North Korea General

[Nicholas 5]

I'm sure most of you have been hearing about North Korea in the news lately. First, they've undergone a third nuclear test despite criticism from various other world leaders. Now they're claiming the armistice is invalid and has even threatened nuclear war.

Sorry if I misunderstood anything in any of the articles. Just curious about what all of your thoughts are on the current situation.

Edited March 12, 2013 by Nicholas

[Dexter69 1]

I've really been thinking about the matters at hand. I'm not really sure what to think as of now. It's a tough one.

[Tonci87 163]

I think they need to do stuff like this to unite the NK population and to keep them under control by making them fear enemys everywhere. They have massive internal problems. I very much doubt that they will actually attack somebody. China would immediately have to stop suporting them. That would ultimately be their end.

[sudayev 27]

Check out this NK tv report about poverty in US. Did you know that American homeless people drink coffee supplied by the great leader of ON, moreover the American Red Cross has blankets supplied by NK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jKpfhVkmF0

An example of typical propaganda to comfort North Koreans.

[ProfTournesol 956]

I find it so sad for the NK people. I hope China will act someday to drop their support to NK.

[batto 17]

Check out this NK tv report about poverty in US. Did you know that American homeless people drink coffee supplied by the great leader of ON, moreover the American Red Cross has blankets supplied by NK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jKpfhVkmF0

An example of typical propaganda to comfort North Koreans.

Yes, this is scary propaganda video. But...

While this is a somewhat ludicrous piece, the number of people currently living below the poverty line in the us is almost twice the DPRK's entire population.

I've no numbers to back it up though.

Recently, US delegation with Eric Schmidt (Google) and his daughter Sophie made a trip to North Korea. Sophie wrote about it with pictures in this very interesting blog post: https://sites.google.com/site/sophieinnorthkorea/home

Edited March 13, 2013 by batto

[cozza 24]

As long as North Korea dosnt start anything soon.

I'm going to Shanghai at the end of the month and I dont wanna be anywhere near North Korea if they start something

[bangtail 0]

ROFL - I never usually enter politically based threads but I have to say, whenever I see a news story that begins with 'The secretive nation of North Korea threatens to', I change the channel.

You want to talk about a toothless dog, I give you NK.

Their threats are emptier than Paris Hilton's head.

If they ever do anything with the miniscule number of warheads they have, they will be transported swiftly, back to the stone age.

People still don't get that all this BS is just theatre (in NK's case, for money and concessions) and nothing more.

[maturin 12]

I read an unsupported factoid that NK has already voided its ceasefire with the South multiple times. If so, shame on the world media.

[sudayev 27]

More recent videos...

Peasant stormtroopers at shooting practice. Note Soviet era late 40's equipment and use of plastic plants as camo.

http://youtu.be/sJRpw34Oo6o (still many of these soldiers wield ww2 weapons - Dp28 & PPSH.

(Borat has visited North Korea)

[ProfTournesol 956]

More recent videos...

Peasant stormtroopers at shooting practice. Note Soviet era late 40's equipment and use of plastic plants as camo.

http://youtu.be/sJRpw34Oo6o (still many of these soldiers wield ww2 weapons - Dp28 & PPSH.

(Borat has visited North Korea)

That's in between Chaplin's Dictator and Orwell's 1984. Poor people.

[instagoat 133]

It is and will remain Disneyland.

I´ve recently been told of a book that looks into the inner workings of NKs politics and Ideology, and makes a compelling case that they are in fact national socialist and not stalinist.

Which makes a ton of sense when you look at it. Nationalism, Disdain for other "lesser" Races (A common theme if you dissect the gist of many of the texts they put out, many available in english on the internet.) who fail to live up to the Ideas of Juche and Songun. Massively militarized nation run by a single party, that has even declared the military to be more important than the people (which is the essence of Songun). The Idea of Juche is that of independence and self reliance: Göring and Goebbels talked about that in Germany in the 30s. This is the opposite of the aggressive, pro-expansion socialist theories of pretty much every socialist/communist leader apart from Stalin.

