Compared to news in the United States the articles seem very short and somewhat low on factual information. Furthermore the articles are repetitive when it comes to the issue of independent reunification. One other difference that the Korean news has from American News is that the Korean articles call on the people of the nation to continue struggling for peace, in America it seems there is no need, most of the time, to call on the people of our nation to struggle or for any other reason.

There are political slants in the North Korean news particularly in the article involving Japans decision to streamline their anti missile command chain. Until recently the Japanese defense minister had to get approval from the Japanese Prime Minister before they the Defense Minister could enact the anti missile defense, but now the Defense Minister can activate the anti missile defense by himself. This enables Japan to react faster to a missile attack against their nation. North Korea has taken Japans increased faster possible response as Japan getting ready for a preemptive strike. North Korea has taken a simple change in the line of command and twisted it into an excuse to accuse Japan of preparing for an attack.

Again, let’s not shift away from “good for the mass.” To me North Korea should start with the ambition to relentless fight against poverty, starvation, international displacement and all other economic and social defects. Good for the mass first, would make North Korean a genuine patriotic. North Korean can not jump to the 50th step, without undertaking the 1st step; this would bring great harm to itself and the people behind.

Politics is not about revenge or childish revenge; this means that gaining victory over another or other countries are not important than bringing good to your country’s mass. To me, be a coward in the international stage, but be an interest-provider to my fellow citizens, I would select the latter one. North Korea can not compare itself with the United States of American, France or UK, because at least the mass in these countries are not suffering from social and economic defects like what the North Koreans are experiencing; they have victoriously climbed the first step. But you (North Korea) are too far away.

North Korea says this is only a defensive mechanism to prevent a US invasion of their country. They also claimed that they did these tests very scientifically and underground so that no radiation would escape and there would be no fallout to their neighbors. Even though China and Japan’s leaders had met and to both warned North Korea not to do these tests; North Korea did it anyway.

It looks as if six party talks have not worked and the United Nations has failed again. North Korean leaders have also met with Iran and are interested in exporting such weapons. This causes a huge problem in the world, as we all know that Iran has already promised to; Blow Israel off the Map. The proliferation of nuclear weapons in that region cannot be a good thing for the world and having a rogue nation like North Korea willing to sell these nuclear weapons to other nation states or even international terrorist is a very frightening thought. Perhaps we might consider all this in 2006.

It’s a cruel world, full of deception and hypocrisy. It was obvious in the last G20 summit. America and the Russia agreed to reduce their nuclear war heads as if that is enough to balance the power in the world. Let every nation possess it or no nation has it at all. Why? This is because the decision on the world resources depend on how powerful a nation is.. The west takes the chunk while others scramble on the crumbs. According to Kenneth Clark, the former home office Minster in the United kingdom, the west are only familiar with spending and spending more than what they own, while the rest of the world live within their means and save for the future.

Apart from the poor sharing of the world resources there is too much abuse of power going on. Some problems are better resolved diplomatically rather than militarily. America will never attack Iraq if Iraq has a long range missile. Look at India and Pakistan for instance. They look like enemies but war seems not be in their agenda for now because they both posses what it takes to ground each others nation.. It boils down to the same notion, let all the world missiles be got rid off or let every nation posses it.

North Korea made warnings to Japan stating that an attempt to intercept the missile will be viewed as an act of war. They also stated that they will use all military force necessary to stop any interceptors from destroying the missile. Japan state that it does not intend to shoot the missile down but rather to defend it’s territory. This is confirmed in the fact that the missile has the range to carry a nuclear warhead to Japan and North Korea has several nuclear warheads.

The idea that a missile with the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead is being launched by a communist country is troubling for all democratic countries. North Korea has a past of troubling activity and is currently still giving any disruptments to their extreme behavior an extreme reaction. There is talk that the North has the ability to make a smaller version of nuclear warheads that could be attached to Rodong missiles giving the missiles a much broader range. This information is unconfirmed but troubling at that.

North Korea has claimed that the US has had over 100 flights over the missile area and their territory. Now the North is threatening to shoot down any spy planes that enter their airspace to monitor the rocket launch. This was in reaction to this increase in spy flights by the US. The North still is planning the missile test between April 4 through the 8th in which the United States says they can do nothing to stop it unless for some reason it looks like it is headed for Hawaii or somewhere threatening. North Korea has already moved the missile onto a launch pad and is preparing for it’s launch.

So, what can be done to confront this nuclear threat? The current situation can not be addressed by the United States alone. It is my fear that the Republican majority in all branches of U.S. government will continue with the typical and ineffective go-it-alone strategy that has not won us the key support needed in protect our international interests. The international community is the only body capable of effectively handling the North Korean situation which has now developed into a global problem.

First, in a global economy, it is necessary for voters in the upcoming election to cast their votes to bring a more Democratic balance into the make-up of our current govenment. Democrats would be more effective in diplomacy and can speak the international tongue. Whether you agree with their policies and beliefs or not, they are more likely to restore trust and a sense of humanity to our foreign agenda.

