Only from North Korea

Take a read of this news article fromJoongAng Ilbo about North Korea's opinion on the scaling down of troops in Seoul and Korea (specifically, 3,600 troops are heading to Iraq and by the end of 2005 the current total of 37,000 should drop to about 24,500).

North blasts U.S. troop cuts

North Korea again blasted the United States yesterday for what it calls "an increase of U.S. defense capabilities" after the planned relocation of 3,600 U.S. troops in South Korea to Iraq. Pyeongyang's state-run television network said the plans were preparations for a second Korean war.

"Even though part of the U.S. ground forces will be transferred to Iraq, instead of causing a capability vacuum, U.S. President Bush is augmenting his war policy against the North," the broadcast complained.

"The U.S. security commitment [to South Korea] is a commitment for preemptive war against us," the current affairs commentary said.

Ok, let me get this straight...moving troops OUT of South Korea and, further, OUT of the area closest to North Korea (the DMZ, or DeMilitarized Zone) is somehow INCREASING the U.S. defense capabilities in South Korea??? Well, I've read a lot of North Korean propaganda (such as at DPRK.com, check out the DPRK News section) but this one is pretty unreal.

And with that I'd like to remind everyone that those in the DPRK (I should tell you that means Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or North Korea) are probably very good people, it's just the leadership that seems to be making all the waves (I could be wrong, but I'm not going to go up there and find out). The Korean War from 1950-3 was a brutal event that severed many families...some of whom are now lucky enough to see their aged relatives again (remember, it's been 50+ years) in special reunion projects (albeit only for a few hours before everyone is whisked off to their respective countries). Many, however have or will pass on without ever seeing a sister, brother, child, parent or boy/girlfriend again. We in the West, especially Canada where we've never had a war on our own soil except the War of 1812, could never fully comprehend such things. It really makes your wonder how far one would go to support ideology...I guess we have an idea now.