by Joseph Yun Li-sun

The new nuclear test in North Korea could take place on 10 February, the first day of the Year of the Snake, or the 16th for the birthday of the late Kim Jong-il. The international community: “most grave”. A Catholic source in Korea: "We are used to threats. But the UN is biased, since it does not protest against the Chinese regime’s tests. "

Seoul (AsiaNews) - The North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has not sent a message of good wishes for the New Year to the Chinese or Russian governments. This is a first time in the history of the country, which since 1953 has ruled with an iron fist by the Kim family with financial, military and diplomatic support of Beijing and Moscow. According to many experts, it is retaliation for the affirmative vote by the two governments at the UN Security Council for sanctions against yet another military provocation by Pyongyang.

The news appeared with great emphasis in South Korean media, quoting Seoul's diplomatic sources in the two countries "snubbed" by the young Kim: the dictator sent greetings for the traditional Lunar New Year to about 30 nations - including Lebanon and Iran - but has not responded to the letters sent by China and Russia. All this on the very day in which the South Korean ambassador to the UN announced "the unanimous intent" to "severely" punish North Korea in the event of another nuclear test.

The Stalinist regime continues to focus on their survival on the exclusive relationship with the army and military power. For this reason, despite numerous international warnings,  it has perfected its nuclear program to the point of producing an atomic weapon and has made several missile tests prohibited by international law. The last, which took place at the beginning of December 2012, has led to a tightening of economic sanctions which - according to AsiaNews sources - has left "20 million hungry people."

Now the rumors of a new nuclear test are multiplying, the third in the history of the country. The Chinese media have published several editorials of the same tenor, threatening Pyongyang with "serious consequences", Seoul, through diplomatic and government channels, says it is "ready to act" while the United States has asked North Korea to "think seriously before taking any wrong steps. " Japan, has declared its anti-missile systems "operational" which could target the regime "at any time".

According to some sources, the test could take place February 10 - on the occasion of the Lunar New Year that begins the Year of the Snake throughout Asia - or February 16th - the birthday of the late dictator Kim Jong-il, the father of the "strong man" in Pyongyang. All for a total cost of approximately 50 million dollars, spent on the military while half of the population - made up of about 22 million people - live on less than 1 dollar per day.

A Catholic source for AsiaNews in Korea said: "The proclamations of the North are now a habit for our people. Politicians talk about this to keep the tension high, but we try not to live in fear. On the other hand, many South Koreans consider this attitude a little unbalanced: is China is a regime, but seamlessly carries out its own nuclear tests when they want and with the blessing of the United Nations. "

• korea
• UN
• north
• sanctions
• nuclear
• test
• new
• year
• china
• russia