KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.
ANGEL OF ASIA TO DR DOCTORIAN
.I am the angel of Asia, he said. And in his hand I saw a tremendous trumpet that he is going to blow all over Asia. Whatever the angel said, it's going to happen with the trumpet of the Lord all over Asia. Millions are going to hear the mighty voice of the Lord. Then the angel said, There shall be disaster, starvation -
many will die from hunger. Strong winds will be looked like has never happened before. A great part shall be shaken and destroyed. Earthquakes will take place all over Asia and the sea will cover the earth. The earth will fall into the sea, I heard the angel say, part of Australia will be shaken. Australia will be divided, and a great part will go under the ocean. This was frightening - I wondered whether I was hearing right. But the angel said,Millions will die in China and in India. Nation will be against nation, brother against brother. Asians will fight each other. Nuclear weapons shall be used, killing millions. Twice I heard the words, Catastrophic! Catastrophic! then the angel said,
Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(4 WINDS OF THE WORLD-WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(COULD ALSO MEAN THE 4 CORNERS OF THE EARTH OR WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
ANGEL OF ASIA TO DR DOCTORIAN
.I am the angel of Asia, he said. And in his hand I saw a tremendous trumpet that he is going to blow all over Asia. Whatever the angel said, it's going to happen with the trumpet of the Lord all over Asia. Millions are going to hear the mighty voice of the Lord. Then the angel said, There shall be disaster, starvation -
many will die from hunger. Strong winds will be looked like has never happened before. A great part shall be shaken and destroyed. Earthquakes will take place all over Asia and the sea will cover the earth. The earth will fall into the sea, I heard the angel say, part of Australia will be shaken. Australia will be divided, and a great part will go under the ocean. This was frightening - I wondered whether I was hearing right. But the angel said,Millions will die in China and in India. Nation will be against nation, brother against brother. Asians will fight each other. Nuclear weapons shall be used, killing millions. Twice I heard the words, Catastrophic! Catastrophic! then the angel said,
Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(4 WINDS OF THE WORLD-WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(COULD ALSO MEAN THE 4 CORNERS OF THE EARTH OR WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
North Korea's purge won't hurt economic policy, official says
Kim Jong Un's uncle, 2nd most powerful in country, was executed this week
The Associated Press
Posted: Dec 15, 2013 10:54 AM ET
Last Updated: Dec 15, 2013 7:09 PM ET
A senior North Korean official said Sunday that the execution of
leader Kim Jong Un's once-powerful uncle will not lead to changes in
economic policies and vowed that the nation would push ahead with an
ambitious plan to develop new economic zones to attract foreign
investment.Jang Song Thaek's wife, meanwhile, has been named to an ad-hoc state
committee, the country's official media reported, an indication that
Jang's execution has not immediately diminished her influence.The execution Friday of Jang, considered to be North Korea's second
most powerful man and a key architect of the country's economic
policies, should not be taken as a sign that the North will change its
economic course or its efforts to lure foreign investment, Yun Yong Sok,
a senior official in the State Economic Development Committee, said in
an interview with The Associated Press in Pyongyang.Luring foreign investment is critical to garnering badly needed
foreign currency and funding for infrastructure projects so the Kim
regime can live up to its promise of raising the impoverished nation's
standard of living."Even though Jang Song Thaek's group caused great harm to our
economy, there will be no change at all in the economic policy of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea," Yun said. "It's just the same as
before."Jang's sudden purge and execution for allegedly trying to overthrow
the government has raised questions about how solid the North Korean
regime is and whether it will be able to stay the course on policies
aimed at raising the country's standard of living.
Jang met with top Chinese officials during their visits to Pyongyang, and in 2012 travelled to China as the head of one of the largest North Korean delegations ever to visit the Chinese capital to discuss construction of the special economic zones, which Beijing hopes will ensure North Korea's stability.Yun, however, downplayed Jang's importance in policy making and said his removal would instead speed progress on the economic front because he was a threat to the unity of the nation. He said Jang's execution should not scare away Chinese investment, which is crucial to the success of the zones."By eliminating the Jang Song Thaek group, the unity and solidarity of our party and people with our respected marshal at the centre has become much stronger, our party has become more determined and the will of our soldiers and people to build a prosperous socialist country has been strengthened," Yun said. "Our State Economic Development Committee welcomes investment and business from any country to take part in the work of developing our new economic zones."Yun said local officials have been tasked with drawing up the plans for the zones in their jurisdictions and are likely to formally submit them for approval to his commission within the next few months.
