The senior ranks of South Korea's military must be full of masochists

[yllus]

It's not that I disagree with South Korea's restraint - they really are doing the right thing by not initiating a new war on the peninsula. It's just that I feel like laughing and cringing in equal parts when I read things like the below. "We will completely punish the enemy if it provokes us again"? Yeah, sure you will. ^_^

South Korea Drills: North Korea Attack Prompts More Exercises

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea vowed Wednesday to "completely punish" North Korea if it attacks again, and mobilized hundreds of troops, tanks and helicopters for a massive military exercise prompted by high tensions on the peninsula.

The firing drills planned for Thursday near the Koreas' heavily armed land border signaled that South Korea is willing to risk further escalating tensions with North Korea, which shelled a southern island off the western coast on Nov. 23 and stirred up a war-like atmosphere.

The attack, which killed four people, was portrayed by Pyongyang as a retaliation for southern military exercises on Yeonpyeong island that day.

South Korea has conducted 47 similar military drills this year, and it scheduled one more exercise for Thursday in response to the North Korean attack, an army officer said on condition of anonymity citing department rules. Thursday's drill will be the biggest-ever wintertime joint firing exercise that South Korea's army and air force have staged, an army statement said.

"We will completely punish the enemy if it provokes us again like the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island," Brig. Gen. Ju Eun-sik, chief of the army's 1st armored brigade, said separately.

South Korean forces are on high alert even though the North backed down from its threat to again retaliate over a separate firing drill the South held Monday on Yeonpyeong in disputed western waters.

 

[JSt0rm]

I dont see a problem. If the north attacks they will get a small slap. If they respond they will get a bigger one.

 

[dainthomas]

NK deserves to get stomped. I don't think anyone could argue that.

 

[CrackRabbit]

I think its funny that they are finally calling NKs bluff(s).

 

[Jaskalas]

NK deserves to get stomped. I don't think anyone could argue that.

You WILL find those who argue the cost of war.

They will demand small sacrifices be made, including lives on a small scale, to prevent loss on a large scale.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Realize that NK initially stated that they would escalate if SK held the exercises.

NK blinked - hopefully the tensions can be reduced.

 

[piasabird]

I dont see how any free country can have trade relations with North Korea. They are war mongers.

 

[Karl Agathon]

NK deserves to get stomped. I don't think anyone could argue that.

+1

Of course, I wouldnt want a full scale war there. Still, SK has every right to defend herself.

 

[Red Dawn]

I dont see how any free country can have trade relations with North Korea. They are war mongers.

Paranoid, brutal, isolationistic, totalitarian yes but war mongering? Maybe if they had the resources we had they would be but they don't. On the other hand they wouldn't be wrong to accuse us of war mongering. Since the Korean Conflict how many wars have we intitiated?

Now don't try to spin this like I'm a supporter of NK, Sarah Palin I'm not. But let's be realistic, they aren't a war mongering nation. What they are is a isolated paranoid totalitarian regime with a nut case for a leader. Given Nuclear Weapons that makes for a dangerous scenario. Too bad Michael Jackson's dead, I be he could have brokered a peace deal with their new leader.

 

[Pocatello]

Now don't try to spin this like I'm a supporter of NK, Sarah Palin I'm not. But let's be realistic, they aren't a war mongering nation.

The only reason N. Korea is not a war mongering nation is because S. Korea, so far, has refused to retaliate against N. Korean aggression. Look at all the incidents over the years caused by N. Korea, which could had led to war. N. Korea tried to assassinate a S. Korean president a few times, N. Korea has sent commandos into S. Korea numerous times for kidnapping or assassination. In 1983, N. Korea tried to kill off the S. Korean government officials in Rangoon, Burma (many were killed, including the S. Korean foreign minister). In 1987, N. Korean agents put a bomb on a S. Korean civilian airline, which exploded in mid-air, killing a lot of people. There are more, but you guys can look them up. N. Korea, for its small size and population, is causing headache for everyone in the region, including its only friend, China.

 

[Red Dawn]

The only reason N. Korea is not a war mongering nation is because S. Korea, so far, has refused to retaliate against N. Korean aggression. Look at all the incidents over the years caused by N. Korea, which could had led to war. N. Korea tried to assassinate a S. Korean president a few times, N. Korea has sent commandos into S. Korea numerous times for kidnapping or assassination. In 1983, N. Korea tried to kill off the S. Korean government officials in Rangoon, Burma (many were killed, including the S. Korean foreign minister). In 1987, N. Korean agents put a bomb on a S. Korean civilian airline, which exploded in mid-air, killing a lot of people. There are more, but you guys can look them up. N. Korea, for its small size and population, is causing headache for everyone in the region, including its only friend, China.

No doubt they are assholes but they aren't war mongering, they can't afford to be.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

No doubt they are assholes but they aren't war mongering, they can't afford to be.

They used to be but they were told by their masters to shut the fuck up now.

China has a bad enough rep as it is, it doesn't want to get an even worse rep by having to actively and openly support NK against pretty much every other nation on earth.

 

[SamurAchzar]

No doubt they are assholes but they aren't war mongering, they can't afford to be.

I'd say sinking a South Korean vessel and killing 46, unprovoked, and later shelling South Koreans out of fucking nowhere would normally constitute a war-mongering behavior. YMMV

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

I'd say sinking a South Korean vessel and killing 46, unprovoked, and later shelling South Koreans out of fucking nowhere would normally constitute a war-mongering behavior. YMMV

Well, they are both actions of war so it'd be hard to argue against that.

