Outside the Beltway

War on Christmas, Korean Style

Steven L. Taylor · Sunday, December 11, 2011 · 2 comments

Forget being outraged if the cashier at the local Wally World said “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,” for a real Christmas smack-down, you have to head to Asia.

Via the BBC:  N Korea furious at South’s Christmas lights plan

North Korea has warned South Korea of "unexpected consequences" if it lights up a Christmas tree-shaped tower near their tense border.

The North’s state-run Uriminjokkiri website said it would amount to a form of "psychological warfare".

Seoul’s annual tradition of lighting up a Christmas tree tower was suspended in 2003 following a warming of ties.

However, the South lit a tower last year as relations deteriorated between the neighbours.

The Associated Press quotes a defence ministry official as saying the South has agreed to allow Christian groups to light a further two towers this year.

While the North Koreans claim that the trees are an attempt to spread Christianity, I think they are upset because it demonstrates that the South Koreans have enough electricity that they can afford to waste it on seasonal decorations (I am only being half flippant with this assertion).

All of this reminds me of satellite images taken of Korean peninsula taken at night:

(source)