They have a massive Army, compared to the South, and they have active political-military ties with Iran, as well as handful of other nations aligned in Ideology or animosit y with the "imperialistic west". But, as can be seen pretty much every time, the only thing they have to show is discipline. As far as technology goes, the most modern equipment they have is 1980s built Mig-29 A's and upgraded T-55+ gen Tanks.

They also have the largest special forces branch of any Army in the world, as well as a massive Artillery branch (which now may be able to throw dirty, barely functional nukes across the border).

Which -sounds- threatening, but the ultimate goal of the North Korean government is to maintain itself in place. A war would be detrimental to that, so they are not going to start it. All they need is keep their population in check, and the threat of war is always a good means to unify the population before they can get unruly. We ourselves have recent experience with that too.

[Bee8190 10]

I find it so sad for the NK people. I hope China will act someday to drop their support to NK.

That may happen soon enough

http://thediplomat.com/china-power/can-china-get-tough-on-north-korea/

[ScorchMcCloud 1]

Ive been seeing reports about defectors from the NK military. Its nothing new, but from what Ive heard its becoming more common. I cant find the article I saw, but it said that NK is having its troops to do military exercises in response to the US and SK exercises. They are extending the exercises and not giving the troops enough food. On top of that, they only have a limited supply of oil and wouldn't be able to support a war for long. They get pretty much everything from China but even china is pressing for the UN to step in. They know that NK is the only buffer between them and the US being on their border so I think they would do what it takes to keep NK in line. They did it before when NK shelled a SK island by cutting off supplies to the country.

[mrcash2009 0]

As long as North Korea dosnt start anything soon.

I'm going to Shanghai at the end of the month and I dont wanna be anywhere near North Korea if they start something

So when you get back and anything did kick off, at least the holiday was sorted?

If they ever do anything with the miniscule number of warheads they have, they will be transported swiftly, back to the stone age.

Well I hope they do build a concrete seal over the entire area just afterwards if that was the case, becuase there's more than one long term way to effect people not directly involved.

[bangtail 0]

Well I hope they do build a concrete seal over the entire area just afterwards if that was the case, becuase there's more than one long term way to effect people not directly involved.

That's the whole point, they are acutely aware of what would transpire should they decide to go down that road, which is why they never will.

It's all bluster for money and concessions.

[oxmox 73]

I would say let them alone, no reason to boss them around and to interference. Let them live how they think. Provocations only generate provocations.

[Vicki 1]

Can't really say i like NK

[GRS 10]

I would say let them alone, no reason to boss them around and to interference. Let them live how they think. Provocations only generate provocations.

How do they think?

[MAW3Y 1]

I Think we should somehow stop them getting Nukes, before its too late..

[Lauxman 10]

Leave them be until they suffer a government collapse. Then move in before some terrorist group can steal their nuclear technology.

[sudayev 27]

New propaganda film titled "USA is the Target of our Army! "

I made a pause in 0:25, what is this gun? A Silver Bren gun ?

Bonus: NK paratrooper drop from ... AN-2 biplanes rotfl

[Nicholas 5]

Some more news on North Korea.

Korea reportedly test fired short-range rockets into the Sea of Japan Friday as the United States announced a $1-billion plan for 14 new missile interceptors in response to Kim Jong-un’s threats of nuclear war.

Read more...

[slatts 1978]

New propaganda film titled "USA is the Target of our Army! "

I made a pause in 0:25, what is this gun? A Silver Bren gun ?

Bonus: NK paratrooper drop from ... AN-2 biplanes rotfl

Don't underestimate the AN-2, the US considers it a big enough threat as radar has trouble picking them up especially around the hilly areas around the DMZ and it could drop N.K.S.F to attack airfields

[Mattar_Tharkari 10]

Missile Defense Agency - The Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS)

http://www.mda.mil/system/system.html