Gyrfalcon: Let's not reject this out of hand. He may just be feeling secure enough to say "F*ck you, generals, I want to rejoin the rest of the modern world again."

If he's serious, I give it three months before he dies in a mysterious accident with no witnesses.

Maybe he really wants the best for the North Korean people, if he's been brainwashed into thinking that is his duty, he might annoy all the generals by actually trying to do what is best.

North Korea does this all the time. The stance is that, regardless of how much better off economically South Korea is, deep down they secretly want to reunify with North Korea. On North Korea's terms, of course.

South Korea's stance towards the whole thing is basically 'Meh. We can wait around until you either stop being giant dickbags or starve to death. We've got no preference. Until one of those two things happens, just go on and keep running your mouth.'

And this isn't a ?

*looks at other "newsflashes"*

Holy shiat, this site sucks.

MorrisBird: My baby is being deployed there in February. There shall now be a crisis. Happy farking new year.

I was a soldier in Korea when Kim Il Sung died in 1994. Try not to worry too much. It was a life changing experience for a 22 year old, and not in a bad way. Encourage your baby to see the country. Visit if you can. It is worth it.

Just watch out for those three Vulcan ships coming across the Neutral Zone...

Hate to break it to the glass half-full types in here, but the North has been pretty consistant in voicing a desire for reunification. It is used as a tool to relieve tensions, but it never goes beyond rhetoric. And it is becoming less effective at relieving tension; while older Koreans view reunification as necessary and inevitable, younger South Koreans (for whom it has "always" been this way) view it as a threat to their nations' prosperity and are much more wary when the subject is brought up.

What would happen if Best Korea suddenly decided to open the border and dissolve its government? Millions and millions of starving people would suddenly be the responsibility of South Korea, who could hardly refuse to help their fellow Koreans. My guess is that it'd take down the South Korean economy and a good part of the world economy at the same time.

If there is going to be one Korea, it's going to have to reunified slowly and carefully. Hopefully this is a first step.

While we're at it, can we end the sanctions against Cuba as well? Is the west so insecure about their form of government that we have to keep this silly Cold War policy in place?

/as we've proven with China, democracies and dictatorships can get along in harmony

I live in South Korea, so the transcript is blocked. Can I get a copy paste up in here?

Yoyo: Seriously, the cease fire was almost 60 years ago.

Cease Fire. Not peace treaty. Technically, the North and South are still at war, and it marks the longest official conflict that the United States has ever been in, the GWOT being the second longest followed by Vietnam.

ArcadianRefugee: And this isn't a [img1.fark.net image 54x11]?

*looks at other "newsflashes"*

Holy shiat, this site sucks.

Yeah, as a long time user, it's definitely gone downhill in the last two or three years. The moderation isn't that good, and it's cheaper to go to reddit than to buy totalfark.

NecoConeco: Here's the full transcript.

http://tinyurl.com/bk4stfo

Reading that, it sounds like he wants reunification by the south embracing Juche. Which would be the same crap that's come out of the north for 60 years. One Korea has always been the North's vision.

He can end hostilities by pointing his artillery somewhere else, for starters.

Those Crazy kids..I wish nothing but the best for them.

/srsly

Conspicuously absent from Kim's speech was any mention of the nuclear arms program.

That would be because that's the bargaining chip to get aid with.

dervish16108: Mambo Bananapatch: dervish16108: frecklesotool: My husband served in Korea for 6 years as part of the ADA ( air defense artillery or alcoholics defending America) and he absolutely loved everything except the freakishly cold weather.

I checked the temperatures at Seoul and Pyongyang, and I was shocked to see the freezing low numbers. Especially in Pyongyang. How do they provide heat to their people? How do they prevent the pipes from bursting?

Your question assumes they give a shiat about their people. I expect Party officials have enough heat.

I expect the same, but I still don't see how they can have a functional society with people in freezing temperatures and the inevitable plumbing problems that go along with it. Unless the masses somehow get heat, but it doesn't seem possible to me given how deprived the North Korean people are. Wouldn't the people freak out at some point? Maybe I'm just being naive.

I think they probably do have heat of some sort, except obviously in the more rural places which still run on firewood. The reason I think this is because all of their building designs come from the Soviets, and the Soviets were very good at keeping their people warm. It was not until the USSR collapsed that there started being more frequent power outages (even so, not as often as in North America).

oMaJoJ: Drunk Astronaut: Embrace.
Extend.
Extinguish.

Works in business and I bet you money that's what Best Korea is trying here. Play nice, reunite, and then take over the whole show, this time with major industrial infrastructure and technology.

Truly, I believe history well demonstrates that the best thing to do with NK is not to trust a single word that comes from their mouths.

