North Korean air traffic controller may be the only remaining link between war or peace

After this week’s decision by North Korea to stop answering a military hotline between border control posts at the Kaesong Industrial Zone, there remains just one known link through which North and South Koreans can still directly speak: an air traffic control connection between Seoul and Pyongyang.

The connection, a vital safety link for air traffic overflying the two countries, was first opened in 1998 when the DPRK opened its airspace to overflying aircraft. Before then, aircraft had to fly around the country and that meant longer flights and higher fuel consumption. Opening North Korean airspace was estimated to bring savings of $125 million a year for airlines at the time.

Last year, I wrote about the satellite link between Pyongyang and Beijing that was installed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) when the DPRK was brought into the Asian regional air traffic control network.

There’s some history in that article, but I recently stumbled across the transcript of a speech given in 2008 by former IATA Director General and CEO Pierre J. Jeanniot that provides a bit of the back story.

It all started when Air Koryo expressed an interest in joining IATA. As IATA members stood to save money and fuel from access to North Korea’s airspace, Air Koryo’s application provided a way for discussions to open with the government in Pyongyang, said Jeanniot in the speech.

Getting the North Korean government to approve was one hurdle. A second was the out-of-date air traffic control center and a ban on communication with South Korea.

When the talks began, IATA discovered it had another advantage, said Jeanniot:

“An additional factor in our favor … was the fact that North Korea was rather short of foreign currency … particularly US dollars … and they had not been aware that air traffic control centers … guiding airplanes through their airspace … could charge an appropriate fee … and thus earn valuable foreign currency.” – Pierre J. Jeanniot, AGIFORS Symposium speech, September 26, 2008

IATA explained to Pyongyang that it could earn foreign currency by opening a few well-defined corridors for aircraft that would pose no security threat for the country. Jeanniot said in the speech that IATA offered to advance the money, train air traffic controllers and modernize the control center.

That solved the first of the problems, but the lack of communications remained.

In the meantime North Korea’s tough statements and threats continue. The following was taken from articles published by the Official North Korean News Agency.

The government, political parties and organizations of the DPRK released the following special statement on March 30:

The moves of the US imperialists to violate the sovereignty of the DPRK and encroach upon its supreme interests have entered an extremely grave phase. Under this situation, the dear respected Marshal Kim Jong Un, the brilliant commander of Mt. Paektu, convened an emergency operations meeting on the performance of duty of the Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People’s Army for firepower strike and finally examined and ratified the plan for firepower strike.

The important decision made by him is the declaration of a do-or-die battle to provide an epochal occasion for putting an end to the history of the long-standing showdown with the US and opening a new era. It is also the last warning served to the US, the South Korean puppets and other anti-reunification hostile forces and the final decision of justice reflecting the strong will of the army and people of the DPRK to annihilate the enemies.

Now the heroic service personnel and all the people of the DPRK are full of surging anger at the US imperialists’ reckless war provocation moves and strong will to turn out as one in the death-defying battle against the enemies and achieve the final victory in the great war for national reunification true to the important decision made by Kim Jong Un.

The Supreme Headquarters of the Korean People’s Army in its previous statement solemnly declared at home and abroad the will of the army and people of the DPRK to take decisive military counteraction in order to defend the sovereignty of the country and the dignity of its supreme leadership as regards the war moves of the US and south Korean puppets that have reached the most extreme phase.

Not content with letting B-52 make sorties into the sky over south Korea in succession despite the repeated warnings of the DPRK, the US made B-2A Stealth strategic bomber and other ultra-modern strategic strike means fly from the US mainland to south Korea to stage a bombing drill targeting the DPRK. This is an unpardonable and heinous provocation and an open challenge.

By taking advantage of the US reckless campaign for a nuclear war against the DPRK, the South Korean puppets vociferated about “preemptive attack” and “strong counteraction” and even “strike at the commanding forces”, openly revealing the attempt to destroy the monuments symbolic of the dignity of the DPRK’s supreme leadership.

This clearly shows that the US brigandish ambition for aggression and the puppets’ attempt to invade the DPRK have gone beyond the limit and entered the reckless phase of an actual war from the phase of threat and blackmail.

The prevailing grim situation proves more clearly that the KPA Supreme Headquarters was just when it made the judgment and decision to resolutely settle accounts with the US imperialists and the South Korean puppets by dint of the arms of Songun, because time when words could work has passed.

Now they are openly claiming that the B-2A Stealth strategic bombers’ drill of dropping nuclear bombs was “not to irritate the north” but the “defensive one”. The US also says the drill is “to defend the interests of its ally”. However, it is nothing but a lame pretext to cover up its aggressive nature, evade the denunciation at home and abroad and escape from the DPRK’s retaliatory blows.

