Why havent we found a strategy to N. Korea's greatest threat against S. Korea?

[JEDI]

the threat is that N Korea can amass 1 million troops in a day and rush down to S Korea.
that will over whelm the 40k troops protecting the DMZ zone.

so to appease N Korea, we keep giving them food/$.

so after all these decades, why haven't we found a way to counteract that threat?
or is giving them food/$ cheaper?

 

[rudder]

Maybe because NK does not have to means to quickly move 1 million troops and they would be easy pickings as they crossed the DMZ.

 

[brycejones]

the threat is that N Korea can amass 1 million troops in a day and rush down to S Korea.
that will over whelm the 40k troops protecting the DMZ zone.
?

An invasion is more than just a bunch of guys bum rushing a fence. There would be many indicators of an actual impending invasion since the logistics are very complex.

 

[JEDI]

again, after decades, why haven't we found a way to counter act that threat?

why do we keep caving in to their demands of food/$?

 

[fskimospy]

again, after decades, why haven't we found a way to counter act that threat?

why do we keep caving in to their demands of food/$?

What would you suggest we do?

As an answer to your other question though, yes. Food and fuel aid to North Korea is cheaper than the costs of a regime collapse by several orders of magnitude. It's also much cheaper than stationing another 50,000 troops there or whatever.

 

[Genx87]

If NK was able to amass 1 million men on the border we would know it. We would also amass the counter measures to such a build up. They cant do it in a single day. When they try to push through the DMZ then we bring superior technology to decimate 1 million men trying to cross the DMZ. I really dont see the fear in the NK military. Saddams military had as many men and were better equipped. Yet they lost in horrible fashion twice in roughly a decade.

My fear from NK is their potential to drop a nuclear weapon on Seoul when their 1 million man army is routed. And in a last ditch effort to stave off total defeat throws one out there.

 

[fskimospy]

If NK was able to amass 1 million men on the border we would know it. We would also amass the counter measures to such a build up. They cant do it in a single day. When they try to push through the DMZ then we bring superior technology to decimate 1 million men trying to cross the DMZ. I really dont see the fear in the NK military. Saddams military had as many men and were better equipped. Yet they lost in horrible fashion twice in roughly a decade.

My fear from NK is their potential to drop a nuclear weapon on Seoul when their 1 million man army is routed. And in a last ditch effort to stave off total defeat throws one out there.

That's NK's trump card really. They don't produce anything the world wants, they don't contribute anything to the world, but they can hurt South Korea, who does.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Because the US military with South Korea was waiting for you to plan, lead and execute a counter offensive. They knew North Korea has a military of some sorts, but they had no idea it was 1 million soldiers, ready to mobilize in one day! It's a good thing you came along with this intelligence, now we need to catch up.

Also, :thumbsup: Genx87.

If NK was able to amass 1 million men on the border we would know it. We would also amass the counter measures to such a build up. They cant do it in a single day. When they try to push through the DMZ then we bring superior technology to decimate 1 million men trying to cross the DMZ. I really dont see the fear in the NK military. Saddams military had as many men and were better equipped. Yet they lost in horrible fashion twice in roughly a decade.

On this part,...

My fear from NK is their potential to drop a nuclear weapon on Seoul when their 1 million man army is routed. And in a last ditch effort to stave off total defeat throws one out there.

I doubt China would allow North Korea to launch/drop a nuke. Furthermore, North Koreans, as crazy as they are, are longing to reunite Korea. Dropping a nuclear bomb on their own people, on soil they consider to be their own, is the last thing they would ever consider doing.

Also, dropping a nuke, to immediately kill millions of people is something that would cause the entire world to flip the fuck out. Again, I don't see North Korea being that crazy, or that devoid of China's control that they would pull something like this off.

 

[JEDI]

What would you suggest we do?

As an answer to your other question though, yes. Food and fuel aid to North Korea is cheaper than the costs of a regime collapse by several orders of magnitude. It's also much cheaper than stationing another 50,000 troops there or whatever.

That's NK's trump card really. They don't produce anything the world wants, they don't contribute anything to the world, but they can hurt South Korea, who does.

so if N Korea doesn't produce anything the world wants, then whats wrong w/letting the regime collapse?

or are you saying that b4 the regime collapses, it will get desperate and attack?

And does N Korea have a nuke???

 

[fskimospy]

so if N Korea doesn't produce anything the world wants, then whats wrong w/letting the regime collapse?

or are you saying that b4 the regime collapses, it will get desperate and attack?

It might. After all, the only thing the NK regime cares about is maintaining their power. I'm not sure there's a limit to what they would do to protect it.

Also, if the regime collapses we will have a massive refugee crisis on our hands. That's all way more expensive.

 

[fskimospy]

Because the US military with South Korea was waiting for you to plan, lead and execute a counter offensive. They knew North Korea has a military of some sorts, but they had no idea it was 1 million soldiers, ready to mobilize in one day! It's a good thing you came along with this intelligence, now we need to catch up.

Also, :thumbsup: Genx87.


On this part,...

I doubt China would allow North Korea to launch/drop a nuke. Furthermore, North Koreans, as crazy as they are, are longing to reunite Korea. Dropping a nuclear bomb on their own people, on soil they consider to be their own, is the last thing they would ever consider doing.

Also, dropping a nuke, to immediately kill millions of people is something that would cause the entire world to flip the fuck out. Again, I don't see North Korea being that crazy, or that devoid of China's control that they would pull something like this off.

