Joe McCarthy
12-21-2010, 07:24 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_koreas_clash
GIMPO, South Korea – As troops stood guard and a choir sang carols Tuesday, South Koreans lit a massive steel Christmas tree that overlooks the world's most heavily armed border and is within sight of atheist North Korea.
The lighting of the tree after a seven-year hiatus marked a pointed return to a tradition condemned in Pyongyang as propaganda. The provocative ceremony — which must receive government permission — was also a sign that President Lee Myung-bak's administration is serious about countering the North's aggression with measures of its own in the wake of an artillery attack that killed four South Koreans last month.
While the North has made some conciliatory gestures in recent days — indicating to a visiting U.S. governor that it might allow international inspections of its nuclear programs — Seoul appears unmoved.
Pyongyang has used a combination of aggression and reconciliation before to extract concessions from the international community, and the resurrection of the tree lighting at Aegibong is a signal that the South is ready to play hardball until it sees real change from the North.
Earlier, a South Korean destroyer prowled the sea and fighter jets tore across the skies in preparation for possible North Korean attacks a day after Seoul held a round of artillery drills from a front-line island.
After warning of deadly retaliation, North Korea said it would not deign to fight back, and indicated to visiting New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that it was prepared to consider ways to work with the South on restoring security along the tense border.
But a senior South Korean government official said the military would remain prepared for the possibility of a "surprise" attack in coming days. He spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
On Aegibong Peak, about a mile (less than two kilometers) from the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean peninsula, marines toting rifles circled the Christmas tree as more than 100,000 twinkling lights blinked on. The brightly lit tree — with a cross on top — stood in stark relief to North Korea, where electricity is limited.
Choir members dressed in white robes trimmed in blue and wearing red scarves and Santa Claus hats gathered beneath the steel structure draped with multicolored lights, illuminated stars and snowflakes. An audience of about 200 listened as they sang "Joy to the World" and other Christmas carols.
"I hope that Christ's love and peace will spread to the North Korean people," said Lee Young-hoon, a pastor of the Seoul church that organized the lighting ceremony. About 30 percent of South Koreans are Christian.
The 100-foot-tall (30-meter-tall) steel tree sits on a peak high enough for North Koreans living in border towns to see it and well within reach of their nation's artillery. Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said an attack from North Korea was certainly possible but unlikely.
North Korea, officially atheist and with only a handful of sanctioned churches in Pyongyang with services for foreigners, warned that lighting the tree would constitute a "dangerous, rash act" with the potential to trigger a war.
As a precaution, dozens of armed troops took up position around the site during the lighting ceremony. Ambulances and fire trucks were parked nearby. Instructions placed on chairs at the ceremony advised participants to take cover in case of an attack from North Korea.
"The danger of the enemy's threat still exists," the leaflet read, suggesting that they hide behind concrete walls, crouch down between chairs and move quickly to shelters in case of an attack.
The event took place uninterrupted.
For decades, the rival Koreas have fought an ideological war, using leaflets, loudspeakers and radio broadcasts across the border. At the height of the propaganda, South Korea's military speakers blared messages near the border 20 hours a day, officials say.
South Korea halted the campaign about seven years ago — including the longtime practice of lighting the huge Christmas tree — as ties between North and South warmed under an era of reconciliation. The church had sought government permission to light the tree over the years, but had been denied several years running.
However, relations have plummeted since Lee, a conservative, took office in 2008 with a tough policy on North Korea.
Earlier this year, after the deadly sinking of a warship blamed on Pyongyang, South Korea resumed some Cold War-era propaganda, including radio broadcasts and sending leaflets across the border.
Kim, the defense minister, said Seoul is also prepared to resume the use of loudspeakers installed near the DMZ, a move Pyongyang has warned would draw fire.
The policy changes come as the Lee government seeks to counter criticism that it acted too slowly and weakly after North Korean artillery struck Yeonpyeong Island, a tiny enclave of fishing communities and military bases within sight of North Korean shores, a month ago.
Since then, Lee has threatened airstrikes if hit again and ordered more troops to front-line islands. On Monday, the military pushed ahead with another round of provocative drills, despite calls in some quarters for restraint amid fears of all-out war.
Pyongyang denounced Monday's 90-minute exercise as a "reckless military provocation" but held its fire.
However, the Korean People's Army showed no signs of pulling back. North Korea has deployed ground-to-air and ground-to-ship missiles in the west — where the Koreas dispute their sea border — and are poised to fire artillery, Yonhap reported, citing an unidentified military official.
Pyongyang considers the waters around the island its territory. Last month's shelling was the first to target civilian areas since the close of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Returning from a trip to North Korea, Gov. Richardson praised Pyongyang on Tuesday for refraining from retaliation. Speaking in Beijing, he said North Korean officials told him they would consider setting up a military hotline with South Korea and a military commission to monitor the situation along the disputed western sea border.
He also said his visit provided an opening for a resumption of negotiations aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea pulled out of six-nation talks to provide Pyongyang with aid in exchange for disarmament in April 2009, but since has said it is willing to resume them.
___
Associated Press writers Jean H. Lee, Foster Klug, Hyung-jin Kim and Kim Kwang-tae in Seoul and Christopher Bodeen in Beijing contributed to this report.
