Korea

[DizzyHoneyBee]

It's all looking very worrying, I can't help but wonder how long before a war starts.
How do you think it will turn out?

[MiniTheMinx]

The Americans are doing "training flights" near North Korea in Stealth bombers. yep looks like the Americans are trying to stoke it up again.

[MiniTheMinx]

Are North Korea marching into the south, no??? The American's have a history of imperialist capitalist agitation against any socialists states so I am inclined to think that what we hear in the Western corporate press should be questioned.

[Nancy66]

north korea has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons doesn't it?
so I would imagine that any 'war' would be over with pretty quickly...

[DizzyHoneyBee]

I do wonder how much of what we read in the media is there to justify what America may well do.

[MiniTheMinx]

Its interesting really the other two nations were socialist (state capitalist now because of American agitation) have never had expansionist plans themselves and are always calling for diplomacy. I hope America listens. As regards Nuclear, America won't get rid of theirs.

[QueenOfCats]

I'm really worried about this actually.

I read somewhere online that war is a matter of hours away. Scary stuff

[DizzyHoneyBee]

I think we're probably as close to nuclear war now as we were during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.
On that cheery note, I'm off for an early night - sweets dreams folks!

[DizzyHoneyBee]

To be honest, right now I think the Americans are going to stoke this one up beyond what is sensible for whatever reasons they have and we're going to get dragged into it on account of the "special relationship".
North Korea presumably know that, I wonder what they are trying to achieve?

[flatpackhamster]

It's fairly typical NK rhetoric. They're looking to boost their bargaining position before the next round of talks. They always do this so that they can get some more free food from their evil Capitalist neighbours. Not that communism has any shortcomings, of course.

Watch to see how China reacts. Do they really want a hot war on their doorstep?

Oh, and ignore Mini because she lives in the wrong decade and the wrong country. 1950s Stalinist Russia is

[MandragoraWurzelstock]

NK knows that any pre-emptive strike on the US would be suicide.

[DizzyHoneyBee]

I'm sure they do, which is why I wonder what they are playing at because the way it's going they are going to end up with another Iraq/Afghanistan situation on their hands.

[AuntieStella]

The rhetoric has ramped up again as North Korea says it is entering a "state of war".

[ZZZenEggain]

what do they want specifically?

[Meglet]

Forgive me asking a blindingly stupid question . We know how awful life is for people in NK, lack of food etc. Are we sure they have nuclear weapons or it's just them bullshitting? Can't the rest of the world invade and free everyone? Surely we have more knowledge about them than they do about us so could get in easily.

Or are SK just too much at risk if anyone starts a war first?

(I'm not well today so be nice).

[AuntieStella]

Yes, there is certainty about Nk's nuclear weapons programme, because they have carried out tests.

And we can't just go in (no one has the troops nearby except China, who wouldn't, both politically and as it may well be their cities that were hit if if a missile were launched and not successfully intercepted).

[flatpackhamster]

Meglet

Forgive me asking a blindingly stupid question blush. We know how awful life is for people in NK, lack of food etc. Are we sure they have nuclear weapons or it's just them bullshitting?

We can tell when they set off a nuclear weapon because they do it underground and seismographs pick up the shockwave. A nuke detonation has a very specific shockwave.

Can't the rest of the world invade and free everyone?

What? Why? Assuming we did 'invade and free everyone', who would we install as replacement? There's no government-in-waiting, it's a Stalinist state where anyone who says "That Kim bloke's a bit of a wrong-un" gets shipped off to the Gulag, from which they do not return.

Surely we have more knowledge about them than they do about us so could get in easily.

The 38th Parallel - the border between NK and SK - is the most heavily defended in the world. The casualties from a land-borne invasion would be catastrophic.

Or are SK just too much at risk if anyone starts a war first?

How many casualties do you think the US or British public are prepared to sustain to enforce regime change? The last time they went at it in Korea 36,000 Americans died. This time casualties would be far worse because NK, being a Barking Mad Barry country, would use its nukes. My guess would be at least 10 million dead on both sides.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

I've been to South Korea and was taken in for a couple of days by a lovely family there. So am thinking of them, and praying for peace in the world.

[ZZZenEggain]

my father has good friends in South Korea and he is worried about them and whether he can try and get them out.

I don't think NK can seriously be planning to invade and take over SK. It must be clear to them that this would mean all out war surely and they do not have the finances IMO to support it.

[Barbie1]

We are due to move to South Korea (koje island) in a little over 8 weeks.
Dh returned from a visit there last night. I have been Hounding him for information as I'm not entirely convinced its safe enough.

He tells me that he heard nothing about the threat of war and the expat community there are taking it as empty threats as it always has been in the past. I'm not so sure.

I've never much been into history or politic however I am now finding myself sourcing as much information as possible.

Are we crazy to be considering relocating?