Second, if the international community is the channel of tough sanctions, China is the key. The country of China is an emerging dominate player in the Asian region and is also responsible for trade that equates to roughly 50% of North Korea’s energy and food imports. If China does not accept its new international role in a responsible fashion, then the world will continue in its struggle to suppress renegade dictatorships.

Finally, North Korea has already been warned in their efforts to develop nuclear capabilities, but apparently decided not to listen. I believe we should impose the toughest of sanctions and work with our allies to allow for massive refugee transportation out of North Korea. At this point, deadlines should be drawn up for an international force to work together in removing this dictator from power if president Kim Jong-il does not comply and agree to dismantle his nuclear program.

In regards to a potential North Korean attack on South Korea, we already know that underground tunnels have been discovered to be dug deep into South Korean territory. The scary thing to note is that millions of people live in the capital of Seoul, South Korea, which is not very from the border with the north. If it is already assumed that some tunnels have not yet been discovered, what is to stop North Korea from detonating a nuclear weapon right under the heels of a major South Korean city such as Seoul? This would cause millions of people to suffer a horrific death. Another possibility to ponder is North Korea’s capability to transport weapons of mass destruction to our enemies whether it is Al Qaeda, Iran, Syria, etc.

Delighted children found them in a field and ran them home to aging grandmas and grandpas who wept over them, if they were of the remnant church still surviving in this scary land. Or they puzzled over them if they were of the great majority who have been brainwashed and totally uninformed about the outside world and its religious side. Hundreds of thousands of these plastic missionaries were sent out by dedicated South Koreans and their missionary cohorts . No one knows the full effect of their flights, but reports confirm that many of the missiles found their mark. Lives have been touched forever! Mr. Kim simply cannot keep the Word of God out. It is not bound. A little comes in on airwaves. A little on tapes. A few Bibles get where they were intended to go. Oh the precious life-giving Word of God!

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Margareta Wahlstrom, the deputy emergency relief coordinator, said Thursday that about 60 people are missing in the storms which have also destroyed hundreds of bridges and a number of public buildings and affected pumping stations and power supplies.

The heavy rains and flooding have “very badly affected” four southern provinces where the country’s agricultural production is based, she said.

This week, U.N. staff in Pyongyang visited the province of North Hwanghae, European relief organizations visited South Pyongan, and the International Federation of the Red Cross visited North and South Hwanghae, South Pyongan, Kangwon and South Hamgyong for preliminary assessments, the U.N. said.

U.N. World Food Program representatives will travel Friday to 10 hard-hit counties to assess immediate needs.

“There are approximately 300,000 people who are homeless,” according to assessments by the U.N., the government and relief organizations, Wahlstrom told reporters on Thursday.

“About 58,000 houses (are) destroyed,” she said. “We’ve seen over 90,000 hectares of farmland which is flooded and about 60 missing, 83 dead so far.”

Wahlstrom said “about 10 percent of the population in the provinces in the south are affected.”

In North Hwanghae, she said about 70 percent of arable land has been affected and 50 percent of the health clinics destroyed.

According to an overview by U.N. relief officials in the region, more than 800 public buildings, 540 bridges, 70 sections of railway and more than 500 high voltage towers were destroyed, and more than 30 reservoirs and 450 agricultural structures were damaged.

In addition, the heavy rains have ruptured river banks in more than 800 places and dikes in 10 places, the U.N. said.

Wahlstrom said the flooding is as severe as last year and 2004, and U.N. and government officials are trying to assess whether it is of the same magnitude as the mid-1990s.

In 1995, the North said floods had displaced 5.4 million people, but international aid agencies found 500,000 homeless.

The North is especially vulnerable to the annual heavy summer rains that soak the Korean peninsula because its people remove natural vegetation from vast hillsides to grow more food to make up shortfalls from the official rationing system, increasing the risk of erosion and floods.

As a result of crop losses in last year’s floods, Wahlstrom said, the U.N. had already calculated there would be a one million metric ton deficit of food crops in North Korea, and with the destruction caused by the current flooding “it will get worse.”

The U.N. team that visited North Hwanghae was able to give out some medical supplies and shelter materials, but the flood victims need more resources, she said.

Luckily, Wahlstrom said, the U.N. World Food Program had been preparing to expand its operation in North Korea because it had been given a donation of $20 million (€14.9 million).

“What U.N. has in country will immediately be put at the disposal of the relief operation,” she said.

The U.N. and the North Koreans are now “defining what the needs will be,” Wahlstrom said.

“The most obvious, the most urgently needed will be food, will be medical support, and probably emergency shelter for many of the people,” she said.

Once North Korea’s needs are known, Wahlstrom said the U.N. will tap into a fund to provide relief in emergencies.

U.N. officials will also meet representatives of potential donor countries on Friday for initial consultations on mobilizing additional financial support for North Korea, Wahlstrom said.