Artificial 4.9 to 5.1 earthquake detected in North Korea

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Oh puleez. This is the sabre rattling of a state on its last legs. It's like a dying bear in a cave somewhere. Sure, it can do damage, but the main message is, leave us alone.
 
I read somewhere that their current nuclear capability is less than where America's was...in 1946. If they were stupid enough to attempt a nuclear attack S Korea, they know with absolute certainty that America would nuke them off the face off the Earth (quite literally). The real concern here is that the nuclear material will fall into the hands of terrorists and made into a suitcase bomb. However, N Korea is so incredibly insular that international terrorists will likely go shopping for radioactive material in Iran instead.
 
Does anything think for one second that North Korea gets to so much as sneeze without China knowing about it?

China will euthanaise North Korea. It will bear the gentle pillow.
 
Yeah, I still worry about the one nutcase that gets his hand on the stuff more than North Korea or Iran. Morgan Freeman says something similar in the film "Sum of all Fears". Good movie.
 
The most plausible way for that one nutcase to get his hands on a nuclear weapon would be from one of those two countries, though.
 
I've been wondering how this kid (literally, he's a kid) was able to get into power. You'd think one of the generals would knock him off because he's young and inexperienced. He might be a figurehead, though, but even then, why keep him? Sounds like the North Korean government would much prefer having an image of stability rather than a chaotic one with the generals fighting over who should obtain power.

Just wondering aloud...
 
I read somewhere that their current nuclear capability is less than where America's was...in 1946. If they were stupid enough to attempt a nuclear attack S Korea, they know with absolute certainty that America would nuke them off the face off the Earth (quite literally).

Considering the fallout would would drift into South Korea or China, no they would absolutely not "nuke them off the face of the Earth". The real issue is that North Korea now has a major deterrent to use against US and their allies if they finally decide to invade the South. They've come to the brink of war pretty much twice in the last 3 years. The last time, bringing nearly their entire active army to the DMZ, and sitting them there for almost a week. The US and allies were at the highest state of military readiness in the region since Vietnam at the time. From what I've heard, servicemen stationed there were absolutely horrified. Since, they've seen massive amounts of troops stationed in Korea choose to retire when their tours were up.

The US has around 28,500 troops in S. Korea. The S. Korean military is around 600,000 troops, with almost 3 million reserves. N. Korea's military on the other hand, 1.1 million active troops, nearly 5 million conscripted "fit for service" reserves. The planned "strategy" is that the active troops from both the South and the US would immediately begin retreating if the North attacked, in the hopes they could reach and hold the Korean Peninsula until reinforcements arrive. The hope is that they won't be completely decimated in this retreat, and will be able to hold out here like the last war. It's generally assumed the US ground troops would be almost entirely wiped out, which in turn will call for massive sentiment in the US to send reinforcements.

Here lies the danger with N. Korea having nuclear weapons and fairly capable missile delivery systems. The first assumed "reinforcements" will come from the primary US staging area in Asia, Japan. Of course N. Korea wouldn't want to nuke the South, but like most everyone else in Asia, they would absolutely love to get back at Japan for WW2. Even a "threatened" nuclear strike on the military base in Okinawa (nearly 40,000 Americans stationed here) could make US and allies drastically reconsider an attempt to reinforce or support the South. It's a terrifying prospect.
 
You'd think one of the generals would knock him off because he's young and inexperienced. He might be a figurehead, though, but even then, why keep him? Sounds like the North Korean government would much prefer having an image of stability rather than a chaotic one with the generals fighting over who should obtain power.

Because his father was, quite literally, regarded as a God.

That being said, there are many top generals with the thoughts and ideas you suggested.
 
The US has around 28,500 troops in S. Korea. The S. Korean military is around 600,000 troops, with almost 3 million reserves. N. Korea's military on the other hand, 1.1 million active troops, nearly 5 million conscripted "fit for service" reserves. The planned "strategy" is that the active troops from both the South and the US would immediately begin retreating if the North attacked, in the hopes they could reach and hold the Korean Peninsula until reinforcements arrive. The hope is that they won't be completely decimated in this retreat, and will be able to hold out here like the last war. It's generally assumed the US ground troops would be almost entirely wiped out, which in turn will call for massive sentiment in the US to send reinforcements.