Her name appeared in a state media dispatch late Saturday alongside
top officials on a funeral committee for fellow senior Workers' Party
official Kim Kuk Thae, who died Friday.Kim Kyong Hui, 67, has risen through the ranks in recent years and
holds a slew of top posts. Analysts said the dispatch suggested that her
political standing hasn't been immediately affected by her husband's
execution and that she may have even given her nephew the green light to
fire Jang — but not to have him executed."She may have opposed Jang's death sentence, but she could have
agreed on Jang being dismissed," said analyst Hong Hyun-ik from the
private Sejong Institute in South Korea.Kim and Jang, who married in 1972, had a dysfunctional marriage in
recent years, and their only daughter committed suicide in 2006 while
studying in Paris, according to South Korean media reports.Hong said that if her health condition allows it, Kim Kyong Hui is
expected to join other top officials at Tuesday's ceremonies marking the
second anniversary of Kim Jong Il's death.Kim Kyong Hui's public activities have been sharply reduced in recent
months amid media reports that she suffers liver, heart and other
ailments.
By James Pearson
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's aunt was absent from a state memorial ceremony on Tuesday raising questions about her influence days after her husband, also a top state official, was executed.The purging and execution of Jang Song Thaek on Friday was the biggest upheaval in years in North Korea, which has conducted three nuclear tests and this year raised the possibility of nuclear war with South Korea and the United States.Jang was married to Kim Kyong Hui, a daughter of state founder Kim Il Sung and sister of the country's second leader, Kim Jong Il. She is an aunt of current leader Kim Jong Un, the third Kim to rule.North Korea's KCNA news agency said last week Jang had been executed for trying to seize power and for driving the economy "into an uncontrollable catastrophe".On Tuesday, his wife did not appear at a ceremony marking the second anniversary of the death of her brother, North Korea's second leader, Kim Jong Il.Together, she and Jang had been considered the "Pyongyang power couple", the real force behind the North Korean leadership, before Jang was labeled a traitor and executed.Kim Kyong Hui usually features prominently at important North Korean events alongside her nephew, the young new leader, Kim Jong Un, and other members of the North Korean elite.North Korean state media did not say why she was absent from the commemoration at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, in the capital, Pyongyang.
Political leaders, including Kim Jong Un and his wife, paid respects to the late Kim Jong Il, whose embalmed body lies in a glass coffin in the palace.Kim Kyong Hui has been absent from such events in the past, stoking speculation that she was ill, only to reappear later.
OUT WITH THE OLD
Earlier in the day, the political and military elite publicly pledged their loyalty to Kim Jong Un at the memorial gathering, less than a week after the young leader ordered the execution of the powerful family ally, Jang.
