NORTH KOREA-SOUTH KOREA/PETITION Youths in North Korea join army amid tensions with the South

Record ID: 142946

  • Title: NORTH KOREA-SOUTH KOREA/PETITION Youths in North Korea join army amid tensions with the South
  • Date: 23rd August 2015
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AUGUST 23, 2015) (REUTERS) WOMEN LOOKING AT LAPTOP SCREEN SHOWING INSTAGRAM PAGE INSTAGRAM PAGE SHOWING PHOTO OF SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY UNIFORM INSTAGRAM PAGE SHOWING MESSAGE READING (in Korean): "DON'T ANNOY US AND LET'S SEE THE END. SOUTH KOREAN MEN ARE ALL READY" MORE OF WOMEN LOOKING AT LAPTOP SCREEN SHOWING INSTAGRAM PAGE MESSAGE ON INSTAGRAM PAGE READING (in Korean): "IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, I WILL FIGHT FOR SOUTH KOREA AS A RESERVED FORCES AND AS A MEMBER OF MARINE CORPS" MORE OF INSTAGRAM PAGE SHOWING PHOTO OF SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY UNIFORM WOMEN LOOKING AT LAPTOP SCREEN SHOWING INSTAGRAM PAGE
  • Embargoed: 7th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA533YB5A8DQCQ07NC3NL772TW0
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS EDITED KRT MATERIAL
    North Korea's state-run television KRT released a video on Sunday (August 23) showing young North Koreans signing petitions to join or rejoin the army amid high tensions on the Korean peninsula.
    "About one million young people signed petitions for a day to join or rejoin the Korean People's Army after listening to the news of an emergency enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea and an emergency report of the Supreme Command of the KPA," said KRT news reader.
    The North's leader Kim convened an emergency meeting on Thursday (August 20) after two Koreas exchanged fire and had declared a "quasi-state of war" in frontline areas.
    KRT also showed young people marching down the street, pledging to take revenge on its neighbour.
    "How long have we wished for unification of Korea? As we are facing the Great War for unification, we, the young generations are waiting to wipe out the U.S. and South Korean gangsters from this peninsula," Kim Un Kyong said.
    "The blood of the young generations are boiling with the spirit of protecting our nation," Kang Chol Min added.
    Meanwhile, many South Korean reservists expressed willingness to rejoin the army on social media.
    The reservists posted photos of their military uniforms with messages such as "South Korean men are all ready" and "I will fight for South Korea".
    Top aides to the leaders of North and South Korea are due to resume talks on Sunday after negotiating through the night in a bid to ease tensions that brought the peninsula to the brink of armed conflict.
    The current tensions began early this month when two South Korean soldiers were wounded by landmines along the border. The North denies laying the mines. Days later, Seoul began its propaganda broadcasts from banks of loudspeakers, including news reports and entertainment from the South, resuming a tactic both sides halted in 2004.
    The crisis escalated on Thursday (August 20) when the North fired four shells into the South, according to Seoul, which responded with a barrage of 29 artillery rounds.
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