Go home, Astronaut, you're drunk. ; )

But seriously, you don't think there's any way to even begin discussions to opening a half assed line of communication between SK and NK?

There already exists a half-assed line of communication. If you want to see a whole-assed one, or even a 3/4-assed one, then the NKs will have to ease information and travel restrictions and other measures which oppress their people, and open the country to the world to some meaningful extent.

It would be foolish, if not absurd, to trust mere words from the NKs, given their history.

ShawnDoc: Its a step in the right direction.  If I remember correctly he's been educated outside North Korea, and knows what a big beautiful world is out there, and just what a shiathole his own country is.  He's new to the position, and doesn't have as much face to lose as his father did, so this could be the first of many steps towards some sort of peace agreement and moving North Korea out of sanctions.

Regardless of what you think of their government, the people of North Korea deserve a better life.

^^^^^^^^^^^
llllllllllllllllll

this should be repeated

EngineerAU: What would happen if Best Korea suddenly decided to open the border and dissolve its government? Millions and millions of starving people would suddenly be the responsibility of South Korea, who could hardly refuse to help their fellow Koreans. My guess is that it'd take down the South Korean economy and a good part of the world economy at the same time.

If there is going to be one Korea, it's going to have to reunified slowly and carefully. Hopefully this is a first step.

It would be interesting, and has been done before with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Though of course the East-Germans weren't starving at all, they just had a smaller selection of food available to them.

Why would it bring any economy down though? "oh you're starving, so our economy must crash!"?

Were does the crashing come in? We know they lack food all seeing them would change nothing.

Notabunny: I want' to believe, Dude Jong-un, but Best Korea's track record with clear and honest communication isn't all that I'd hope it to be. How about if you start with free, unfiltered, universal internet access for all your citizens? Let them see what the real world is like. In exchange, we'll airlift in buttloads of food and medicine. Full minds and full tummies are a good starting point.

Free universal internet access?
We don't even have that in this piece of shiat country.

ArcadianRefugee: And this isn't a [img1.fark.net image 54x11]?

*looks at other "newsflashes"*

Holy shiat, this site sucks.

Of course this does not warrant a "newsflash" tag. The fact that you don't see dear leader's comment as anything other than another obvious and tired old ruse that's been used before shines a spotlight on your gullibility and inability to think critically. In this way, your own post lets us know that you like the faculties required to form an opinion that counts on any matter.

phrawgh: MorrisBird: My baby is being deployed there in February. There shall now be a crisis. Happy farking new year.

Many babies have been deployed here. Tell him to go to the Imjin Pub, we'll take care of him.

My husband served in Korea for 6 years as part of the ADA ( air defense artillery or alcoholics defending America) and he absolutely loved everything except the freakishly cold weather.

North Korea has been wanting to, uh, "join" South Korea forever. It's a euphemism for "taking over," since South Korea obviously has such a difficult time with its prosperity. NK has used "reunification" before, but it's FAR from being an olive branch.

ShawnDoc: He's got to keep the military on his side, and the culture has had half of century of being told how evil the rest of the world was, and how great their country is.

They are gonna be so pissed when they find out the truth

ShawnDoc: bmihura: I like your positive outlook.

Thanks.  Just look at Burma and the progress they made in just two years.  If you'd asked me 3 years ago if they'd change during my lifetime without a full scale civil war or western involvement, I'd have said you were crazy.  They've still got a long ways to go, but the developments have been very positive.

You've got a brand new leader in North Korea, he's got his country making peace noises for the first time ever, and my guess is provided he can avoid a coup and keep a hold on power, he just might be serious about making things better for his people and international relations in general.

Don't forget that Burma had the deadliest and most costly disaster with Cyclone Nargis in 2008. 140,000 deaths and $10 billion in damage(more than 10% of Burma's GDP!) is enough to start serious change in any country.

pvrhye: I love Koreans, but sometimes I'm baffled by how quick they are to forgive NK.

This is when the ethnic nationalism comes into play. Japan does the same thing.

anfrind: Dull Cow Eyes: arenaninja: The reason this isn't a newsflash is because North Korea does this, or some other seeming act-of-good-will, repeatedly every few years, to gain the goodwill of the international community and abuse food donations.

Why would (my guess) a mostly agrarian economy need food donations?

Because North Korea's agricultural system is a total disaster, just like in every other country that has applied Soviet-style central planning to agriculture.

North Korea has far less quality farmland than South Korea. If it was well run they would have enough to feed everyone and not much left over. It isn't well run.

Gosling: North Korea does this all the time. The stance is that, regardless of how much better off economically South Korea is, deep down they secretly want to reunify with North Korea. On North Korea's terms, of course.