The young Kim was the center of attention at the gathering with state television showed him sitting center stage beneath a big red mural of a flag emblazoned with a picture of his smiling father.Kim, believed to be about 30, took over when his father died in December 2011.Cheong Seong-jang, an analyst at the Sejong institute, a Seoul-based think tank, said by getting rid of his uncle, Jang, the young Kim had consolidated his position."By eliminating the only other faction, the power in North Korea is now fully concentrated on Kim Jong Un," Cheong said.Since taking over as leader, the young Kim has followed his father's program by ordering the North's third nuclear test and successfully launching a long-range rocket in the face of increasingly tight U.N. sanctions.Jang was the only leadership figure who may have posed any real threat to him.While North Korea has purged many officials in its 65-year history, it is rare that anyone as powerful as Jang has been removed so publicly - suggesting a recognition of internal divisions and competing factions around Kim Jong Un.The young Kim has removed most of Pyongyang's old guard during his comparatively short rule, replacing ageing generals and cadres with figures closer to his age.He has changed his Korean People's Army (KPA) chief of staff four times. The job changed hands three times during his father's 17 years in power.Choe Ryong Hae, a party apparatchik who has been around the Kim family for decades but had kept out of the limelight until three years ago, now appears to be the most influential adviser to Kim Jong Un.On Monday, Choe addressed a gathering of soldiers outside the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, stressing the army's unswerving loyalty to the young Kim."It will always remain the army of Kim Jong Un defending him unto death and upholding his leadership only," an official KCNA news agency dispatch quoted Choe as saying.(Additional reporting by Jumin Park and Sohee Kim; Editing by Paul Tait and Robert Birsel)
Tokyo (AFP) - Japan announced Tuesday it will buy stealth
fighters, drones and submarines as part of a splurge on military
hardware that will beef up defence of far-flung islands amid a simmering
territorial row with China.The
cabinet of hawkish Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to spend 24.7
trillion yen ($240 billion) between 2014 and 2019 in a strategic shift
towards the south and west of the country -- a five percent boost to the
military budget over five years.The shopping list is part of
efforts by Abe to normalise the military in Japan, which has been
officially pacifist since defeat in World War II. Its well-equipped and
highly professional services are limited to a narrowly defined
self-defensive role.It comes with the establishment of a US-style
National Security Council that is expected to concentrate greater power
in the hands of a smaller number of senior politicians and bureaucrats.Fears
are growing in Japan over the rising power of China, with the two
countries embroiled in a dispute over the sovereignty of a group of
islands in the East China Sea, and the perennial menace posed by an
unpredictable North Korea.New guidelines approved by the cabinet
on Tuesday said Tokyo will introduce a "dynamic joint defence force",
intended to help air, land and sea forces work together more
effectively.
Abe said the shift would allow Japan's military to better shoulder its responsibilities on the global stage, through what he has promoted as "proactive pacifism"."We hope to make further contributions to the peace and stability of the international community through proactive pacifism," he said. "This shows with transparency our country's diplomatic and defence policies."Spending will be raised to 24.7 trillion yen over five years from April 2014, up from the present 23.5 trillion yen over the five years to March 2014, but the figure could be trimmed by up to 700 billion yen if the defence ministry can find savings and efficiencies.
New hardware will include three drones, 52 amphibious vehicles, 17 Osprey hybrid choppers and five submarines -- all designed to boost maritime surveillance and bolster defence of islands.The spending will also encompass two destroyers equipped with the Aegis anti-missile system and 28 new F-35 fighter jets, a stealth plane far superior to the F-15s that Japan currently has in service.Analysts noted that much of this kit will replace obsolete equipment, but the shift in military priorities is evident."The guidelines underscore a clear shift of Japan's major defence focus to the protection of its islands in the East China Sea," said Hideshi Takesada, an expert on regional security at Takushoku University in Tokyo.During the Cold War, Japan's military was largely static, with the majority of resources in the north and east to guard against any invasion by Russia.But changing dynamics and in particular the rise of China -- where double-digit rises in defence spending are the annual norm -- mean that Japan's armed forces need to be located further south and to be able to deploy to the country's many far-flung islands."The guidelines show Japan's readiness for practical defence if China's bluff turns to be real military action," Takesada said.Regional tensions were ratcheted up last month when China abruptly declared a new Air Defence Identification Zone over the East China Sea, including over disputed Tokyo-controlled islands called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese.Abe on Saturday denounced the declaration and demanded Beijing retract it immediately and unconditionally, after a summit with Southeast Asian leaders where a joint statement called for freedom of travel on the seas and in the air.Beijing issued a sharp rebuke, singling out Abe for "slanderous remarks".The guidelines also call for Japan to boost its missile defence system to counter "a grave and imminent threat" from North Korea.Pyongyang conducted its third nuclear test in February, following a rocket test in December 2012.The recent purging and execution of the uncle of leader Kim Jong-Un further set nerves on edge, with analysts warning the isolated nation had become even more unpredictable as it marks the second anniversary of the death of Kim's father.
