NEW YEAR, NEW MISSILE THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea plans to test a new long-range missile. It’s the same old extortion racket, but South Korea and Japan are no longer putting up with it.

Here’s a little history to support that observation. Ten years ago South Korea was still reluctant to confront the North. (See the December 30, 2006 post.) However, in 2007 South Korean and Japanese attitudes began to change. The March 2010 sinking of the South Korean corvette the Cheonan angered South Koreans. (See the March 26, 2010 post.) North Korea sank the ship and that act of war has had far reaching political consequences. (See the May 20, May 24, May 29, June 2, June 4, and June 5, 2010 posts.)