By Due to the threats to shoot down a airliner major Korean airlines have now redirected their flights:
South Korean airlines said on Thursday they have rerouted flights to stay well clear of North Korean airspace after the communist country warned it could not guarantee safety of passenger planes.
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines said they have ordered planes that currently use the Kamchatka route to change course as a safety measure. On average, 10 daily flights by South Korean flag carriers fly over the so-called flight information region administered by North Korea. [Yonhap]
The Korean government of course has protested the latest threat by North Korea:
The government Friday urged North Korea to immediately withdraw its military threat to South Korean flights over its airspace, calling it a violation of international rules and an “inhumane” act. (……)
Experts in inter-Korean affairs said Pyongyang’s warning was aimed at pressuring Seoul ahead of the exercise with Washington, which according to the Stalinist state is “reckless warmongering.”
“Amid the worsened relations between the two Koreas, North Korea has gradually stepped up pressure on South Korea. It seems difficult to change this pattern,” Paik Hak-soon of the Sejong Institute told The Korea Times.
Before the Key Resolve exercise begins, North Korea might be psychologically defensive and aggressive,” he added.
A defense ministry official did not rule out the possibility of the threat being related to North Korea’s moves to launch a missile.
“Since the North’s announcement did not mention about ships, the North could possibly launch a short-range missile,” he said on condition of anonymity. [Korea Times]
Like I said before this is just more empty rhetoric from North Korea.
2:09 am on March 6th, 2009 1
Just another "Team Spirit" threat to make the short one feel important. For the life of me, why can't the South Korean government ever figure this out, when Team Spirit is about to happen, the short one makes his threats. This has been going on for like forever and yet no one it seems to notice what's happening.
Unreal…..
9:05 am on March 6th, 2009 2
It is really hard for me to get a gut feel on North Korea since the US election:
I think we can get a rough estimate about how much North Korea is hurting or worried by its provocations since at least the mid-1990s.
Setting off a nuke and testing an ICBM a couple of years ago was a big sign, I thought and still think. But, getting ready to do the same thing now? And threatening the airliners does seem a little out of the ordinary even in N. Korean bluster.
…But, the fact that a new administration is in the White House, especially a very liberal and inexperienced one like Obama's, is a wild card that throws everything off. I can't tell at all if this stuff is connected to usual things or is just NK trying to take advantage of the situation.