2013-04-11 11:20:35

North Korea crisis on the agenda for G8 meeting


(Vatican Radio) South Korea and the United States were on high alert for a North Korean missile launch on Thursday. North Korea has stationed as many as five medium-range missiles on its east coast, which analysts say could be in readiness for a test launch that would demonstrate its ability to hit U.S. bases on the island of Guam in the Western Pacific.

As tensions continue G8 Foreign Ministers from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia were gathering in London to discuss the crisis.

Meanwhile, there did not appear to be any signs of panic in Seoul, the South Korean capital following an announcement from the North that foreign nationals should leave the country.

“The majority of people see this as, just more of the same really, the type of rhetorical posturing that the North is well known for… so ordinary South Koreans are going about their business calmly, the government by contrast has to take the threat of military attack seriously”, says Senior Consulting Fellow at London based International affairs institute, Chatham House, Dr John Svenson-Wright

Assessing the current tensions on the peninsula Dr Svenson-Wright says that "given the retaliatory capabilities of the US and South Korea, that a formal attack on any of its neighbours, South Korea and Japan would invite a swift and instant retaliation from its allies and therefore, the likelihood of that taking place is, I would argue very low.”

Speaking to Lydia O’Kane from South Korea, Dr Svenson-Wright adds that he did not think that we would be likely to see pressure coming from the G8 talks for new direct negotiations with North Korea. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Dr John Svenson-Wright RealAudioMP3








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