North Korea, a more dangerous threat than most think

[ShellShock Profile]

I have found it disturbing how China and South Korea refuse to take a harder line against North Korea's pursuit of Nuclear Weapons. We are talking about one of the most dangerous countries in existence, a country led by a psychopath dictator who commands a military force with over one million active personnel, including 700,000 troops, 8,000 artillery systems, and 2,000 tanks, garrisoned within 100 miles of the Demilitarized Zone alone! North Korea's Biological and Chemical weapons programmes are also something out of a Dr. Seuss nightmare.

So let’s say North Korea builds several nuclear weapons. Let’s also assume that South Korea decides that they don't need the US for protection anymore and ask our troops to leave the country. Kim Jon IL is determined to achieve what his father failed, the reunification of Korea under the North's control. What would happen if the North decided the time was right to attack? Read what I read from these two sites and you'll see why North Korea is the scariest place on Earth.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/oplan-5027-1.htm
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/dprk

With that said, I personally don't think North Korea would invade unless it got support from China. Why? Because even if North Korea managed to rout US-ROK forces in South Korea Dunkirk-Style, there's nothing preventing the US Navy and US Airforce from bombing the hell out of DPRK military forces. The US and its allies (most likely Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and whatever is left of the South Korean military) can then bid their time building up a massive invasion force in Japan that would be used to "liberate" whatever remains of the Korean peninsula.

If Chinese-US relations were to turn sour, and North Korea decides to invade during this time, then the situation becomes much more difficult.

[cavalierlwt Profile]

If South Korea wants the US to leave, I say let the North Koreans do what they want with them. As for China, I worry about them less and less each day as their economy is going global more and more. The US is probably the biggest consumer on the planet of Chinese made goods and that means we have economic leverage when dealing with China.
The only thing left to worry about is North Korea getting nukes, and who they would use them on. I know they can hit Japan, but can they hit California yet?
Also, If NK were to reunify (violently) with South Korea, would they have any future expansionist goals, or grudge against America? I don't know a whole lot about NK's political aspirations. It looks like the only thing we have to fear is them selling nuclear technology or weapons to terrorists. I know the NK has a pretty advance missile program as well. If they were willing to settle down after taking S.Korea , I could live that though. I think it's long past time for America to stop being the world cop. Let the S.Koreans fend for themselves, or let Europe take the lead in managing the world for a while. They all hate us, so it's getting harder and harder for me to justify the US sticking it's own neck out for anyone anymore. Still, I do fear them selling the nukes to someone.

[Chacal Profile Website]

Remind me, what would be the problem if N. Korea invaded S. Korea?

It happened in Vietnam, and look at the situation today. Hardly a hard-core communist dictatorship. It's a lot softer than China, which has gone a long way towards freedom too.

Remind me also, why it is that Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, Russia, United States and Israel can have nuclear weapons, and N. Korea can't. Who decides this? Wouldn't the correct line of action be to get these countries to dismantle theirs AND prevent any other country from having some?

[ShellShock Profile]

Originally posted by Chacal
Remind me, what would be the problem if N. Korea invaded S. Korea?

It happened in Vietnam, and look at the situation today. Hardly a hard-core communist dictatorship. It's a lot softer than China, which has gone a long way towards freedom too.

Remind me also, why it is that Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, Russia, United States and Israel can have nuclear weapons, and N. Korea can't. Who decides this? Wouldn't the correct line of action be to get these countries to dismantle theirs AND prevent any other country from having some?

Except unlike South Vietnam, South Korea is a true democracy and a major world economic player. The fact is we don't want any more countries to have nuclear weapons, infact production of new nuclear weapons stopped back in the 70's in the US and Russia. Its especially scary when a Stalinists regime like NK could have nuclear weapons. Nukes go for alot of money on the black market, and there are alot of potential buyers. So why is it bad when countries like North Korea aquire nuclear weapons? Ask that question again when a terrorists group like Al-Qaeda uses a nuke it aquired off of some rogue state.

[Chacal Profile Website]

Who decides which states are rogue? All the countries above routinely invade other countries when they see fit. Doesn't that make them rogue?

[ShellShock Profile]

Originally posted by Chacal
Who decides which states are rogue? All the countries above routinely invade other countries when they see fit. Doesn't that make them rogue?

Lets keep this topic on North Korea, I know you're trying to get philosophical debate out of this Chacal, but there is no way you can compare a Stalinist state like North Korea to any democracy.

[Chacal Profile Website]

I'm not. What I'm saying is "so what?" North Korea is completely isolated, out of sync with the rest of the world, and they know it. In a few years they'll have to go the same way as China and Vietnam.

All they want now is to save face, which in the asian culture is more important than most anything. They're prepared to fight and lose a war for it. It has nothing to do with communism.

[LordShard]

Exessive military budget=no money for anything else including research for new weapons.