South Korea's stance towards the whole thing is basically 'Meh. We can wait around until you either stop being giant dickbags or starve to death. We've got no preference. Until one of those two things happens, just go on and keep running your mouth.'

I teach adults in Korea, and they talk about it all the time. They want it so much they actually turn a blind eye to nearly everything NK does. After the Cheonon, after Yangpyeong-do, within a couple weeks the conversation was back to Japan's claim (though not occupation) of an essentially uninhabited pair of rocks in the sea. I love Koreans, but sometimes I'm baffled by how quick they are to forgive NK.

Dull Cow Eyes: arenaninja: The reason this isn't a newsflash is because North Korea does this, or some other seeming act-of-good-will, repeatedly every few years, to gain the goodwill of the international community and abuse food donations.

Why would (my guess) a mostly agrarian economy need food donations?

Because North Korea's agricultural system is a total disaster, just like in every other country that has applied Soviet-style central planning to agriculture.

Drunk Astronaut: Embrace.
Extend.
Extinguish.

Works in business and I bet you money that's what Best Korea is trying here. Play nice, reunite, and then take over the whole show, this time with major industrial infrastructure and technology.

Truly, I believe history well demonstrates that the best thing to do with NK is not to trust a single word that comes from their mouths.

Go home, Astronaut, you're drunk. ; )

But seriously, you don't think there's any way to even begin discussions to opening a half assed line of communication between SK and NK?

Embrace.
Extend.
Extinguish.

Works in business and I bet you money that's what Best Korea is trying here. Play nice, reunite, and then take over the whole show, this time with major industrial infrastructure and technology.

Truly, I believe history well demonstrates that the best thing to do with NK is not to trust a single word that comes from their mouths.

No peace until the return of the USS Pueblo. Period.

BronyMedic: Yoyo: Seriously, the cease fire was almost 60 years ago.

Cease Fire. Not peace treaty. Technically, the North and South are still at war, and it marks the longest official conflict that the United States has ever been in, the GWOT being the second longest followed by Vietnam.

I am all too aware of this. Actually, #2 isn't GWOT. It's Kosovo since '99.

Before it was photoshopped, there was only one mic.

ArcadianRefugee: And this isn't a [img1.fark.net image 54x11]?

*looks at other "newsflashes"*

Holy shiat, this site sucks.

If it were likely to lead to any actual change, then yes, it would be a newsflash.  But saying "we want peace" doesn't really mean anything, especially given the number of times North Korea has said that before.

It could be the first step towards some real positive change.  I hope so.  But I'm not holding my breath.

TeddyRooseveltsMustache: He just wants a new Kia Optima. I bet he saw that commercial with Motley Crue in it and thinks they're some hip new band.

No, Supreme Leader is trying to create some buzz for his upcoming single, "Pyongyang Style."

Wakosane: I actually prefer Reddit's comment tree structure. No searching up and down a wall of text. Replys automatically sent as a message with notification. A tree structure to keep different topics from getting mixed together. The ability to minimize a comment section you have no interest in reading.

Really? I farking detest comment trees. Always have. In my opinion, they're nothing more than an ugly, unusable blight that the rest of the Internet was right to do away with. Hell, that's the main reason why I've never had a Reddit account.

Brick-House: This is the crap you're left with when you don't fight a war to win.

No, this is what you get when you decide that you'd rather not fight a war with the most populous nation in the world just 6 years after the most brutal war in history.

/but this is still an awesome scene: SAY IT! SAY IT!

Yugoboy: A) "Unity" likely means unified under North Korean rule

B) Even if he DOES mean to unify in some relatively democratic fashion, remember what the addition of East Germany did to the economy of unified Germany - while it's taken a decade or two to get things under control, the disparity meant that half the country was a drag on the other half while the brainwashed easterners re-learned market economics and had to do without at least a little of the public teat the Communist regime had them suckling on. On the other hand, the Stasi went away in a hurry.

C) It's been said before in this thread, but I, too, think he's just ronery...

Who said anything about unity? He was talking about steps to peace. I don't see N and S Koreas becoming unified for a while. Unifying anything at this stage would end badly. But having N Korea calm its shiat down, start talking, and start letting the trade in? That would be  amazing. And this guy's a) been raised, hopefully, to do his duty to his people and b) been in the rest of the world. So there's a chance. Slim, but there.

ArcadianRefugee: And this isn't a [img1.fark.net image 54x11]?

*looks at other "newsflashes"*

Holy shiat, this site sucks.

I'll take it you're from reddit?

The reason this isn't a newsflash is because North Korea does this, or some other seeming act-of-good-will, repeatedly every few years, to gain the goodwill of the international community and abuse food donations. Then, once it gets what it wants it goes off and does some insane shiat (I believe the last time it was their nuclear testing underground?).

