To be concerned about the North/South Korea situation?

[wibblyjelly]

I don't understand the complete political background, but as I understand it, North Korea is on the brink of declaring war on South Korea. I believe that we would side with South Korea if such a situation arose.
AIBU to be worried about a conflict happening with a country that is testing nuclear weapons without permission, and don't seem concerned about the consequences of using such a weapon? Just to clarify, its the nuclear side of things that I'm worried about, not about getting involved in the first place.

[Gossipmonster]

They don't often publicise that type of info .

He is currently at sea.

[ShellyBoobs]

ooops I suppose you are not allowed to say

I believe it's quite likely that even much of the crew in the boat won't know where they are going, or where they are when they get there?

[Gossipmonster]

Need to know basis.

OH knows because he needs to, most of the guys never know where they have been.

He would never tell me either :)

[BoyMeetsWorld]

Was just about to start similar thread then found yours.

Personally I'm terrified - have just spent an hour googling everything about the situation and nuclear war in general. Even if it can be watered down for now what happens in 20 years when they CAN reach us with nukes??? & David Cameron being all gung ho jumping on the bandwagon is hardly going to pacify them, just antagonise.

That regime is irrational. How do you deal with an irrational threat?

To top it all just found my town is a prime target (or was in the Cold War). Feel a bit sick.

[CruCru]

The situation in North Korea has gone on far too long. The local population are near starvation and have constant power shortages in the dead of winter. People who do anything the regime doesn't like get sent to gulags with no chance of survival (along with their children and partners who are also sent). I don't love the idea of war but getting these idiots out could do the poor souls in North Korea a lot of good.

[ShellyBoobs]

I think China might be quietly crapping themselves in case NK do try to launch a nuclear missile.

Would you want to be sharing a border with a country whose nuclear ambitions far outweigh their ability to actually get a weapon safely off the ground and heading in the 'right' direction?

I have a picture in my mind of NK's nuclear missiles behaving similarly to out-of-control bonfire night rockets. We all know how predictable their flight paths are.

NK could very easily blow themselves, and their neighbours, of the face of the earth by accident!

[Gossipmonster]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1090400/HMS-Apocalypse-Deep-Atlantic-submarine-waits-alert-nuclear-missiles-end-world--.html

Apologies for Mail link - is old but still similar procedure AFAIK.

I think it's unlikely.

[RedToothBrush]

BoyMeetsWorld, fwiw the longest range land based missiles in existence today wouldn't put the UK in danger from North Korea. Their range is 6200miles and only the USA, Russia, China and India have these. Bare in mind that North Korea's capabilities are more than 20 years behind these missiles.

Submarine based missiles are perhaps a different story - range is much less of an issue... and theoretically you wouldn't need to wait for 20 years for us to be in range simply because you could be a lot closer and still remain completely undetected...

...and then you could just plant a bomb on a timer somewhere in the UK and then disappear. Its much easier to do than develop a long range missile!

So, I think perhaps you are worrying about the wrong thing and what poses a greater or more likely threat.

[MyDarlingClementine]

wow, he is at sea....how can other crew members not know where they are, I think you must have to be soo tough and resilient to be on such a sub - for long periods of time.

[Gossipmonster]

Yes.

And very horny when they come home .

It's not for the faint hearted.

Although I struggle with the Nuclear Weapons etc.

I just think of it as a detterant

I am proud of my OH.

[MyDarlingClementine]

I bet Gossip! ( your proud).

Its amazing, skim read article, lots of trust in the chief man....what if he was a mole? what a strange strange world.

[Gossipmonster]

What if someone kidnapped the Commanders wife and kids and was blackmailing him?

[MyDarlingClementine]

yes!
so much power in one set of hands....amazing what they must see and what goes on, I believe they are v sensitive to sound and loud noises and like to have things precise at home - ultra precise, as n everything in its place! and v secretive too....

[Gossipmonster]

No not at all.

They have to be careful how much noise is onboard as other Sonar can pick them up.

[wibblyjelly]

How long does he go away for Gossip? You are right to be proud.

[Gossipmonster]

It depends what type of sub.

