Mick Hartley

The latest source of tension between the Koreas concerns the North Korean fishing boat that drifted into South Korean waters last month. Of the 31 crew, four have now indicated that they want to stay in the South. The North, naturally, can only believe that these four have been in some way kidnapped, and are refusing anything less than the return of all 31. This being North Korea, the invective volume is set to 11:

North Korea's official news agency reiterated demands on Saturday that all 31 North Koreans whose boat drifted into South Korean waters must be returned. "We will not stand by and watch but mobilize all of our resources to deal with it," KCNA said.

Seoul plans to negotiate with North Korea how to repatriate 27 of the North Koreans, since four have decided to defect.

North Korea did not say what it meant by "all of our resources," but on Friday it jammed GPS signals in northwestern Seoul in an apparent attempt to disrupt the South's annual military drills with U.S. forces and is believed to have launched a massive hacker attack on government websites the same day. North Korea experts say Pyongyang made similar verbal threats shortly before the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan in March last year.

North Korea has customarily alternated charm offensives with threats and provocations. This year, the North has been pressing the South to hold talks since January. At the same time it has protested loudly against propaganda leaflets being floated across the border and has threatened "nuclear catastrophe" over annual South Korea-U.S. military drills and warned it will turn Seoul into a "sea of fire."

Business as usual, then.

But now…what's this? A softening of resolve? A sudden change of heart?

North Korea has suggested an inter-Korean Red Cross meeting to resolve the issue of the repatriation of all 31 fishermen who drifted into South Korean waters across the NLL on February 4th; saying that it intends to bring the families of the four who do not wish to return to Panmunjeom to meet their relatives.

No – no change of heart: just a change of tactics. There could hardly be a clearer threat to the would-be defectors. North Korea, notoriously, will punish whole families for the sins of individuals. "You still sure about this defection business? We'd hate to see anything happen to these lovely relatives of yours." Politics by gangsters.

Talking of which….here's a rap, One Korea, on behalf of Justice for North Korea. Maybe not the most innovative rap, but powerful. At least this guy's heart's in the right place.