To wonder why we (or America) haven't tried free North Korea?

[timegonefar]

I just realised that North Korea have a nuclear weapon. Their people really are unhappy and subjected to horrible lives. Why has no one tried to free them??

Because they don’t have oil.

Exactly. There is no benefit to anyone else and they already have nuclear weapons.

It would be a total shit show sadly.
And they don't have oil, so other countries aren't interested.
There was an interesting thread about this a few years ago.

Because we don't routinely invade sovereign countries that have nukes. We aren't the world's police either.

We intervene in the Gulf stares (oil) and look how well that's worked out.

Invading them to ‘free’ their people seems a bit dumb if they have a nuclear weapon. I think trumps doing enough crazy shit as it is without invading North Korea

It’s very complicated with alliances with other nations who are armed to the teeth and it could drag us into WW3. So we leave them alone. Although Iran usually falls into this category too and it’s interesting that no one showed up to back them up so maybe those alliances aren’t as strong as they once were.

I mean America did try that in the 1950s, but China has their back and no one fancies a war with China..

Lots of reasons but not least: China

They don’t have anything people want, no oil, cold barren land. USA et al only becomes the worlds police when there is oil to be gained. It’s also not about nuclear weapons other countries have nuclear weapons but no one has invaded them either.

so if you want to be safe be poor and have no oil, have little arable land, you’ll be fine

BECAUSE they have nuclear weapons. And so does their big brother China. It's not complicated!

Trump admires Kim Jong-un's hair do and style of leadership?

Because they are closely allied with Russia and China. If we invaded North Korea, their allies would come to their defense and would whoop our asses. It would be world war 3.

Anyone hear of the Korean war? America did try. Violently. For about 3 years.

Plus we really don't need a global conflict of USA vs China and Korea.

We tried to save Afghanistan. As soon as western troops left it reverted to the way it was before. Women and girls with no rights at all. It’s heartbreaking. But the idea that you can turn other countries into liberal democracies through military action has failed time and time again.

As pp have said, China won’t let N.Korea go.
However, were there to be reunification, there would be a lot of problems. There were difficulties when East & West Germany were reunited but with Korea it would be a lot worse.
South Korea is a successful modern country with a decent standard of living for most people. In North Korea people are starving and have no control over their lives at all.
There are few people still alive with family that they remember on either side of the border, and I don’t think the S. Korean younger generations particularly want reunification given the huge problems that would ensue.

Ever heard of the Korean War OP 🙄

Could it be the aforementioned nuclear capability and an itchy ideological trigger finger?

Mainly because China is their ally and sponsor and it would be perceived by the Chinese as a huge provocation which even Trump wouldn’t risk.

Also there’s nothing strategically useful about North Korea. They don’t have resources or strategic usefulness.

If you think countries (Americans) invade others to “save the people” you are very naïve I’m afraid

huh- I didnt realise china was involved in the Korean War.

but why was there so much talk about the repressive regime in Iran at the beginning of the war? Even people on here were talking about how the people deserved democracy. Which fair enough, everyone does. I just don't understand why no one cares about other non-democratic countries. Thought maybe it was about religion, but oil makes more sense.

Im not sure we should "free" other countries. How many people make comments about immigrants coming into the UK and not living by our "rules" but then want us to go into other countries and make them live by ours?

@Prunellaprim
Anyone hear of the Korean war? America did try. Violently. For about 3 years

To be fair, the majority of S Koreans are very grateful to the US - and other countries’ - support in the Korean War. Without their intervention the north would have taken over the whole peninsula.

We haven’t got the ability and the yanks aren’t interested as the country has nothing to offer.