But we're stretched thin as it is, and what are the chances of anyone willing to enlist if a war does happen?

North Korea knows we're weak and that is fueling their aggression.
 
Because his father was, quite literally, regarded as a God.

That being said, there are many top generals with the thoughts and ideas you suggested.

I always thought seeing the Dear Leader as a God was just a way for the generals to manipulate the average North Korean. They know he isn't, but what better way to have the people fear and serve their government?
 
I read somewhere that their current nuclear capability is less than where America's was...in 1946. If they were stupid enough to attempt a nuclear attack S Korea, they know with absolute certainty that America would nuke them off the face off the Earth (quite literally).

What about, y'know, the millions of innocent North Korean citizens? :shrug:
 
I always thought seeing the Dear Leader as a God was just a way for the generals to manipulate the average North Korean. They know he isn't, but what better way to have the people fear and serve their government?

Exactly. None of his generals actually take him seriously. But they have to handle Kim carefully to keep the fear and control of the population. If someone in the military just decides to off him, they would lose a lot of the civilian population's support, I would imagine.
 
But we're stretched thin as it is, and what are the chances of anyone willing to enlist if a war does happen?

North Korea knows we're weak and that is fueling their aggression.

That's a misconception, our military is still very strong. If they think were weak, thats a terrible assumption they have made on their part. And trust me, more people will want to enlist if we go to war.

It may seem backwards, but being in a garrison (peace-time) military is pretty miserable. Most grunts, at least in my experience in the Marine Corps, would much rather be fighting than sitting around stateside doing dumb shit like uniform inspections. Myself and several of my friends agreed we would all much rather be in Afghanistan than in Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Before I got out, myself and plenty others were itching for North Korea to pull some shit. Its our job, its what we wanted to do and what we signed up to do.
 
But the missile systems that figure in Mr. Kim’s blitz of threats and orders do not yet have the range to approach American shores. There is no evidence his nuclear weapons can be shrunk to fit atop a missile. And a prominent photograph showing Mr. Kim’s military making a Normandy-style beach landing appears to have been manufactured, raising questions about whether his forces could possibly repeat the feat his grandfather pulled off in 1950, ordering a ground attack to open the Korean War.
On top of all that, most countries on the verge of a major military assault do not broadcast their battle plans to the world.
“You would expect such a military order to be issued in secret,” said Kim Min-seok, spokesman of the South Korean Defense Ministry. “We believe that by revealing it to the media and publicizing it to the world, North Korea is playing psychology.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/world/asia/in-pyongyang-bluster-fakery-and-real-risks.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0



Ugh, North Korea is funny. Lost in their own world, they have no sense of reality. Life goes on...
 
kim-jong-un-observes-north-korean-rocket-test_zpsb79dd6f8.gif
 
Apparently Kim Jong-un may have been threatening to nuke Austin, along with Washington, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. The hash tag du jour is #whyaustin.
 
Is the term "don't mess with Texas" still around? May want to let Kim know that.
 
I just saw Anderson Cooper interview a North Korean who escaped from a prison camp that he was born and raised in. It was so shocking and horrible to hear about what life was like in that camp: the food and emotional deprivation, the fear and total ignorance of the world outside of the camp. The first dictator, Kim Il Sung, believed it would take three generations of families in order for rebels, who fought against the communists in the Korean War, to be redeemed. There's supposed to be 150,000 people in those camps.

Once a link is up, I'll post it.

Does anyone know why the world does so little to stop North Korea's madness?
 
Like that helped.

I don't know. It's just really appalling to hear about a government being so oppressive and insane towards its citizens.
 
Hardly an uncommon thing, oppressive governments are as common as bread and butter, they just have different ways of going about it.

I really don't think invading NK is going to make things better for the NK people.
 
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