn propaganda meant to lift his image for the elite residents of one of the world's poorest, most closed countries, and could be read as an attempt to keep ties with rivals Washington and Seoul from getting worse so he can try to turn around a miserable economy and further solidify his leadership.

"We will continue to work patiently to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula and regional stability. But if invasive outsiders and provocateurs touch us even slightly, we will not be forgiving in the least and sternly answer with a merciless, holy war of justice," said Kim, who wore thick black-rimmed glasses that continued his efforts to mimic the style favored by his late grandfather, beloved national founder Kim Il Sung.

While largely repeating the daily propaganda in state-controlled media, Kim's words will be pored over by analysts for hints about the country's intentions for the coming year. There is little public information about the inner workings and policy goals of North Korea's government, which considers democratic South Korea and its ally the United States its enemies and is pursuing a long-range missile that could carry a nuclear warhead to America's mainland.

Some observers had predicted that Kim would avoid overly provocative statements because the county wants to improve relations with South Korea and also China, its most important economic and strategic ally. Ties between North Korea and China have been cool since Kim took power in 2011, but seemed to improve when a senior Chinese official attended a high-profile military parade in Pyongyang in October.

Kim said he was open to talks with anyone truly interested in "reconciliation and peace" on the Korean Peninsula, and ready to "aggressively" work to improve ties with the South. But a far larger part of his speech on North Korea's state TV was devoted to criticism of Seoul's approach to inter-Korean talks and its alliance with Washington.
He vowed to improve North Korea's struggling economy and living standards, and also called for the military to advance its technologies to develop more "diversified attack means."

Analysts say Kim likely wants a push for tangible diplomatic and economic achievements before a convention of the ruling Workers' Party in May, the party's first since 1980, when he is widely expected to announce major state policies and shake up the country's political elite to strengthen his position.

The rival Koreas have shown mixed progress in reconciliation efforts since stepping away from a military standoff in August, which started when land mine explosions that Seoul blamed on Pyongyang maimed two South Korean soldiers. The countries ended rare high-level talks last month with no breakthroughs.

North Korean leader talks war but doesn't comment on nukes