PICTURES of Kim Jong-un standing on a submarine have been released by North Korea.
Kim Jong-un posed on board the rusty submarine [REUTERS]Unfortunately for the dictator, the vessel appears to have seen better days.
Large patches of rust can be seen on the sides and top of the submarine, which is thought to be a 1,800-ton Soviet built submersible from the 1950s.
North Korean expert Aidan Foster-Carter, Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Leeds University, expressed surprise at the release of the picture, saying: “Normally they tart stuff up”.
The photo opportunity comes after Kim Jong-un was pictured smiling and joking on a construction site – just days after the collapse of a Pyongyang apartment building killed hundreds of people.
South Korea responded by saying their submarines are “far superior” [REUTERS]North Korea’s state media quoted Jong-un as saying: “The Party Central Committee is attaching great importance to the combined units of submarines.
“The commanding officers and seamen should clearly see through the motives of the hateful enemies watching for a chance to invade our land and put spurs to combat preparations, thinking about battles only.”
However, South Korea appeared undaunted by the release of the pictures.
Defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said: “It appears that Pyongyang aims to show off its submarine might, but the submarines that our Navy holds are far superior, as ours do not make much noise and it can stay underwater far longer.”
Mini Submarines at Pipa Got Naval Base, North Korea
Two North Korean submarines have reportedly disappeared from port. Although the subs were last seen at a naval base in the Hwanghae Province in early April, the news is just now filtering out to media outlets. While the capability of North Korea to shoot a long-range missile at the United States has largely been nixed during press conference about EMP attack threats, the possibility of a missile attack from a submarine has rarely been mentioned.
The thought of missing North Korean subs aiming a missile at a coastal city is causing concern for some Americans. While any coastal city could become a target, some analysts think California is a very likely location. If North Korea shot a missile along the coast of the state, some feel than an earthquake could occur and allow the attack to go largely undetected – at least for a time.
North Korea also allegedly bought 1,452 pounds of silver from China. Some researchers believe the silver was purchased to use for batteries on the Sang-O (Shark) mini-subs. Generals in the North Korean Navy allegedly feel the Shark submarines are viable weapons which could be used against both America and South Korea. The Sang-O submarines are typically considered coastal submarines. The subs can reportedly carry at least 15 crew members and a dozen scuba commandos.
While many Americans might believe that a missing North Korean submarine trolling the coast would quickly be detected, that may not necessarily be the case. During a recent discussion about the EMP Commission, Dr. William Forstchen highlighted just how real the possibility is for an EMP attack from a cargo ship or a submarine.
In 2012, a Russian boomer went unnoticed for nearly a month in US waters on the Gulf of Mexico. The nuclear-powered submarine sighting was not the only such occurrence in recent history. In 2009, another Russian submarine patrolled very close to the United States. The incident happened about the same time as Russian bombers were spotted in restricted airspace near Alaska and California.
Dr. Forstchen, a North Carolina college professor said just how woefully unprepared America is for an EMP attack. The professor wrote the bestselling novel One Second After. The book details the chaos which occurred in a small town after an EMP attack. His research was cited on the floor of Congress during discussions about EMP threats and the vulnerability of the power grid.
As the renowned professor so aptly noted, life as we know it would end without a functioning power grid. The nation’s electrical systems could be repaired, but most of the necessary components are made in China. The time frame to repair a downed power grid is a hotly disputed topic, but a quick flip of the switch after a visit to the storage room would not be a possibility. Many experts feel that it would take months, if not years, to get the overly-taxed
The bestselling author also pointed out the many ways a downed power grid would increase the EMP attack death toll sooner rather than later. The most obvious and immediate impact would involve the thousands of Americans who would perish when planes near the EMP zone would fall from the sky.
Without power, hospitals with still-functioning generators would not be able to keep patients alive after they run out of stored fuel. Grocery stores would reportedly have only empty shelves after about three days, leaving those without a garden or ability to hunt or fish with very empty stomachs. Civil unrest would also cause an unthinkable amount of deaths, according to Dr. Forstchen.
The EMP Commission was established under a Republican-controlled Congress in 2001. The commission was re-established under a Democratic majority in 2006. The EMP preparedness commission was disbanded in 2008. EMPact America is an outspoken advocate for re-convening the Congressional commission to further preparedness efforts.
How concerned are you about the missing North Korea missing submarines and the possibility of a downed power grid?
All credit for the article goes to Matthew. I have merely lifted if from his site so that others might gain insight through his efforts.
Some interesting Google earth imagery on the links within the text.
Earlier today I posted a blog about the release of satellite imagery about North Korea’s naval bases. In going through the imagery, I discovered that the author of the original piece on cryptome.org missed the North Korean navy’s two most important facilities – the heavily protected submarine bases on the island of Mayang-do at the village of Mayangdori (40.0 N 128-10-36E); and the second sub base which located outside the coastal village of Chahonodongjagu, a/k/a Ch’aho (40-12-56N 128-38-39E). Both bases are situated on the east coast of North Korea.
Estimates vary somewhat, but the North Korean is estimated to have ben 60 and 70 submarines, all of which are diesel-powered coastal subs unsuited for deepwater operations. According to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the North Korean Navy possesses 4 1960s-vintage Whiskey-class attack subs that rarely go to sea these days, 22 Chinese-made Romeo-class submarines(1,800 tons) which were delivered in the 1970s, 40 domestically produced Sang-O class small coastal submarines (300 tons), and 10 midget submarines used for the clandestine infiltration of agents into South Korea.
Most of these subs are clearly visible in currently available Google Earth satellite imagery. For example, look at this cluster of four Romeo-class subs sharing the same berth at the Mayang-do sub base. If you look just to the south of this berth, you will see two more subs, one of which possibly a Romeo-class sub, docked at the base. About 1,000-meters to the southwest is another heavily protected dock complex housing another cluster of four Romeo-class submarines and possibly two of the smaller Sango-class subs.
Kim Jong-un posed on board the rusty submarine [REUTERS]
South Korea responded by saying their submarines are “far superior” [REUTERS]
Mini Submarines at Pipa Got Naval Base, North Korea
Submarine Diary 