North Korea is so incredibly backward, it issues threats by fax

Now that Kim Jong Un’s uncle has been executed and he no longer has adult supervision, he’s issuing threats. And how is he doing so, on the verge of the year 2014?

By fax:

North Korea on Friday threatened to attack South Korea without any notice via a fax sent to South Korea’s National Security Council, the Ministry of Defence said in Seoul.

The fax made reference to recent demonstrations in which effigies of Kim Jong Un were burnt in Seoul on the anniversary of Kim Jong Il’s death, an issue that often aggravates the North.

South Korea reacted firmly to Pyongyang’s warning that it would “mercilessly” attack “without notice” by sending a fax back that promised “resolute punishment” to any attack initiated by the North….

I like that touch — fighting fax with fax. Like, if you shoot a medieval catapult at us, we’re gonna shoot a medieval catapult back at you.

It’s got to be unsettling in Seoul, being so close to an adversary so deeply irrational that he puts you on notice that he’s going to attack without notice, completely without irony. And does it by fax. And isn’t embarrassed about it…

15 thoughts on “North Korea is so incredibly backward, it issues threats by fax”

    1. Ralph Hightower

      Wow! I used Telex and paper tape for programming in a USC Engineering class on their DEC PDP-8 in 1971. I haven’t used it since the 70’s!

      Thanks for the blast from the past.

  2. Karen Pearson

    You would have preferred smoke signals? Kim Jong Un is probably channeling Sgt. Joe Friday…”Just the fax, man; just the fax.”

  6. Juan Caruso

    When I attended college (same period as you, Brad):

    “In international relations and treaties, the principle of reciprocity states that favours, benefits, or penalties that are granted by one state to the citizens or legal entities of another, should be returned in kind.

    For example, reciprocity has been used in the reduction of tariffs, the grant of copyrights to foreign authors, the mutual recognition and enforcement of judgments, and the relaxation of travel restrictions and visa requirements.

    The principle of reciprocity also governs agreements on extradition.

    …And it applied in business communications, as well.

    Question for you: Over our intervening decades, when, if ever, did this particular legal princiciple ever succomb to change?

    1. Juan Caruso

      While you seem quick to cast our traditions and laws in terms of good and evil, Mark S., you certainly hesitate to convince by responding with a factual answer. Good luck with that ‘Kung-Fu’ philosophy: you may wish to note where it has landed leadership of the Democratich party of late.

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