Weapons program
Last month, North Korea announced plans to create in each province special economic zones, which are like incubators for introducing capitalist methods into the North's tightly controlled, command economy. The North also recently laid out new laws to facilitate foreign tourism and investment. The laws provide foreign investors with special incentives and guarantees, while giving local leaders greater autonomy to promote themselves and handle business decisions.But even before Jang's execution, it was unclear how far Pyongyang was willing to go.The North has shown no willingness to abandon its nuclear weapons program to get out from under international trade sanctions. That makes investment or financing from major international organizations difficult if not impossible.'By eliminating the Jang Song Thaek group, the unity and solidarity of our party and people with our respected marshal at the centre has become much stronger...'- Yun Yong Sok, senior North Korean official.It also means the success of the zones hinges on China, North Korea's only major ally, and Jang was seen as a crucial conduit between Pyongyang and Beijing, along with being a supporter of China-backed reforms, such as the zones, to revive the North's moribund economy.Jang met with top Chinese officials during their visits to Pyongyang, and in 2012 travelled to China as the head of one of the largest North Korean delegations ever to visit the Chinese capital to discuss construction of the special economic zones, which Beijing hopes will ensure North Korea's stability.Yun, however, downplayed Jang's importance in policy making and said his removal would instead speed progress on the economic front because he was a threat to the unity of the nation. He said Jang's execution should not scare away Chinese investment, which is crucial to the success of the zones."By eliminating the Jang Song Thaek group, the unity and solidarity of our party and people with our respected marshal at the centre has become much stronger, our party has become more determined and the will of our soldiers and people to build a prosperous socialist country has been strengthened," Yun said. "Our State Economic Development Committee welcomes investment and business from any country to take part in the work of developing our new economic zones."Yun said local officials have been tasked with drawing up the plans for the zones in their jurisdictions and are likely to formally submit them for approval to his commission within the next few months.
2nd most powerful man
Jang was considered the second most powerful man in North Korea before his fall, which was announced last week and followed days later by his execution for a long list of anti-state crimes, including building a power base of his own to rival and possibly overthrow Kim and the ruling Workers' Party.His removal leaves no clear No. 2 under Kim, whose inner circle now includes Vice Marshal Choe Ryong Hae, Premier Pak Pong Ju and the ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam.What will happen next in Pyongyang remains unclear, but North Korea watchers will be closely following the second anniversary of Kim Jong Il's death on Tuesday for clues. Of particular interest is whether Jang's wife, Kim Kyong Hui, the younger sister of Kim Jong Il, will be present in official ceremonies.
Jang
Song Thaek, with his hands tied with a rope, is dragged into the court
by uniformed personnel in this December 13, 2013 picture taken from
Rodong Sinmun December 12, 2013 and released by Yonhap. (Reuters/Yonhap)
North Korea marks anniversary without Kim Jong Un's aunt
By James Pearson
6 hours ago-DEC 17,13
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's aunt was absent from a state memorial ceremony on Tuesday raising questions about her influence days after her husband, also a top state official, was executed.The purging and execution of Jang Song Thaek on Friday was the biggest upheaval in years in North Korea, which has conducted three nuclear tests and this year raised the possibility of nuclear war with South Korea and the United States.Jang was married to Kim Kyong Hui, a daughter of state founder Kim Il Sung and sister of the country's second leader, Kim Jong Il. She is an aunt of current leader Kim Jong Un, the third Kim to rule.North Korea's KCNA news agency said last week Jang had been executed for trying to seize power and for driving the economy "into an uncontrollable catastrophe".On Tuesday, his wife did not appear at a ceremony marking the second anniversary of the death of her brother, North Korea's second leader, Kim Jong Il.Together, she and Jang had been considered the "Pyongyang power couple", the real force behind the North Korean leadership, before Jang was labeled a traitor and executed.Kim Kyong Hui usually features prominently at important North Korean events alongside her nephew, the young new leader, Kim Jong Un, and other members of the North Korean elite.North Korean state media did not say why she was absent from the commemoration at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, in the capital, Pyongyang.
Political leaders, including Kim Jong Un and his wife, paid respects to the late Kim Jong Il, whose embalmed body lies in a glass coffin in the palace.Kim Kyong Hui has been absent from such events in the past, stoking speculation that she was ill, only to reappear later.
OUT WITH THE OLD
Earlier in the day, the political and military elite publicly pledged their loyalty to Kim Jong Un at the memorial gathering, less than a week after the young leader ordered the execution of the powerful family ally, Jang.
