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A US soldier stands on the South Korean side of the border between North and South Korea. South Korean soldiers are seen to the right; North Korean soldiers in the background. Driedprawns via Wikimedia Commons

North Korea 'will cancel Korean War ceasefire' if military drills continue

Pyongyang says it will tear up the 1953 armistice in response to US attempts to pursue UN sanctions against it.

NORTH KOREA has threatened to resume the Korean War – ending a 60-year truce with South Korea – if its southern neighbour continues with military drills, and the United States looks to pursue UN sanctions against it.

The Korean People’s Army Supreme Command has threatened to withdraw from the armistice deal signed in 1953 – which enforced a ceasefire in the war with South Korea which was never formally ended – if South Korea and the US continue their joint military drills.

The statement comes after reports that the United States and China – which is one of North Korea’s few international allies – had agreed the draft text of sanctions to be pursued against Pyongyang for its recent nuclear missile test.

North Korea now says it will cancel the armistice deal signed in 1953, bringing three years of hostilities to a close, on March 11.

Abandoning that agreement would mean North Korea no longer recognises the 2.5-mile demilitarised zone (‘DMZ’), which acts as a ‘buffer zone’ between the two countries.

Officially speaking, abandoning the armistice would also mean the resumption of war between the countries – a fate that international observers will be desperate to avoid, given that North Korea is now in possession of nuclear weapons.

Pyongyang said the US and others were going beyond merely economic sanctions, and were expanding into straightforward military aggression.

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50 Comments
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    Mute Carl Douglas
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    Mar 5th 2013, 1:30 PM

    God job Dennis Rodman!

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    Mute Shane Hickey
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    Mar 5th 2013, 1:51 PM

    They’re going to need to be neutralised if they keep this up. Kim jong un is clearly nuts

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    Mute mohamad oconnor
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    Mar 5th 2013, 2:35 PM

    Why do you think he is nuts all you know about him is what you see on western tv. America try’s to stop everyone having nuclear weapons but guess who has the most war heads and guess who is the only country to use them against another country. America f**k yeah!!!

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    Mute Carl Douglas
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    Mar 5th 2013, 2:50 PM

    So Mohamad you trust North Korea with Nukes more than the Americans?

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Mar 5th 2013, 3:10 PM

    Mohomad, have you asked the South Koreans what they think?

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Mar 5th 2013, 3:29 PM

    “Why do you think he is nuts all you know about him is what you see on western tv.”

    No, we know about him and his father’s legacy by reports of those who have managed to escape the horrors of North Korea. Public executions, concentration camps, zero freedom of speech and expression, no democracy, dismal living conditions, and then some.

    Want to hear exactly what it is to live in North Korea? Read ‘Escape from Camp 14′ about the horrors Shin Dong-hyuk endured while living there in a slave labour camp. Nothing to do with ‘Western Media’.

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    Mute mohamad oconnor
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    Mar 5th 2013, 3:42 PM

    I’m not saying he not nuts, but all we get on TV is propaganda so I tend not to make assumptions on it. I also think America should pay more attention on there agreement to decommission it’s own nuclear war heads witch they have plenty in the words of the late bill hicks America “bully’s of the world”

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    Mute cholly appleseed
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    Mar 5th 2013, 3:46 PM

    Muhammad I think your clearly nuts if you think Kim Jong un is a stable leader. His families brutal regime is we documented, there’s an entire generation who have stunned growth due to famine as kim jong ikl refused help while spending billions on his family and nuclear research. You actually cannot argue his merits. Also russia has a larger stockpile of nuclear weapons and yes America did use nuclear weapons but that was a different era, they don’t threaten to use them anymore, mutual destruction Garuntees this. However, north korea regulary threatens to use tgem against south korea, a country with no nuclear weapons.

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    Mute mohamad oconnor
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    Mar 5th 2013, 3:56 PM

    Cholly how can a country threaten to use weapons they have not finished developing? Your are right America dont need to threaten to use them they have showed when it comes down to it they will and how many innocent people have died at the hands of the yanks in search of oil. And yes I am a little nuts but arnt we all!

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    Mute cholly appleseed
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    Mar 5th 2013, 4:19 PM

    North korea has nuclear weapons, estimated between 6-18, they have atomic bombs, not hydrogen bombs and our constantly attempting to develope them further. Three successful detonations have been recorded so far. Please stop trying to defend this brutal regime, its very childish

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    Mute mohamad oconnor
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    Mar 5th 2013, 4:41 PM

    I’m not defending them just don’t be so gullible to think that they are the only ones at fault!

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    Mute Tom Lewis
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:41 PM

    Someone is anti america i me thinks

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    Mute Eamonn Bolger
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:46 PM

    So North Korea are not bullies? Or Iran?

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    Mute Daniel Dunne
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    Mar 5th 2013, 1:29 PM

    This is not good.

