Tensions are escalating quickly on the Korean peninsula.
Officials in Seoul say there are possibilities that the North may fire off several missiles from different sites, in case of an unsuccessful launch of the Musudan missile, which has never been tested before.
According to satellite imagery, four or five more TELs were recently spotted in South Hamkyung Province, sparking speculation that the North may fire off missiles in several places.
The TELs were believed to be launch platforms for short-range Scud missiles, which have a range of 300-500 kilometers, and medium-range Nodong missiles, which can travel 1,300-1,500 km, the source said.
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Separate reports indicate that North Korea's largest border crossing with China has been closed and it is evacuating its embassy in London.
I'm surprised there are no diaries about this, so I'm writing this. We could-- I emphasize could -- be less than 48 hours away from a nuclear war. While I still think that's unlikely, even the small chance of such a thing deserves serious discussion, and more than the jokes that seem to swirl around about North Korea every time it does something.
North Korea is not a joke.
If North Korea miscalculates, accidentally hits a target, or god forbid is truly suicidal, it could set off one of the deadliest wars in decades, possibly since WW2.
We seem to be inured by two-quarters of a century of only small-scale wars, involving developing nations. We can no longer imagine, as seemed normal in the 1950s and even 1960s, nuclear war hitting modern, industrialized megaloposes like Seoul, where tens of thousands of US troops are stationed, or Tokyo. I think subconsciously we think twitter and YouTube protect us, that if we can make fun of Kim Jong Un, he must be a dream, an entertainer. But he's not. He's at the head of a nuclear power and a massive military, and we simply don't know his intentions or reasoning. That's scary.
It's also clear that US policy towards North Korea has failed. Personally, I think it's time for direct talks with the North Korean regime, if it's not too late.