GIMPO, South Korea – As troops stood guard and a choir sang carols Tuesday, South Koreans lit a massive steel Christmas tree that overlooks the world's most heavily armed border and is within sight of atheist North Korea.
The lighting of the tree after a seven-year hiatus marked a pointed return to a tradition condemned in Pyongyang as propaganda. The provocative ceremony — which must receive government permission — was also a sign that President Lee Myung-bak's administration is serious about countering the North's aggression with measures of its own in the wake of an artillery attack that killed four South Koreans last month.
While the North has made some conciliatory gestures in recent days — indicating to a visiting U.S. governor that it might allow international inspections of its nuclear programs — Seoul appears unmoved.
Pyongyang has used a combination of aggression and reconciliation before to extract concessions from the international community, and the resurrection of the tree lighting at Aegibong is a signal that the South is ready to play hardball until it sees real change from the North.
Earlier, a South Korean destroyer prowled the sea and fighter jets tore across the skies in preparation for possible North Korean attacks a day after Seoul held a round of artillery drills from a front-line island.
After warning of deadly retaliation, North Korea said it would not deign to fight back, and indicated to visiting New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that it was prepared to consider ways to work with the South on restoring security along the tense border.
But a senior South Korean government official said the military would remain prepared for the possibility of a "surprise" attack in coming days. He spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
On Aegibong Peak, about a mile (less than two kilometers) from the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean peninsula, marines toting rifles circled the Christmas tree as more than 100,000 twinkling lights blinked on. The brightly lit tree — with a cross on top — stood in stark relief to North Korea, where electricity is limited.
Choir members dressed in white robes trimmed in blue and wearing red scarves and Santa Claus hats gathered beneath the steel structure draped with multicolored lights, illuminated stars and snowflakes. An audience of about 200 listened as they sang "Joy to the World" and other Christmas carols.
"I hope that Christ's love and peace will spread to the North Korean people," said Lee Young-hoon, a pastor of the Seoul church that organized the lighting ceremony. About 30 percent of South Koreans are Christian.
The 100-foot-tall (30-meter-tall) steel tree sits on a peak high enough for North Koreans living in border towns to see it and well within reach of their nation's artillery. Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said an attack from North Korea was certainly possible but unlikely.
North Korea, officially atheist and with only a handful of sanctioned churches in Pyongyang with services for foreigners, warned that lighting the tree would constitute a "dangerous, rash act" with the potential to trigger a war.
As a precaution, dozens of armed troops took up position around the site during the lighting ceremony. Ambulances and fire trucks were parked nearby. Instructions placed on chairs at the ceremony advised participants to take cover in case of an attack from North Korea.
"The danger of the enemy's threat still exists," the leaflet read, suggesting that they hide behind concrete walls, crouch down between chairs and move quickly to shelters in case of an attack.
The event took place uninterrupted.
For decades, the rival Koreas have fought an ideological war, using leaflets, loudspeakers and radio broadcasts across the border. At the height of the propaganda, South Korea's military speakers blared messages near the border 20 hours a day, officials say.
South Korea halted the campaign about seven years ago — including the longtime practice of lighting the huge Christmas tree — as ties between North and South warmed under an era of reconciliation. The church had sought government permission to light the tree over the years, but had been denied several years running.
However, relations have plummeted since Lee, a conservative, took office in 2008 with a tough policy on North Korea.
Earlier this year, after the deadly sinking of a warship blamed on Pyongyang, South Korea resumed some Cold War-era propaganda, including radio broadcasts and sending leaflets across the border.
Kim, the defense minister, said Seoul is also prepared to resume the use of loudspeakers installed near the DMZ, a move Pyongyang has warned would draw fire.
The policy changes come as the Lee government seeks to counter criticism that it acted too slowly and weakly after North Korean artillery struck Yeonpyeong Island, a tiny enclave of fishing communities and military bases within sight of North Korean shores, a month ago.
Since then, Lee has threatened airstrikes if hit again and ordered more troops to front-line islands. On Monday, the military pushed ahead with another round of provocative drills, despite calls in some quarters for restraint amid fears of all-out war.
Pyongyang denounced Monday's 90-minute exercise as a "reckless military provocation" but held its fire.
However, the Korean People's Army showed no signs of pulling back. North Korea has deployed ground-to-air and ground-to-ship missiles in the west — where the Koreas dispute their sea border — and are poised to fire artillery, Yonhap reported, citing an unidentified military official.
Pyongyang considers the waters around the island its territory. Last month's shelling was the first to target civilian areas since the close of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Returning from a trip to North Korea, Gov. Richardson praised Pyongyang on Tuesday for refraining from retaliation. Speaking in Beijing, he said North Korean officials told him they would consider setting up a military hotline with South Korea and a military commission to monitor the situation along the disputed western sea border.
He also said his visit provided an opening for a resumption of negotiations aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea pulled out of six-nation talks to provide Pyongyang with aid in exchange for disarmament in April 2009, but since has said it is willing to resume them.
___
Associated Press writers Jean H. Lee, Foster Klug, Hyung-jin Kim and Kim Kwang-tae in Seoul and Christopher Bodeen in Beijing contributed to this report.