North Korea plans "Nuclear Test" on the US

[Drunken Cat]

If I recall correctly, their last attempt at a long-range missile didn't manage to reach Japan.



I wouldn't lost too much sleep over this if I were an American.

Even if they could reach, they are primitive enough to be intercepted. The real danger is the ~3000 pieces of artillery aimed at Seoul. They would level one of the largest and most important cities on earth overnight and you can't intercept that.

They have enough conventional artillery to bombard the hell out of Seoul. Of course, they'd catch hell in return. But, the South would also pay a heavy price as well in any conflict.

It's true that they've had a few failed launches. Work in progress, you can say.

[Capaedia]

They have enough conventional artillery to bombard the hell out of Seoul. Of course, they'd catch hell in return. But, the South would also pay a heavy price as well in any conflict.

I did say that exact thing in the bottom paragraph.

I have friends in Seoul. They were very oddly nonchalant about their situation.

It's true that they've had a few failed launches. Work in progress, you can say.

They haven't had any successful ICBM launches.

It's probable they never will. The carpet was pulled out from under them when the Soviet Union collapsed and they are still spending money on their military like Russian cash and expertise is still flowing in. China doesn't even pretend to support them as much as the Soviets did.

[Miburo]

North Korea has no power on its own. It exists solely at the whim of China, and through Chinese economic assistance. They know that if they start any kind of real conflict, even solely with South Korea, China would pull back all support for them and their sovereignty would end with the ensuing inevitable defeat. Literally the only reason North Korea is allowed to exist is because China wants a buffer state between itself and the heavily western-allied South Korea (as well as not wanting the South to become stronger through its absorption).

[Capaedia]

North Korea has no power on its own. It exists solely at the whim of China, and through Chinese economic assistance. They know that if they start any kind of real conflict, even solely with South Korea, China would pull back all support for them and their sovereignty would end with the ensuing inevitable defeat. Literally the only reason North Korea is allowed to exist is because China wants a buffer state between itself and the heavily western-allied South Korea (as well as not wanting the South to become stronger through its absorption).

North Korea is a very militarized country even if its technology is primitive.

They'd have to deal with a country that has been preparing itself and its populace for invasion for ~50 years, with no restrictions on how they do so. They've brainwashed their whole damn country against the outside world. China included, to a lesser degree.

There is so much military hardware there that it would be a nightmare cleanup operation, I doubt they'd be foolish enough to try and fight an offensive war, they'd bring the invaders to them and make them pay heavily.

Add to that the capability to destroy Seoul with an unprecedented amount of artillery fire, and punch a huge hole in the global economy, and it's pretty clear that North Korea exists at its own whim.

Even afterwards South Korea would not become stronger by taking on the massive, massive burden that is North Korea for the same reason North Korea is in the ****ter itself.

It would be a huge burden. They'd have to put a huge amount of money into development, education, aid, law enforcement. It was draining the Soviet economy fairly significantly, and that was a much larger economy than the South Korean one.

I doubt the South Korean government would even go for it. In fact, I'm nearly certain.

It's estimated it would take about 20 years for them to break even on it.

[Miburo]

North Korea is a very militarized country even if its technology is primitive.

They'd have to deal with a country that has been preparing itself and its populace for invasion for ~50 years, with no restrictions on how they do so. They've brainwashed their whole damn country against the outside world. China included, to a lesser degree.

There is so much military hardware there that it would be a nightmare cleanup operation, I doubt they'd be foolish enough to try and fight an offensive war, they'd bring the invaders to them and make them pay heavily.

Add to that the capability to destroy Seoul with an unprecedented amount of artillery fire, and punch a huge hole in the global economy, and it's pretty clear that North Korea exists at its own whim.

Even afterwards South Korea would not become stronger by taking on the massive, massive burden that is North Korea for the same reason North Korea is in the ****ter itself.

It would be a huge burden. They'd have to put a huge amount of money into development, education, aid, law enforcement. It was draining the Soviet economy fairly significantly, and that was a much larger economy than the South Korean one.

I doubt the South Korean government would even go for it. In fact, I'm nearly certain.

It's estimated it would take about 20 years for them to break even on it.

That power is illusory. It's a suicidal power only. Any war North Korea started would be instantly joined by virtually the entire first world on the opposing side, and China would wash its hands of them. Which is why they won't ever start one, China knows when to pull the leash. And so they simply prod and prod. Not that South Korea couldn't easily handle them on their own, you forget that the entire male population serves 2 years in the army and can be almost instantly mobilized, similar to Israel or Switzerland.

[Rapid Counter]

Not that South Korea couldn't easily handle them on their own, you forget that the entire male population serves 2 years in the army and can be almost instantly mobilized, similar to Israel or Switzerland.

We all know why nobody f**ks with the Swiss

[Capaedia]

That power is illusory. It's a suicidal power only. Any war North Korea started would be instantly joined by virtually the entire first world on the opposing side, and China would wash its hands of them. Which is why they won't ever start one, China knows when to pull the leash. And so they simply prod and prod. Not that South Korea couldn't easily handle them on their own, you forget that the entire male population serves 2 years in the army and can be almost instantly mobilized, similar to Israel or Switzerland.

That power is not illusory by the merit of the 3000 pieces of artillery already aimed, armed and ready to fire continuously for 24 hours at targets all over the South Korean border (Seoul mainly) alone.

Then you have the problem of heavily indoctrinated and brainwashed soldiers in heavily fortified positions and tunnel systems, hidden in civilian population centres.

The very dense deployment of armor, anti-aircraft, anti-tank and landmines.

For all their lack of foresight when it comes to running a country, this is the most well prepared and equipped potential insurgency in the world. Not even South Korea's generals believe they are able to deal with it by themselves. Why would you?

This isn't Age of Empires, there are hundreds of force multipliers in effect here. Regardless of how crude North Korea's tactics and technology are, they are so abundant that this would be an incredibly costly war in life and resources.

They have been preparing for the continuation of the war for 50 years, spending possibly trillions of Chinese and Soviet funds on their military and neglecting everything else. The Soviets even picked up the tab on their electric bill so that they could devote even more money to their military.

They are ready, and they would lose. But definitely not easily.

[THE NAMELESS]

oh great...

[Drunken Cat]

I did say that exact thing in the bottom paragraph.

I have friends in Seoul. They were very oddly nonchalant about their situation.



They haven't had any successful ICBM launches.

It's probable they never will. The carpet was pulled out from under them when the Soviet Union collapsed and they are still spending money on their military like Russian cash and expertise is still flowing in. China doesn't even pretend to support them as much as the Soviets did.

Yeah, I've lived in Seoul. And I've been to the DMC and the joint security area.

All I'm saying, is that if you follow the situation long enough, these things crop up occasionally. It's all mostly political. That isn't to say it is not a volatile situation, but at the same time, if you understand the underlying nature of the situation, it is easy to be nonchalant. Nothing new under the sun here.

[Capaedia]

Yeah, I've lived in Seoul. And I've been to the DMC and the joint security area.

All I'm saying, is that if you follow the situation long enough, these things crop up occasionally. It's all mostly political. That isn't to say it is not a volatile situation, but at the same time, if you understand the underlying nature of the situation, it is easy to be nonchalant. Nothing new under the sun here.

Oh I'm not saying that this is the time they'll do something drastic. I realise this is just the usual banter from the North.

Sometimes I wonder how many people have memory bit longer than a few years It was only 3 years ago that North Korea attacked South Korea with artillery (said friends went back to South Korea just in case the war re-ignited and they were needed), and nothing happened then. Nothing will happen now.