North korea could be contacting sleeper agents: South Korea condemns 'number broadcasts' by the Nort - Polidicks

[QUOTE]South Korean officials have voiced "deep regret" after North Korea apparently resurrected a Cold War-era method of contacting spies. In recent weeks, mysterious strings of numbers have twice been broadcast over the radio from the North. A spokesman for the Unification Ministry said the South "can't speak conclusively about North Korea's hidden intentions behind the broadcasting". "But we urge North Korea to desist from such outdated practices." Jeong Joon-hee said Pyongyang should "seek ways to promote inter-Korean ties", reported the Yonhap news agency. The numbers were picked up on Radio Pyongyang last Friday, officials have said. Yonhap quoted government sources as saying the 12-minute broadcast began shortly after midnight, with a female voice saying: "I will give review work to No. 27 exploration agents." The announcer then read: "On page 459 number 35, on page 913 number 55, on page 135 number 86, on page 257 number 2," and so on. The Associated Press (AP) said a similar two-minute broadcast had taken place on 24 June. What do the numbers mean? South Korean intelligence authorities are trying to work that out, but they are now on alert for "possible provocations". Such broadcasts were used frequently during the Cold War as a way of getting coded messages to spies in the field or to activate sleeper agents. Spies would use a hardcopy reference book to decode the numbers into instructions. Yonhap reported that North Korea had not broadcast number codes since 2000 - it has since preferred to use the internet for its communications. [/QUOTE] [url]http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36836367?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=facebook[/url]

If I was a north Korean spy embedded in South Korea at this point I'd literally just be like "haha, fuck that, I'm sticking to hanging out in the south lmao"

[QUOTE=Problem;50743315]If I was a north Korean spy embedded in South Korea at this point I'd literally just be like "haha, fuck that, I'm sticking to hanging out in the south lmao"[/QUOTE] except they probably get mad bux from nk and its worth it for them

[QUOTE=Eonart;50743367]Or their families are being threatened.[/QUOTE] More likely

Considering they have agents that can kidnap one of their own students right off the street overseas in France, I wouldn't be surprised if North Korea's genuinely and subtly infiltrated South Korea. But then SK is likely far more probable to be searching for such people for obvious reasons.

[QUOTE=RikohZX;50743509]Considering they have agents that can kidnap one of their own students right off the street overseas in France, I wouldn't be surprised if North Korea's genuinely and subtly infiltrated South Korea. But then SK is likely far more probable to be searching for such people for obvious reasons.[/QUOTE] They could always pose a few as refugees to SK anyways

[QUOTE=Ignhelper;50743550]They could always pose a few as refugees to SK anyways[/QUOTE] North Korean refugees go through a long ass process of interviews with the Korean CIA before they're admitted into South Korea. Some refugees have spent almost a year in detention between Mongolia and South Korea waiting to be allowed into South Korea

[QUOTE]"But we urge North Korea to desist from such outdated practices." Jeong Joon-hee said Pyongyang should "seek ways to promote inter-Korean ties", reported the Yonhap news agency.[/QUOTE] Hahaha something about the SK government's response to this just seems so resigned, like "guysss can you please just stop? it won't work anywayss"

The secret message is "don't forget to drink your Ovaltine." You'd normally expect numbers stations (at least the ones I've listened to) to be more subtle and ominous. The only way that message could have been more obvious is if the announcer said "now listen, spies employed by North Korea, I'm going to give you your spy code numbers now. Look at your spy book and reference the spy numbers." Sounds more like a training session than an actual broadcast.

Are they actually trying to contact agents, or just send counter-intelligence agencies on a wild goose chase? Psychological warfare is hot and heavy in the Koreas. See SK's loudspeaker news and music broadcast programs.

[QUOTE=RikohZX;50743509]Considering they have agents that can kidnap one of their own students right off the street overseas in France, I wouldn't be surprised if North Korea's genuinely and subtly infiltrated South Korea. But then SK is likely far more probable to be searching for such people for obvious reasons.[/QUOTE] Wait, what?

Kim's just sending out his McDonald's meal orders.

Hey guys, IDK if you know this, but NK actually sent many times during the 60's and 70's a lot of commandos through the border and spies through Japan. They went as far as trying to storm the Korean equivalent of the White House.

Are people really getting upset at the Norks broadcasting messages? Like, I understand it's almost certainly a really opaque method of contacting their spies and is totally obvious, but that's what countries DO. They contact their agents overseas. What are you expecting them to do, not this?