The only reason why it merits the interesting tag is because North Korea is under new (untested) leadership, but everyone around here (and most likely the international community) will be wary of whatever they may be trying to pull off. Kim Jong-Il burnt a lot of bridges in his time, and I'd be surprised if anyone wants to even have talks. As far as I know, South Korea isn't looking for a reunification since the North is so impoverished that they'd be a burden on their developing economy.

/rant

tinfoil-hat maggie: Matrix Flavored Wasabi: Wakosane: ArcadianRefugee: And this isn't a [img1.fark.net image 54x11]?

*looks at other "newsflashes"*

Holy shiat, this site sucks.

Yeah, as a long time user, it's definitely gone downhill in the last two or three years. The moderation isn't that good, and it's cheaper to go to reddit than to buy totalfark.

The commentary at reddit sucks, and is what keeps me here.

This!!!

I agree with this to. Reddit is great if you are between 14-26ish and you feel that you are the center of the world and only your world view is correct. Not to mention moderation is worse than here and run by a bunch of ego maniacs to say the least who are always power tripping. It's just not worth putting up with I would rather stay here.

Threadjack:

Happy New Year, ya humps.

/threadjack

spawn73: Maybe he really wants the best for the North Korean people, if he's been brainwashed into thinking that is his duty, he might annoy all the generals by actually trying to do what is best.

Highly doubt it. I bet He plans to do what the leaders of China did and ran sack the money coming in once the county starts letting companies in and then funnel it to leadership. The original eight chinese revolutionary families are worth millions/billions and it has been passed down generations. I have a feeling someone finally got a clue in best Korea and saw how much money they are losing out by being idiots.

Wakosane: ArcadianRefugee: And this isn't a [img1.fark.net image 54x11]?

*looks at other "newsflashes"*

Holy shiat, this site sucks.

Yeah, as a long time user, it's definitely gone downhill in the last two or three years. The moderation isn't that good, and it's cheaper to go to reddit than to buy totalfark.

The commentary at reddit sucks, and is what keeps me here.

(Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for an end to confrontation between the two Koreas, technically still at war in the absence of a peace treaty to end their 1950-53 conflict, in a surprise New Year speech broadcast on state media.

The address by Kim, who took over power in the reclusive state after his father, Kim Jong-il, died in 2011, appeared to take the place of the policy-setting New Year editorial published in leading state newspapers.

Impoverished North Korea raised tensions in the region by launching a long-range rocket in December that it said was aimed at putting a scientific satellite in orbit, drawing international condemnation.

North Korea, which considers North and South as one country, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is banned from testing missile or nuclear technology under U.N. sanctions imposed after its 2006 and 2009 nuclear weapons tests.

"An important issue in putting an end to the division of the country and achieving its reunification is to remove confrontation between the north and the south," Kim said in the address that appeared to be pre-recorded and was made at an undisclosed location.

"The past records of inter-Korean relations show that confrontation between fellow countrymen leads to nothing but war."

The New Year address was the first in 19 years by a North Korean leader after the death of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-un's grandfather. Kim Jong-il rarely spoke in public and disclosed his national policy agenda in editorials in state newspapers.

The two Koreas have seen tensions rise to the highest level in decades after the North bombed a Southern island in 2010 killing two civilians and two soldiers.

The sinking of a South Korean navy ship earlier that year was blamed on the North but Pyongyang has denied it and accused Seoul of waging a smear campaign against its leadership.

Last month, South Korea elected as president Park Geun-hye, a conservative daughter of assassinated military ruler Park Chung-hee whom Kim Il-sung had tried to kill at the height of their Cold War confrontation.

Park has vowed to pursue engagement with the North and called for dialogue to build confidence but has demanded that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions, something it is unlikely to do.

Conspicuously absent from Kim's speech was any mention of the nuclear arms program.

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Nick Macfie)

pvrhye: I live in South Korea, so the transcript is blocked. Can I get a copy paste up in here?

Well, do you remember all those artillery cannons they have aimed at Seoul?

Holy crap!
It's a trap!

way south: He can end hostilities by pointing his artillery somewhere else, for starters.

He might have to point it at China

At which time if he happens to have nukes handy they might actually have to let him pull an East Germany

ShawnDoc: Its a step in the right direction.  If I remember correctly he's been educated outside North Korea, and knows what a big beautiful world is out there, and just what a shiathole his own country is.  He's new to the position, and doesn't have as much face to lose as his father did, so this could be the first of many steps towards some sort of peace agreement and moving North Korea out of sanctions.

Regardless of what you think of their government, the people of North Korea deserve a better life.

I like your positive outlook.