After 70 years of the Korean War armistice

SEOUL—South and North Korea remain technically at war 70 years after fighting ended on July 27, 1953, with the signing of an armistice deal that turned into the world’s longest ceasefire.

The conflict, which broke out on June 25, 1950, killed millions of people— mostly civilians—and left the peninsula divided, with the two Koreas still at loggerheads many decades later.

AFP takes a look at what we know:

Two Koreas

The United States and the former Soviet Union agreed to divide the Korean peninsula between them in the days after Japan’s 1945 surrender ended the Second World War and To- kyo’s rule over the territory, which it had colonized in 1910.

In the South’s capital Seoul, the Harvard- and Princeton-educated Syngman Rhee led a US-oriented administration.

Moscow appointed Kim Il Sung, who had led a Korean contingent in the Soviet army, as head of the North. His son and grandson have since retained an absolute grip on power in Pyongyang. Both the communist North and the capitalist South claimed to be the legitimate government of the entire peninsula and, in theory, still claim so to this day. Invasion and counter-attack

Norwegian woman, Nepali guide set record for 14 ‘super peaks’

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan— A Norwegian woman and her Nepali guide set the record Thursday for the fastest summit of all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter mountains, their team said in a statement.

Kristin Harila and Tenjin Sherpa -known as Lama -- completed the feat in three months and one day after summiting Pakistan’s K2, the last peak on their quest.

The record reflects “their unwavering determination, teamwork, and sheer tenacity throughout this monumental endeavour”, the team statement said.

“Harila and Lama’s collaboration has showcased the essence of mountaineering unity, transcending borders and cultures to achieve greatness together.”

The pair surpassed Nepal-born British adventurer Nirmal Purja’s record of six months and six days, set in 2019. Purja is currently attempting to set the record for the fastest ascent of all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen.

In her race to set the record, Harila had to summit 12 of the mountains twice, including K2, after delays in securing visas from China to climb Shishapangma—wholly in Tibet—and Cho Oyu, normally climbed from the Chinese side.

More than 40 people have summited the world’s top 14 peaks, only a few of them women.

Last year, despite her proven climbing prowess, 37-year-old Harila struggled to secure sponsors, forcing her to sell her apartment to fund her quest.

“I think to do this project if I was a man would be much easier,” she told AFP in an interview in May.

“It is just different to be a woman in the world, not just with the sponsorships.” Harila is a native of Vadso, on the

Barents Sea in Norway’s northernmost reaches, where the highest point is just 633 meters.

She did not take to climbing from an early age, dedicating herself to football, handball and cross-country skiing.

It was only in 2015 when she won a trip to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania from her employers—a chain of furniture shops—that she discovered her passion.

Lama, who has been a guide since the age of 16, was Kristin’s companion throughout her record-breaking journey.

“Lama’s invaluable expertise and profound connection with the mountains have been integral to their success in navigating treacherous terrains and facing harsh weather conditions,” the team’s statement said.

Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 “super peaks,” and climbing them all is considered the ultimate achievement of any mountaineer. AFP have decided to put an end to the regime” of President Bazoum, Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane said in a televised address late Wednesday.

“This follows the continued deterioration of the security situation, poor economic and social governance,” he added, surrounded by nine other uniformed soldiers.

Regional and global leaders have called for the release of Bazoum, who entered office two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful transition of power since independence from France in 1960.

The president of neighboring Benin, Patrice Talon, will head to Niamey for mediation efforts, the head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said. AFP

Kim shows off new N. Korean drones, ICBMs to Russians

SEOUL—Walking past huge intercontinental ballistic missiles and previously unseen military drones, Kim Jong Un gave Russia’s defense minister a tour of North Korea’s newest and most advanced weaponry Thursday, state media reported.

After Washington earlier this year accused Pyongyang of supplying Moscow with weapons for its war in Ukraine, photographs in state media showed Kim walking Moscow’s Sergei Shoigu through a vast defence exhibition showcasing the North’s nuclear missiles and what Seoul-based specialist site NK News said were new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The North invaded the South on June 25, 1950, as Kim Il Sung attempted to reunify Korea by force.

The UN Security Council authorised armed intervention in support of the South; Moscow did not veto the resolution because it was boycotting the body at the time.

The South’s forces crumbled before the Northern advance and Pyongyang’s army seized Seoul just three days after crossing the 38th parallel.

Multinational UN forces, led by the United States, arrived in the South to help but they were pushed back to the Pusan Perimeter, a pocket on the peninsula’s southeastern tip around the city now known as Busan. AFP

Greece races to check 600 wildfires

Manila Standard TODAY

VOLOS, Greece—Greek fire crews on Thursday scrambled to put out wildfires raging for two weeks around the country that left five dead before strong winds forecast for the day rekindle blazes.

Hundreds of firefighters backed by European Union reinforcements were struggling to contain the flames on the islands of Rhodes, Corfu and Evia, in addition to a new front that erupted Wednesday in central Greece.

Early Thursday, another fire broke out near homes in the leafy Athens suburb of Kifissia but was swiftly extinguished.

Officials have said more than 600 wildfires have broken out around the country since July 13.

The civil protection ministry has warned of an extreme danger of fire in over a dozen Greek regions on Thursday.

Tens of thousands of residents and tourists at the height of the busy travel season have been evacuated, including 20,000 people on Rhodes.

A dangerous fire broke out Wednesday near the industrial zone of the central city of Volos, leaving two dead.

An elderly disabled woman was found dead inside her burned camper van in a coastal area near Volos and a cattle farmer was killed while trying to rescue his livestock. AFP

Shoigu and a high-ranking Chinese delegation are in Pyongyang as Kim’s first known foreign guests since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the country marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the July 27, 1953, Korean War armistice, which ended open hostilities and is celebrated as Victory Day.

Kim and Shoigu visited the “Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023”, the official Korean Central News Agency said, showing photos that featured North Korea’s largest intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Hwasong-17, and the Hwasong-18 solid-fuel ICBM.

Russia, a historic ally of North Korea, is one of a handful of nations with which Pyongyang maintains friendly relations. Kim and Shoigu had earlier discussed “matters of mutual concern in the field of national defence and security and on the regional and international security environment,” KCNA said.

The North Korean leader has been steadfast in his support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, including, Washington says, supplying rockets and missiles -- a charge Pyongyang has angrily denied.

During the visit, Kim told Shoigu “about the weapons and equipment which were invented and produced” under North Korea’s national defence plan and “repeatedly expressed belief that the Russian army and people would achieve big successes”, KCNA added. AFP

Notice

Notice is hereby served to the public that MR. WU HYUNG LEE died on January 6, 2023. This publication is in compliance with the requirement of the Philippine Retirement Authority for SRRV cancellation, subrogation and withdrawal of visa deposit.

(MS-JULY 28, 2023)