North Korea Mega Thread

[GeorgiaModerate]

3 carriers in the region (big strategic step if a strike is ordered) https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/27/north-korea-us-operating-three-carriers-in-the-pacific.html

This is the single most likely sign of war I've seen. Far more ominous than belligerent tweets.

Trump will be in South Korea in a week. I really just think its a show of power.

Anyone think that Kim might choose Trump's visit to make some kind of demonstration (nuke or missile test)?

[BudgieForce]

3 carriers in the region (big strategic step if a strike is ordered) https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/27/north-korea-us-operating-three-carriers-in-the-pacific.html

This is the single most likely sign of war I've seen. Far more ominous than belligerent tweets.

Trump will be in South Korea in a week. I really just think its a show of power.

Anyone think that Kim might choose Trump's visit to make some kind of demonstration (nuke or missile test)?

Absolutely.

[KingSweden]

3 carriers in the region (big strategic step if a strike is ordered) https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/27/north-korea-us-operating-three-carriers-in-the-pacific.html

This is the single most likely sign of war I've seen. Far more ominous than belligerent tweets.

Trump will be in South Korea in a week. I really just think its a show of power.

Anyone think that Kim might choose Trump's visit to make some kind of demonstration (nuke or missile test)?

Yes.

I also think it would be profoundly dangerous for Trump to visit the DMZ

[Joe Biden is your president. Deal with it.]

So....war is going to happen now?

[BudgieForce]

So....war is going to happen now?

No...

At least not yet anyway.

[GlobeSoc]

So....war is going to happen now?

No...

At least not yet anyway.

I give it 10 days at the earliest, unless they have invented teleportation for the military families and non-essential personnel.

[BudgieForce]

So....war is going to happen now?

No...

At least not yet anyway.

I give it 10 days at the earliest, unless they have invented teleportation for the military families and non-essential personnel.

You cant see it right now but I'm rolling my eyes.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

So....war is going to happen now?

No...

At least not yet anyway.

I give it 10 days at the earliest, unless they have invented teleportation for the military families and non-essential personnel.

Depends on if the White House babysitters can hide The Football better than they hide cell phones.

[KingSweden]

Pence to troops, "Now, more than ever, your commander in chief is depending on you to be ready"

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/27/pence-north-korea-troops-be-ready-244250

Well that’s just wonderful

[BudgieForce]

"Chinese geologists have warned North Korea that the consequences could be catastrophic if it conducts another test at the mountainous Punggye-ri nuclear facility, the South China Morning Post reports."

http://www.newsweek.com/north-korea-verge-catastrophe-nuclear-test-site-china-warns-695256?utm_campaign=NewsweekTwitter&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social

Would certainly be ironic.

[GoTfan]

Tunnel at Punggye-Ri has collasped; reportedly 200 dead. Also, a lot of worry regarding the radiation that can leak from the site.

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/north-korean-nuclear-test-site-tunnel-collapse-reportedly-kills-200-2017-10?r=US&IR=T

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Tunnel at Punggye-Ri has collasped; reportedly 200 dead. Also, a lot of worry regarding the radiation that can leak from the site.

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/north-korean-nuclear-test-site-tunnel-collapse-reportedly-kills-200-2017-10?r=US&IR=T

If their test site has become unuseable, would that not provide an additional incentive to conduct the threatened missile-based test over the Pacific somewhere? Should the North Korean government decide it needs a test, I mean.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Report that NK hacked Daewoo Shipbuilding and got warship blueprints https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/north-korea-hacked-daewoo-shipbuilding-took-warship-blueprints-south-korea-lawmaker.html

SK needs to up their cyber game in a big way to prevent this. Second strike for SK failing to protect mil docs.

The news about China being mad about this came out before the news about this actual event.

[Beet]

Report that NK hacked Daewoo Shipbuilding and got warship blueprints https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/north-korea-hacked-daewoo-shipbuilding-took-warship-blueprints-south-korea-lawmaker.html

SK needs to up their cyber game in a big way to prevent this. Second strike for SK failing to protect mil docs.

NK’s hacking abilities are insane. Call me paranoid, but there’s no way they’re not getting outside help.

[MasterJedi]

Report that NK hacked Daewoo Shipbuilding and got warship blueprints https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/north-korea-hacked-daewoo-shipbuilding-took-warship-blueprints-south-korea-lawmaker.html

SK needs to up their cyber game in a big way to prevent this. Second strike for SK failing to protect mil docs.

Once they learned from Russia and China they really don't need anyone else to keep the training program going.

NK’s hacking abilities are insane. Call me paranoid, but there’s no way they’re not getting outside help.

Likely but they have an entire hacking academy that trains kids up from like age 8 or so. It's like the Spartans but hackers.

[Beet]

Report that NK hacked Daewoo Shipbuilding and got warship blueprints https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/north-korea-hacked-daewoo-shipbuilding-took-warship-blueprints-south-korea-lawmaker.html

SK needs to up their cyber game in a big way to prevent this. Second strike for SK failing to protect mil docs.

Once they learned from Russia and China they really don't need anyone else to keep the training program going.

NK’s hacking abilities are insane. Call me paranoid, but there’s no way they’re not getting outside help.

Likely but they have an entire hacking academy that trains kids up from like age 8 or so. It's like the Spartans but hackers.

That's a nice stereotype but I doubt it.

[KingSweden]

Report that NK hacked Daewoo Shipbuilding and got warship blueprints https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/north-korea-hacked-daewoo-shipbuilding-took-warship-blueprints-south-korea-lawmaker.html

SK needs to up their cyber game in a big way to prevent this. Second strike for SK failing to protect mil docs.

NK’s hacking abilities are insane. Call me paranoid, but there’s no way they’re not getting outside help.