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    Mute youdontknowme
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    Mar 5th 2013, 1:55 PM

    Bluff

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    Mute Tom Ryan
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    Mar 5th 2013, 2:57 PM

    Let’s hope so.. but I don’t think ignoring these threats or being ignorant to the situation is the way to go. If this does go ahead god knows what will happen. Any nation with nuclear weapons are a danger to the entire planet.

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    Mute Kevin Smyth
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:10 PM

    It’s not a bluff. I’ve seen photos of their bows and arrows, stored in a warehouse. They’ve also been stockpiling sticks and stones.

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    Mute Anthony O Donnell
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    Mar 5th 2013, 1:57 PM

    Invade and save the doggies ,

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    Mute Gavin Ross
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    Mar 5th 2013, 4:36 PM

    Only China can knock sense into North Korea. It time they started acting a little more responsibly. All the US is trying to do is prevent a war where nuclear weapons could well be used. Surely that’s a laudable goal. Unfortunately we have the usual “USA is evil in all things” brigade out with their tired rhetoric again.

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    Mute Eamonn Bolger
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    Mar 5th 2013, 7:05 PM

    Indeed Gavin.

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    Mute stiofandebrun
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    Mar 5th 2013, 2:13 PM

    The military is the United States’ key source of leverage over North Korea, yet all sides are aware that offensive strikes against the North are unfeasible: no-one wants a new Korean War. So the American troops are in the position of causing friction by their mere presence, even as their possibility of being deployed is minimal.

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    Mute sean
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    Mar 5th 2013, 2:49 PM

    All America will do is send a strongly worded letter to NK , there is no benefits taking action against these .
    America is more interested in Iran and its rich oil reserves

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    Mute johnr
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    Mar 5th 2013, 5:52 PM

    North Korea is one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries, it’s people live in poverty and are isolated by their own goverment and sanctions. No internet, international news or clue how the rest of the world lives. It’s called socialism. As in Orwell’s book. The pigs are in charge, the animals work harder, eat less and live in fear of the humans on the outside.

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    Mute Michael O'Herlihy
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    Mar 5th 2013, 5:44 PM

    This is total bluff. The North Korean”leadership” know full well that if they show any real aggression toward the South, the will simply be squashed like a bug by the US/South Korea. The North Korean leadership have it good and they know it well. Why would they jeopardise the cushy life they have on the backs of their own starving population. Part of the current North Korean leadership mandate is to put out these threatening statements from time to time. they’ve been at it for years and they never amount to anything

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    Mute Tom Ryan
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:02 PM

    Yes the leaders do have a cushy lifestyle. But they also have a bit of a looper in charge following on his father’s legacy.
    I think it would be a stupid move for N Korea to actually act on this threat BUT if they do how long do we have before the release the nuclear weapons? And if/when they do start with the nuclear weapons, I seriously doubt they will be pointing them solely at South Korea.
    It may erupt very quickly.. the sooner the American or Chinese secret service take out Kim Jong-un the better for all…

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    Mute 19Ferg
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    Mar 5th 2013, 2:26 PM

    They love to rattle their sabre don’t they !!

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    Mute Biggins31
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    Mar 5th 2013, 4:44 PM

    A bunch of thick-headed ignorant fools are the North Korean Army.
    They might have the cult like numbers in army but when it comes to long distance weaponry – before they can march in any great distance, the crap will be blown to hell out of them.

    What a bunch of out of date nutters!
    Dangerous? Yes, certainly.
    Be eventually defeated along with the own country’s devastation? For sure!

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    Mute TheHeathen
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    Mar 5th 2013, 5:01 PM

    Ignorant and stupid I think not. They have the most artillery pieces in the world trained on Seoul they don’t need to march anywhere and I don’t think they really want to. They know that they can flatten the northern part of South Korea in an instant. They mightn’t have tomahawks and drones but good old artillery is just as potent in this situation. However it would be the end of them if they started anything and the elite there are happy in their villas and yachts. They just want to keep their wealth and that means keeping their people poor.
    War really is not the way to go here. They should be flooding the North with food, humanitarianism, phones, radios. Show the common people that the rest of the world is not against them and in turn loosen the grip of the elites on their society.

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    Mute Biggins31
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:06 PM

    They have the footsoldiers to be sure and they have much short range, across the border capability – but after that as regards longer range, they are much lacking.

    South Korea alone knows this and has contingency plans tocopr with this – much like the Russians did in WW2 and the lines of defences that had to be broken through by Germany (who failed) as each defending line fell back eventually to the one behind it and even further reinforced it to the point of no breakthrough by the German army – and that was 1943/’44.
    …Now S. Korea has taken such historic lessons and combined with their own far higher tech long range capability incorporated into land and sea based projectile firing mechanisms, the failure of N. Korea would be only a matter of time – and that without further help from Western powers who would fall in line behind S. Korea in already created treaties of support.

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    Mute Biggins31
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:07 PM

    * “tocopr” = “to cope”

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    Mute Jack Daniels
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    Mar 5th 2013, 1:38 PM

    The provoking of each other down down in South Asia is being egged on by U.S vs China.