They would only drop a nuke if they thought destruction of the regime was imminent. Perhaps not even then, but that's the only scenario where they would. At that point what China thinks is kind of irrelevant.

 

[IronWing]

North Korea has a profitable short-medium range missile business.

The threat to Seoul has usually been stated in terms of a massed artillary barrage at the opening of any conflict, not a nuclear attack.


Anyway, here's what the U.S. military publicly thinks, circa 2007.
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/pub771.pdf

 

[Jaskalas]

The biggest threat is the heavy weapons, artillery, mortars, rockets, missiles, North Korea has aimed at the South Korean capital, Seoul. We need to establish a laser defense over the DMZ, capable of hitting up to a thousand projectiles every minute.

The technology exists, it is real, it just needs to be built out and deployed.

 

[brycejones]

again, after decades, why haven't we found a way to counter act that threat?

Your "greatest" threat is a figment of your imagination. They can't just over run the border with no warning.

 

[JEDI]

The biggest threat is the heavy weapons, artillery, mortars, rockets, missiles, North Korea has aimed at the South Korean capital, Seoul. We need to establish a laser defense over the DMZ, capable of hitting up to a thousand projectiles every minute.

The technology exists, it is real, it just needs to be built out and deployed.

missiles can be shot down.

interesting.. didn't know artillery could reach 35miles. (distance from dmz to seoul)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koksan_(artillery)

yeah, they're harder/impossible to stop in the air?

so the million man march isn't the primary threat.
it's the thousand points of light?

 

[Jaskalas]

yeah, they're harder/impossible to stop in the air?

Laser weapons destroy artillery shells mid-air.

And that information is ancient given the rate of progress and development. We are more than capable of ensuring nothing bigger than a dumb bullet crosses the DMZ. The tech just has to be utilized for that purpose.

 

[maddogchen]

the 40k troops at the border have already been written off. They are considered a tripwire to ensure that the US becomes involved in the war since at the start we will already have 20,000 dead.

Our strategy is that North Korea will take time to fight down the peninsula and by that time we will landed an army on the southern end and start fighting our way up north.

 

[CitizenKain]

so if N Korea doesn't produce anything the world wants, then whats wrong w/letting the regime collapse?

Millions of starving refugees swarming the borders of SK and China is the main reason.

 

[rudder]

the 40k troops at the border have already been written off. They are considered a tripwire to ensure that the US becomes involved in the war since at the start we will already have 20,000 dead.

Our strategy is that North Korea will take time to fight down the peninsula and by that time we will landed an army on the southern end and start fighting our way up north.

An army travels on its stomach. I don't think you can plan to invade another nation in modern times hoping you can secure food along the way. Unless another country stepped in to help NK, they would get desperate very fast and would not make it very far.

The only strategy needed on the Korean peninsula is to avoid a deadly initial artillery/missile barrage. beyond that there would be no more NK.

 

[cabri]

the 40k troops at the border have already been written off. They are considered a tripwire to ensure that the US becomes involved in the war since at the start we will already have 20,000 dead.

Our strategy is that North Korea will take time to fight down the peninsula and by that time we will landed an army on the southern end and start fighting our way up north.

Same concept that "worked" before back in the winter of '51😵
While we have a trip wire; everyone hopes the Seoul is not being written off.

 

[maddogchen]

An army travels on its stomach. I don't think you can plan to invade another nation in modern times hoping you can secure food along the way. Unless another country stepped in to help NK, they would get desperate very fast and would not make it very far.



The only strategy needed on the Korean peninsula is to avoid a deadly initial artillery/missile barrage. beyond that there would be no more NK.

I disagree. I think there are plenty of food in South Korea for them to take and feed their invasion

I think you greatly underestimate the resilience of these fanatical North Koreans

 

[cabri]

I disagree. I think there are plenty of food in South Korea for them to take and feed their invasion

I think you greatly underestimate the resilience of these fanatical North Koreans

The food may exist but not readily accessible.

And the amount of food available at the key point (< 100 miles from the DMZ) may not be enough to support the NK army requirements as well as the SK population there.

And NK is not going to be able to transit food southward - they have not enough as it is let alone none to spare. An army on the move consumes more supplies than one at rest

 

[fskimospy]

The food may exist but not readily accessible.

And the amount of food available at the key point (< 100 miles from the DMZ) may not be enough to support the NK army requirements as well as the SK population there.

And NK is not going to be able to transit food southward - they have not enough as it is let alone none to spare. An army on the move consumes more supplies than one at rest

I have to say that if North Koreans are good at one thing it's going without food, haha.

Now going without fuel for their tanks and such, that seems like a problem.

 

[maddogchen]

The food may exist but not readily accessible.

And the amount of food available at the key point (< 100 miles from the DMZ) may not be enough to support the NK army requirements as well as the SK population there.

And NK is not going to be able to transit food southward - they have not enough as it is let alone none to spare. An army on the move consumes more supplies than one at rest

It won't be enough for both the NK army and the SK population. But in NK, the population starves while the Army is fed. So I feel they'll take all the food and leave the South Koreans to starve.

 

[Blanky]

NK army has old crappy equipment and pose no realistic threat to invading SK. The DMZ would just be strafed over and over as they all died.

Their artillery is hugely overblown as a threat. They also have no way to "drop a bomb" on South Korea.