Bear in mind who their patron is, and how good said patron is at the same thing

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Report that NK hacked Daewoo Shipbuilding and got warship blueprints https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/north-korea-hacked-daewoo-shipbuilding-took-warship-blueprints-south-korea-lawmaker.html

SK needs to up their cyber game in a big way to prevent this. Second strike for SK failing to protect mil docs.

NK’s hacking abilities are insane. Call me paranoid, but there’s no way they’re not getting outside help.

Kaspersky?

[Beet]

From 2003 even https://www.wired.com/2003/06/north-koreas-school-for-hackers/

Neither of these sources claim they are training kids from age 8, or anything close to it. It shouldn't be any surprise that they have hacking agencies, as do all countries with any significant security interests. What is unusual is how an isolated country with a GDP the size of Gabon has, in a few years, developed the ability to hack into central government nerve centers of G20 countries, and ICBM abilities comparable to China and India.

[Beet]

From 2003 even https://www.wired.com/2003/06/north-koreas-school-for-hackers/

Neither of these sources claim they are training kids from age 8, or anything close to it. It shouldn't be any surprise that they have hacking agencies, as do all countries with any significant security interests. What is unusual is how an isolated country with a GDP the size of Gabon has, in a few years, developed the ability to hack into central government nerve centers of G20 countries, and ICBM abilities comparable to China and India.

"It would be arrogant to assume North Korea doesn’t have the ability. Today, the nation’s brightest youngsters are groomed from age seven or eight to be hackers. First they are drilled in the standard sciences at some of the 290 elite middle schools dotting the country. Then, the top 50 of each year are picked to attend the prestigious Kumsong [High] School, where 60% of the curriculum concerns computers. The most accomplished continue their studies at top colleges."

http://time.com/4781809/ransomware-attack-north-korea-wannacry/

A.k.a., kids learn math and science in Middle School. What is the curriculum in these "290 elite middle schools"? If it's stuff like algebra, it's not much different than many U.S. schools. Again, if an accelerated math curriculum was all it took to design ICBMs and hack into military secrets, countries like Iran would have done it long ago.

[Beet]

From 2003 even https://www.wired.com/2003/06/north-koreas-school-for-hackers/

Neither of these sources claim they are training kids from age 8, or anything close to it. It shouldn't be any surprise that they have hacking agencies, as do all countries with any significant security interests. What is unusual is how an isolated country with a GDP the size of Gabon has, in a few years, developed the ability to hack into central government nerve centers of G20 countries, and ICBM abilities comparable to China and India.

"It would be arrogant to assume North Korea doesn’t have the ability. Today, the nation’s brightest youngsters are groomed from age seven or eight to be hackers. First they are drilled in the standard sciences at some of the 290 elite middle schools dotting the country. Then, the top 50 of each year are picked to attend the prestigious Kumsong [High] School, where 60% of the curriculum concerns computers. The most accomplished continue their studies at top colleges."

http://time.com/4781809/ransomware-attack-north-korea-wannacry/

A.k.a., kids learn math and science in Middle School. What is the curriculum in these "290 elite middle schools"? If it's stuff like algebra, it's not much different than many U.S. schools. Again, if an accelerated math curriculum was all it took to design ICBMs and hack into military secrets, countries like Iran would have done it long ago.

Standard sciences so yes, the above would be included. Then it goes on "The Kim Il Military Academy, established in 1986, has a five-year program to train students in software programming, technical reconnaissance and electronic warfare." They train and excel at hacking and have been shown to be proficient on a great power level. It's all in the Time article. Did you read it?

Yes, I did. A five-year program to train students in programming suggests they don't have a Spartan-like program training hackers from age 8... if they did, a five-year program would be useless. This is describing the equivalent for a four-year degree in cybersecurity from any baccalaureate institution. I'm not denying that they have hacking abilities, just that the sophistication of those abilities is unusual for a country so small and ostensibly isolated.

[Beet]

I agree that it is unusual but it is both literally and figuratively their economic and national security bread and butter. They have been at this since the 80s.

Hacking? Actually, they haven't earned significant money from hacking until very recently. Their main sources of revenue have been coal exports and remittances. To keep things in perspective, South Korea spends about $3 billion annually on cybersecurity. To match that, North Korea would have to spend about 19% of its entire 2016 GDP, or about seven-eighths of its entire military budget, on hacking. And South Korea presumably has assistance from the U.S., Japan, and other countries. Which is why more likely than not, they are getting some outside assistance.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Report that NK hacked Daewoo Shipbuilding and got warship blueprints https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/north-korea-hacked-daewoo-shipbuilding-took-warship-blueprints-south-korea-lawmaker.html

SK needs to up their cyber game in a big way to prevent this. Second strike for SK failing to protect mil docs.

NK’s hacking abilities are insane. Call me paranoid, but there’s no way they’re not getting outside help.

Bear in mind who their patron is, and how good said patron is at the same thing

That IT security is hard, and that the US government has consistently worked to make online security worse for easier spying has more to do with it. We reap what we sow.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Report that NK hacked Daewoo Shipbuilding and got warship blueprints https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/north-korea-hacked-daewoo-shipbuilding-took-warship-blueprints-south-korea-lawmaker.html

SK needs to up their cyber game in a big way to prevent this. Second strike for SK failing to protect mil docs.

NK’s hacking abilities are insane. Call me paranoid, but there’s no way they’re not getting outside help.

Bear in mind who their patron is, and how good said patron is at the same thing

That IT security is hard, and that the US government has consistently worked to make online security worse for easier spying has more to do with it. We reap what we sow.

You can definitely thank the National Insecurity Agency there.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

More like the Korean Leopold III.