[hiddenhome]

It's not China we have to worry about, it's Russia What the heck are they going to do if the US start 'defending' themselves/South Korea from the North Koreans?

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

(again, all my comments are my personal opinion, and now I've spent the night down the pub so they could be getting more interesting!)

hidden The US doesn't want to 'defend' (using quotes as you used them, I'm not sure why. I honestly don't believe the US is looking for a reason to be involved in this. Unlike Iraq etc, which I totally agree was a fabricated situation) South Korea right now. They will be looking to diffuse this. They don't have the men to deal with this right now, they're still trying to clean up two different wars in two different regions.

North Korea has been a Situation for a long time. They've been left to their crazy because they have larger powers behind them, most notably China. China is their ally in the sense that China would also like to be left alone to do with their population as they wish, and so they become unhappy when other countries try to dictate what NK does with their people. This is also the basic reason Russia would normally back NK. Both China and Russia become grumpy when human rights abuses start being questioned, as they don't like international groups such as the UN questioning their behaviour.

(The US also doesn't like the UN, I acknowledge that!)

Anyway, so if even Russia is coming out and saying 'hey perhaps this is something you should re-consider', then that will probably mean a lot more if say, the US said it.

Gossip my grandfather was a Captain in the Navy, a submarine captain in the Pacific in WW2. Submariners seem to have their own entire social system. It's a tough job, and I imagine a nuclear sub would be even tougher.

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

and because Exit mentioned it, and I'm sure others are wondering where I pulled the comment from, here is just one of the articles which comes up when you google North Korea and cannibalism. I first read about it in some first-hand accounts years ago. I have no doubts as to the authenticity of the claims. It's come up far too many times, from too many different people, for it to be fabricated, imo.

I honestly can't think too much about what the people must go through in that country, because I don't think I could sleep at night if I did.

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

A better article.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Thank you to your oh gossipmonster

[wibblyjelly]

Those articles are horrific, greeneggs. So sad that's its going on

[wibblyjelly]

Greeneggs, any opinion on today's news about N Korea not guaranteeing safety of people in the embassies from next week?

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

It's just my opinion, but it sounds like another step in his campaign to give the impression that NK is on the brink of war. I.. don't think anything would actually happen to diplomats there, but he's a bit unhinged so I suppose anything could happen.

The more I read about him, the more I realise no one really knows what he's doing. His father was fairly predictable; he would threaten missile tests and threaten to do more nuclear testing, with the obvious end of wanting sanctions reduced/ more aid/ more oil allowed in to the country. He was more open to bartering and would offer to halt nuclear tests if xyz demands were met.

The son, KJU, has said he will not consider negotiating on NK's nuclear capabilities. So what does he want, then? His father's moves were almost predictable, if unhinged. KJU is very young, 20 years old or so. Is he just trying to impress his generals? The people? Not much is known about him.

The US has flown nuclear-capable B-2 bombers with the South Koreans, as a show of support to them. NK was behind the torpedoing of a South Korean ship a few years back which killed 42 men. They are not impotently blustering, they are practicing what they can get away with. Footage of the US planes has now been used in their propaganda to convince the NK people that they are under imminent attack by the US.

I know some on MN believe the US is keen for another war, but they really can't manage another front now. They've already got Iraq and Afganistan. As I mentioned earlier, when the potential problems with Iran came up a few years back, one of the very first things which came up was that the US military doesn't have the manpower for it. The Iraq war saw soldiers being sent back again for second, third tours of duty, with hardly any break between, more than would normally be expected of them. They also had to draft in National Guard troops which aren't even meant to leave their home state.

Babbling. I know you just asked about the embassies. I believe that is just part of the act. I'm just not sure what the end of the act is meant to bring. Literally no one wants this to escalate. Even Castro has warned KJU to 'consider the impact' of nuclear war. At this point, it's a waiting game. The US and South Koreans need to be very careful to not do.. anything, basically.

I still don't think anything is going to happen, but I'll be damned if I have any idea what he wants. He can't expect to get anything without giving in on the nuclear issue, and he's said he won't. I hope he isn't actually insane.

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

sorry, 30 yrs old. I have no idea why I typed 20