The young Kim was the center of attention at the gathering with state television showed him sitting center stage beneath a big red mural of a flag emblazoned with a picture of his smiling father.Kim, believed to be about 30, took over when his father died in December 2011.Cheong Seong-jang, an analyst at the Sejong institute, a Seoul-based think tank, said by getting rid of his uncle, Jang, the young Kim had consolidated his position."By eliminating the only other faction, the power in North Korea is now fully concentrated on Kim Jong Un," Cheong said.Since taking over as leader, the young Kim has followed his father's program by ordering the North's third nuclear test and successfully launching a long-range rocket in the face of increasingly tight U.N. sanctions.Jang was the only leadership figure who may have posed any real threat to him.While North Korea has purged many officials in its 65-year history, it is rare that anyone as powerful as Jang has been removed so publicly - suggesting a recognition of internal divisions and competing factions around Kim Jong Un.The young Kim has removed most of Pyongyang's old guard during his comparatively short rule, replacing ageing generals and cadres with figures closer to his age.He has changed his Korean People's Army (KPA) chief of staff four times. The job changed hands three times during his father's 17 years in power.Choe Ryong Hae, a party apparatchik who has been around the Kim family for decades but had kept out of the limelight until three years ago, now appears to be the most influential adviser to Kim Jong Un.On Monday, Choe addressed a gathering of soldiers outside the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, stressing the army's unswerving loyalty to the young Kim."It will always remain the army of Kim Jong Un defending him unto death and upholding his leadership only," an official KCNA news agency dispatch quoted Choe as saying.(Additional reporting by Jumin Park and Sohee Kim; Editing by Paul Tait and Robert Birsel)
Japan invests in new military kit as China row simmers
By Shingo Ito
6 hours ago-DEC 17,13-yahoonews
Abe said the shift would allow Japan's military to better shoulder its responsibilities on the global stage, through what he has promoted as "proactive pacifism"."We hope to make further contributions to the peace and stability of the international community through proactive pacifism," he said. "This shows with transparency our country's diplomatic and defence policies."Spending will be raised to 24.7 trillion yen over five years from April 2014, up from the present 23.5 trillion yen over the five years to March 2014, but the figure could be trimmed by up to 700 billion yen if the defence ministry can find savings and efficiencies.
New hardware will include three drones, 52 amphibious vehicles, 17 Osprey hybrid choppers and five submarines -- all designed to boost maritime surveillance and bolster defence of islands.The spending will also encompass two destroyers equipped with the Aegis anti-missile system and 28 new F-35 fighter jets, a stealth plane far superior to the F-15s that Japan currently has in service.Analysts noted that much of this kit will replace obsolete equipment, but the shift in military priorities is evident."The guidelines underscore a clear shift of Japan's major defence focus to the protection of its islands in the East China Sea," said Hideshi Takesada, an expert on regional security at Takushoku University in Tokyo.During the Cold War, Japan's military was largely static, with the majority of resources in the north and east to guard against any invasion by Russia.But changing dynamics and in particular the rise of China -- where double-digit rises in defence spending are the annual norm -- mean that Japan's armed forces need to be located further south and to be able to deploy to the country's many far-flung islands."The guidelines show Japan's readiness for practical defence if China's bluff turns to be real military action," Takesada said.Regional tensions were ratcheted up last month when China abruptly declared a new Air Defence Identification Zone over the East China Sea, including over disputed Tokyo-controlled islands called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese.Abe on Saturday denounced the declaration and demanded Beijing retract it immediately and unconditionally, after a summit with Southeast Asian leaders where a joint statement called for freedom of travel on the seas and in the air.Beijing issued a sharp rebuke, singling out Abe for "slanderous remarks".The guidelines also call for Japan to boost its missile defence system to counter "a grave and imminent threat" from North Korea.Pyongyang conducted its third nuclear test in February, following a rocket test in December 2012.The recent purging and execution of the uncle of leader Kim Jong-Un further set nerves on edge, with analysts warning the isolated nation had become even more unpredictable as it marks the second anniversary of the death of Kim's father.
