SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has a long track record of issuing threats and ultimatums that don’t necessary lead to action. Then again, when it does act — often without warning — it can be fatal.
Here’s a look at North Korean bluster, and cases where it’s believed to have made good on threats, though in most of those cases it has denied carrying out attacks.
2015: Landmines and Loudspeakers
Kim Jong Un issued an ultimatum that seemed to bring the Koreas very close to a war footing in August 2015. Tensions had escalated rapidly after land mines maimed two South Korean soldiers along the Demilitarized Zone. The confrontation deepened as the South demanded an apology and re-started propaganda broadcasts over loudspeakers near the DMZ. It was defused at the last minute by marathon talks.
2014: The Sony Hack
Washington claims North Korea carried out this massive hack in 2014 to get revenge against Sony Entertainment for distributing “The Interview,” a black comedy that ended with graphic images of Kim Jong Un being enveloped in a fiery explosion. Pyongyang had warned it would retaliate before the movie’s release, threatening attacks on the White House and other targets in the United States. It has denied responsibility for the hack, but praised the hackers.
2013: A Threat on Guam Over B-52 Bombers
In an escalation of threats in March 2013 similar to what is going on now, North Korea warned that Guam was within striking range of its missiles. The threat came as the United States announced a plan to send B-52 bombers over South Korea for military exercises with Seoul. It was considered serious enough to warrant the deployment of missile interceptors, but in the end dissipated without incident.
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