I do believe a certain American pretty much told them that they would have to go to war if they repeated that again and so they decided that their threat to go to war and use nukes against SK if the earlier exercise was conducted wasn't really one they could follow up.

I have a feeling that lil kim was told that the first target would be him if it happened. Dictators are happy to play big with the lives of others but not so much when their own life is at stake.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I think its funny that they are finally calling NKs bluff(s).

I don't think they're really calling their bluffs -- every year, NK makes threats during these war games and every year, SK goes through with them. The interesting thing to watch is if SK will retaliate if attacked.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

The only reason N. Korea is not a war mongering nation is because S. Korea, so far, has refused to retaliate against N. Korean aggression.

I personally think that if SK launched a small scale retaliation (such as returning shell fire), NK wouldn't do anything except maybe return fire. I doubt very seriously that they'd start shelling Seoul or cross the DMZ.

NK might talk a big game, but let's face it -- Dear Leader isn't completely stupid and the talk is propaganda aimed at his own population. He knows very well that if it escalated into a full scale war, the US Air Force and South Korea would completely obliterate NK not in months or years, but in days. China would likely not get involved other than securing its own border.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

China has a bad enough rep as it is, it doesn't want to get an even worse rep by having to actively and openly support NK against pretty much every other nation on earth.

This. China needs the world to continue pumping money into its economy. When it comes to trillions of dollars or supporting a backwards state hanging on by a thread and has no tangible value, China is going to tell NK to STFU and if they don't, let them suffer the consequences. China isn't going to get involved militarily to protect NK.

 

[CPA]

I dont see a problem. If the north attacks they will get a small slap. If they respond they will get a bigger one.

I have no confidence that the US will allow SK to do anything. Yes, you read that right.

 

[CPA]

+1

Of course, I wouldnt want a full scale war there. Still, SK has every right to defend herself.

How do you stomp a country without a full scale war? This is the same type of attitude that has led us to be in Iraq for 10 years. If the time comes, there can't be any footsying around.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

I have no confidence that the US will allow SK to do anything. Yes, you read that right.

I'm going to assume that you are quite a bit older than him and remember how the cold war with sattelite states worked and see that this is a US vs China deal.

I'd say you're right up to a point, but i do believe NK has been warned, that they allow inspections and have stopped making war threats after a visit and some discussions with China would suggest that if they behave irresponsibly China will not support them and the US will not only let SK retaliate, they will help them.

 

[Exterous]

The only reason N. Korea is not a war mongering nation is because S. Korea, so far, has refused to retaliate against N. Korean aggression.

I think it's more the North Korean leadership has a lot to lose. Dear Leader is a God to his people. There are just the occasional incidents to continue to show how he is saving the people of his country from the evil outside world

I personally think that if SK launched a small scale retaliation (such as returning shell fire), NK wouldn't do anything except maybe return fire. I doubt very seriously that they'd start shelling Seoul or cross the DMZ.

NK might talk a big game, but let's face it -- Dear Leader isn't completely stupid and the talk is propaganda aimed at his own population. He knows very well that if it escalated into a full scale war, the US Air Force and South Korea would completely obliterate NK not in months or years, but in days. China would likely not get involved other than securing its own border.

Eh - I'm not so sure. Sadly it seems a large number of the NK population actually believes Dear Leader is a God. Our last couple of wars with religious fanatics haven't ended so quickly so I would not be so quick to dismiss another one.

Even more so - this country is not flat lands like Iraq but consist mostly of hills, mountains and deep valleys. Plenty of places to hide and they have had a considerable amount of time to fortify their positions

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

I think it's more the North Korean leadership has a lot to lose. Dear Leader is a God to his people. There are just the occasional incidents to continue to show how he is saving the people of his country from the evil outside world

Also remember that the promise of retaliation and the end result of what happened are things that will never be known to the NK population, as far as they know, SK is under submission from lil kim.

Eh - I'm not so sure. Sadly it seems a large number of the NK population actually believes Dear Leader is a God. Our last couple of wars with religious fanatics haven't ended so quickly so I would not be so quick to dismiss another one.

Even more so - this country is not flat lands like Iraq but consist mostly of hills, mountains and deep valleys. Plenty of places to hide and they have had a considerable amount of time to fortify their positions

They have nukes, a war against NK would have to be one fought with complete and utter destruction in mind and it would be seen as justified by anyone to stop them from using their nukes.

Having nukes isn't always a good thing, especially not if you are going to be an agressor.

 

[CrackRabbit]

I don't think they're really calling their bluffs -- every year, NK makes threats during these war games and every year, SK goes through with them. The interesting thing to watch is if SK will retaliate if attacked.

In the past they would simply ignore the NKs and go about everything as normal.
After the stunts NK has performed this year they are (more) actively calling NKs bluff and telling them to bring it on if they want to start shit.

 

[Narmer]

Being bombastic is something the Koreans and Chinese have in common. However, S. Koreans cannot reach the level of histrionics of their Chinese and N. Korean counterparts.
EDIT: Actually they can. I saw the video of the S. Korean farmer committing seppuku at a World Trade Organization protest. I also saw another video of a S. Korean student cutting off his finger at a anti-Japanese rally. Idiots.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

They have nukes, a war against NK would have to be one fought with complete and utter destruction in mind and it would be seen as justified by anyone to stop them from using their nukes.

Having nukes isn't always a good thing, especially not if you are going to be an agressor.

That's right, and that's why I think that even if SK returned fire, NK would, at most, return fire back. I'd be shocked if they'd shell Seoul or cross the DMZ because while they could certainly inflict heavy damage and casualties, it would be the end of their country and more importantly (to him), Dear Leader. Kim wants to survive unless he has gone completely insane.