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    Mute Jack Daniels
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    Mar 5th 2013, 2:20 PM

    The entire U.S naval pacific fleet is currently sitting in the East China see but that does’nt matter sure.The U.S have a big military presence in S.Korea China supports N.Korea and there is currently a currency war happening between the two biggest superpowers but that doe’snt matter either.Ignorance is rife here on the matter.

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    Mute mohamad oconnor
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    Mar 5th 2013, 2:31 PM

    America f**k yeah!!!!

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    Mute Richard Keogh
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    Mar 5th 2013, 3:09 PM

    You obviously weren’t listening to the very strong condemnation of Pyongyang by Beijing last month after their nuclear test. Today the US will be bringing a motion to a closed session of the UN Security Council condemning North Korea and imposing sanctions on Pyongyang. Noises from Chinese Officials are that they will back those. The last thing China wants is a war against the US.

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    Mute sean
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    Mar 5th 2013, 3:21 PM

    I really don,t think the north Korean gov give a monkies about more sanctions , they have ignored these so many times

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    Mute Jack Daniels
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    Mar 5th 2013, 5:15 PM

    The U.S and China wont square up bur they will have the Koreans fighting each other just another Vietnam .

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Mar 5th 2013, 5:34 PM

    Jack, you say that the “US and China won’t square up” but in a comment above you say that the US had its pacific naval fleet in the South China Sea. Is that not a squaring up?
    I’m just confused by your apparent contradiction.

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    Mute Jim Flavin
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    Mar 5th 2013, 5:44 PM

    @jack daniels – yes . Most everything now revolves around the big one – USA v China – and bets are that China will win that one quite easy . i can imagine China is not overhappy at this coming from N Korea- it upsets a non viloent war that they are winning .
    the US Empire is over – but try telling that to US Public .
    tho they are broke – they still want to rule the world – sorry but its over . Will Chinese Empire be any better – well at least they are not as gung ho as Yanks who manage to crate crsises wherever they want to go eg one of their latest crises is Uzbekistan
    ”A police state backed by the largest and most ruthless internal security service in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is ranked one of the most corrupt nations in the world and denies its citizens free speech, free media and due process in a court of law.”
    Yet US /UK and Germany back this regime with weaponery
    —– why – it is vital for acess to Afghnaisatn as Pakistan has closed off NATO acess to Afganistan in 2011 .
    So as ever the US supports the Corrupt Regime in Ubekstan and myriad other countries – but does not like the idea of N Korea threateng anyone .
    While North Korea is no angel- it has not attacked other countries nor used Nuclear weapons – nor IMO wil it use nuclear weapons .
    And US with Patriot Act and NDAA and 24/7 surveliance of its wown poulation is fast becoming waht it accuses others of – only it does it big – and has a vast Propaganda machine which apparently is very sucessful .

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    Mute David Dolan
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    Mar 5th 2013, 1:58 PM

    Reading between the lines it seems china is ready to flex some of its military muscle and needs an excuse to do so. North Korea is betting on this I think.

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    Mute cholly appleseed
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    Mar 5th 2013, 2:39 PM

    Really? To me it looks like China is starting to side with the States? Both super powers have far to much to lose by going to war. even without nuclear weapons, it’s Gaurunteed mutual destruction

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    Mute ManOnTheStreet
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    Mar 5th 2013, 3:43 PM

    I disagree David. China puts china first (obviously) and it looks like they are starting to understand that no good will come from back N. Korea.

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    Mute Denzil
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:29 PM

    Weirdo’s

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    Mute Shane Freedom
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    Mar 5th 2013, 3:16 PM

    The USA world Police they like to think of themselves as should go home.

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Mar 5th 2013, 6:20 PM

    Hear hear, Shane.

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    Mute Eamonn Bolger
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    Mar 5th 2013, 7:04 PM

    Just as well the World Police were around to bail us all out in WW2. Short memories indeed.

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    Mute Jim Flavin
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    Mar 6th 2013, 1:06 PM

    @Eamon bolger – actually it was USSR that defeated Nzis in WW2 .
    hitler had his bad side which was horriific – but so is US Foreign Policy today . Ironically Hitlet had many admirers in the West – and if he had not been anti jewsish – but all too late now .
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ei9ycAOdQ

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    Mute Eamonn Bolger
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    Mar 6th 2013, 1:21 PM

    Right Jim. So there was no Normandy invasion, no Western front, and no massive US aid to the USSR. Funny how people selectively overlook the “little” things.

    Regarding YS foreign policy – yeah it may be hit & miss. But I will take them ahead of the loonies currently queuing to “topple” them – in their dreams.

    Iran, NK, and the whole toerag lot of them.

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    Mute Andrew Power
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    Mar 5th 2013, 9:03 PM

    Will they start making MASH again?

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    Mute Packie mc Kenna
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    Mar 5th 2013, 4:30 PM

    Here here Mohammad

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    Mute Shane Freedom
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    Mar 5th 2013, 7:11 PM

    Go home yanks.

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