Several factors – all driven by Pyongyang – are at work and have created an increasingly tense military situation on the peninsula. Additional long-range missile tests are expected, and naval clashes along the Northern Limit Line (NLL) are becoming more likely.
Political
Some background: In January 2009, North Korea “voided” all political-military agreements with [...]

South Korea has a “unification observatory” (통일전망대) along the DMZ at either coast. Odusan Observatory is on the west coast, while Goseong Unification Observatory is on the east coast, 60-70 km north of Sokcho. I’ve been to both an Goseong is by far my favorite; I prefer the views as well as the relatively sparsely [...]

The Combined Forces Command (CFC) Ulchi Focus Lens (UFL) exercise is no more; it has been replaced by the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise, which started on 18 August and ends on 22 August. The change is more than just the name as this year the South Korean military took the lead role as [...]

From the Dong-a Ilbo: “President of the Families of Abducted and Detained in North Korea, confirmed yesterday at a press conference, ‘A former South Korean soldier surnamed Kim is currently staying in a third country. He crossed the North Korean border at around 10 p.m. on June 14. He joined the South Korean army in [...]

South Korean Defense Ministry officials report that North Korean patrol craft violated the Northern Limit Line (NLL) last Saturday, for a total of three violations this year, resulting in the South Korean Navy being put on alert.
The violations could be deliberate attempts by the North Korean regime to signal displeasure with the new Lee [...]

On one hand, this could make good sense; if one is truly looking for reconciliation there no need to continually rehash the past. If Roh had included something about how the North should not expect an apology from South Korea either (though I’m not sure for what), the statement would have struck an almost fair [...]

Update: see the transcript of the Bush-Roh exchange in comments (h/t P).
Original post: CVID isn’t dead - and both nuclear “programs” and “weapons” are named (I hope someone tells Chris Hill):
In a testy public exchange Friday with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, U.S. President George W. Bush said the United States would formally end the [...]

On Friday (13 July) North Korea proposed direct military talks with the U.S., referring to, “for the purpose of discussing the issues related to ensuring the peace and security on the Korean peninsula.” This is alluding to a formal peace treaty to replace the armistice that has been in place since 1953. By asking for [...]

Is the U.S. being hypocritical for criticizing the UN for hemorrhaging cash into North Korea when America has a) paid $20 million for MIA remains, b) sent over $1 billion in food and energy aid (i.e., the heavy fuel oil called for as part of the 1994 Agreed Framework), and c) allowed $25 million in [...]

Several newly published photos of the Korean War, and a few more from the same collection at the Chosun Ilbo (and why not try a “Korean War” image search at Google), a bit of conspiracy theory claiming the that U.S. missions during the Korean War were, “unknowingly under the command of a Soviet General of [...]