The era when the US resorted to the policy of strength by brandishing nuclear weapons has gone for good.

It is the resolute answer of the DPRK and its steadfast stand to counter the nuclear blackmail of the US imperialists with merciless nuclear attack and their war of aggression with an all-out war of justice.

They should clearly know that in the era of Marshal Kim Jong Un, the greatest-ever commander, all things are different from what they used to be in the past.
The hostile forces will clearly realize the iron will, matchless grit and extraordinary mettle of the brilliant commander of Mt. Paektu that the earth cannot exist without Songun Korea.

Time has come to stage a do-or-die final battle.

The government, political parties and organizations of the DPRK solemnly declare as follows reflecting the final decision made by Kim Jong Un at the operations meeting of the KPA Supreme Headquarters and the unanimous will of all the service personnel and people of the DPRK who are waiting for the final order from him.

1. From this moment, the north-south relations will be put at the state of war and all the issues arising between the north and the south will be dealt with according to the wartime regulations.

The state of neither peace nor war has ended on the Korean peninsula.

Now that the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK have entered into an actual military action, the inter-Korean relations have naturally entered the state of war. Accordingly, the DPRK will immediately punish any slightest provocation hurting even a bit its dignity and sovereignty with resolute and merciless physical actions without any prior notice.

2. If the US and the south Korean puppet puppets perpetrate a military provocation for igniting a war against the DPRK in any area, including the five islands in the West Sea of Korea or in the area along the Military Demarcation Line, it will not be limited to a local war but develop into an all-out war, a nuclear war.

It is self-evident that any military conflict on the Korean peninsula is bound to lead to an all-out war, a nuclear war, now that even the US nuclear strategic bombers in its military bases in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and in its mainland are flying into the sky above south Korea to participate in the madcap DPRK-targeted nuclear war moves.

The first stroke of the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK will blow up the US bases for aggression in its mainland and in the Pacific operational theatres, including Hawaii and Guam, and reduce not only its military bases in south Korea but the puppets’ ruling institution, including the Blue House, and the puppet army’s bases to ashes at once, to say nothing of the aggressors and provocateurs.

3. The DPRK will never miss the golden chance to win the final victory in a great war for national reunification.

This war will not be a three-day war, but it will be a blitz war through which the KPA will occupy all the areas of south Korea, including Jeju Island, at one stroke, not giving the US and the puppet warmongers time to come to their senses, and a three-dimensional war to be fought in the air, land and seas and on the front line and in the rear.

This sacred war of justice will be a nationwide, all-people resistance involving all the Koreans in the north and the south and overseas in which the traitors to the nation, including heinous confrontation maniacs, warmongers and human scum, will be mercilessly swept away.

No force on earth can break the will of the service personnel and people of the DPRK all out in the great war of justice for national reunification and of all other Koreans and overpower their might.

Holding in high esteem the peerlessly great men of Mt. Paektu, the Korean people will give vent to the pent-up grudge and realize their long-cherished desire and thus bring a bright day of national reunification and build the most powerful country on this land without fail.

DPRK People Confident of Victory in Faceoff with US

It was reported through media on March 29 that Marshal Kim Jong Un, Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army, convened an emergency operations meeting on the KPA Strategic Rocket Forces’ performance of duty for firepower strike and finally examined and ratified the plan for firepower strike.

Upon hearing the news, the servicepersons and civilians of the DPRK have became more convinced of victory in the ongoing showdown with the US imperialists.

Kye Sang Chol, a KPA officer, said:

“It is the first time the US let B-2A fly over South Korea as part of war exercises against the DPRK. This fully revealed its scheme to launch a nuclear war against the DPRK at any cost. The servicepersons of my unit will reduce to ashes not only the US mainland but its military bases on Hawaii, Guam and other regions, under the plan for firepower strike finally examined and ratified by the respected Supreme Commander.”

Kim Thae Ho, a work team head of the Pyongyang Thermal Power Complex, said:

“I heard the news through radio in the morning. Since Marshal Kim Jong Un stands in the van of the showdown with the US, the DPRK people are not afraid of any powerful strike means of the enemy. We workers, too, have been on combat readiness, waiting for an order of action.”

Ji Sol Gyong, a student of Pyongyang University of Mechanical Engineering, said:

“Respected Marshal Kim Jong Un at the operations meeting underscored the need to put a definite end to the era when the US could threaten and blackmail the DPRK with nukes. Now is the time to react to the US moves with nukes. All of my classmates have volunteered to join the army. We promised each other to meet again as heroes after performing feats in the all-out action against the US.”