War on the Korean Peninsula: Present-day

[Maeda Toshiie]

There's something to be said that they're demonstrating their kung fu skills instead of their CBQ skills.

Lack of ammunition (even blanks) for training? Or that they think that kung fu makes better propaganda?

In all honesty, I don't think a civilian population appreciate a realistic military training exercise. Flashiness is what civvies like; seen it at those military parades meant for civilian consumption.

There's something to be said that they're demonstrating their kung fu skills instead of their CBQ skills.

[Maeda Toshiie]

That's if they have the television sets to watch with, or that they can adjust the frequency/ channels that they can receive (I believe the latter is not possible). On the other hand, those near the border with China would have access to televisions off the black market (along with vcds/dvds of SK soaps). These people, via illegal contact with China, know the disparity in practically everything. Unfortunately, the people at the top are very keen (and very good at) not letting the rest of the country know what the rest of the world knows.

Well, 10 years ago I still recall us keeping some "showpiece" M16S1/A1s for - show. Perhaps they thought it would make a good show for their propaganda. Who knows, how removed from reality they actually are. If they can start showing pictures of the Capitol in crosshairs, the skyline of Seoul, you really question their sanity,

Bullpups are not very suited for arms drills, so it makes sense to keep a bunch of full length rifles around. I believe the US Army still uses the M14 for the same purposes. On the other hand, chrome plated barrels and bayonet? Did the Soviets keep such stuff around for parade or honour guard?

[Chogy]

The tirades given in those videos by officers and men... robotic is an understatement. Painfully scripted.

I honestly thought even NK didn't still use "Com-Speak" anymore - "Traitorous dogs will die in a sea of righteous flame, ignited by our dignified supreme leadership." That sort of thing.

I'm a bit stunned, to be honest.

I am hoping when the next "incident" occurs, such as an island being shelled, that the response to it is overwhelming. This whole thing is a war of propaganda as much as it is one of arms. And speaking of propaganda, I am hopeful that powerful television signals are being beamed into NK by SK, showing what life there is like. Unfortunately, that assumes that there are a decent percentages of standard broadcast-capable TV's in NK. Radio is easier, but is dismissed as lies, whereas hours and hours of Western TV is much harder to dismiss.

[chanjyj]

I dont know what to make out of their shiny sliver coloured drill practice LMGs and Aks.

Well, 10 years ago I still recall us keeping some "showpiece" M16S1/A1s for - show. Perhaps they thought it would make a good show for their propaganda. Who knows, how removed from reality they actually are. If they can start showing pictures of the Capitol in crosshairs, the skyline of Seoul, you really question their sanity,

[Bigfella]

I never said it was easy, just saying that many felt the German economy would collapse - it did not.
Similarly, with the poor cheap labour, SK industries can invest in NK, instead of doing it in India, Indonesia, Africa, as they are doing currently. The cheap labour can be used to good effect....in time it will all level out.

Captain,

You & I have both assumed that the ROK would be able to use cheap former DPRK labour to set up factories it might otherwise set up elsewhere in the world. On reflection I think we may both be looking at this somewhat simplistically.

I don't know enough about the integration of East & West germany know if this is what happened there. Did the East retain cheap labour costs once it was unified or were those workers paid similar rates to their new compatriots? I bring this up because the process of integrating North & South throws up many more questions than answers. How exactly do we forsee this all happening? Is the north immediatley going to become a physical & political part of a single nation? Is it going to be governed as a separate entity for a time as it is 'integrated'? Is population movement going to be restricted to prevent refugees moving south, initially for food but then to earn more money & take advantage of better infrastructure? How long will it be possible to keep wages low in the Nth? If so how? Are all Koreans going to start voting in national elections? If not when?

Keep in mind the politics of this in the ROK. Some people will want their northern brothers & sisters to be granted equal rights immediately. Will they be OK with these folks to see fellow Koreans living in something akin to an apartheid state? Alternatively, wiht Sth Koreans fear an influx of poor Northerners crippling their prosperous nation. Then there is the issue of southern 'carpetbaggers' heading north to take advantage of 'opportunities' there' Keep in mind this is all under a best case scenario where there is no war causing hundreds of thousands of deaths & no ongoing insurgency in the nth causing friction between the two sides.

My ideal vision of 'integration' would be for Southern administrators to run the north as a separate entity for a time as infrastructure is modernized & the nuts & bolts basis for a single state are put in place - including a new schooling system, governmental institutions etc. Democracy would be introduced first at local level & then expanded. Keep in mind that massive education campaigns would be needed for any of these changes as would massive re-training of North Koreans at every level. Travel would have to be restricted to prevent social dislocation. Eventually physical & political integratoin could take place. Now, this is an ideal vision that I don't for a moment beleive will be even remotely close to what will happen. When this happens it will be messy in ways we can't even imagine, and that is under the best case scenario.

[lemontree]

I don't think these guys have spent much time actually training to use their guns. The officers in the first video all had their fingers on the trigger as they were wagging their little 9 mm around..... guys in the second video aim their AKs like the FSA aim their machine guns.

I dont know what to make out of their shiny sliver coloured drill practice LMGs and Aks.

[doppelganger]

The one thing that really shocked me in all these North Korea threads was the statement that North Koreans were now actually shorter than South Koreans.

Its evolution in a micro instant.

Why is it that Communism does not work?

[lemontree]

Captain,

Comparing Germany with Korea sounds kind of wrong to me.
.....
I am kind of sure it wont be a doom, but it will take a lot of time, sweat and money to make it work.

I never said it was easy, just saying that many felt the German economy would collapse - it did not.
Similarly, with the poor cheap labour, SK industries can invest in NK, instead of doing it in India, Indonesia, Africa, as they are doing currently. The cheap labour can be used to good effect....in time it will all level out.

[chanjyj]

We're going to see nickel plated AK47s next.. oh wait. China already has them.

[Pedicabby]

and... nickel plated pistols!

Gotta keet dis shit gangsta, ya know what I be sayin.

[Mihais]

Where did you dig up this shit? The actors look so forced and... nickel plated pistols!

To give a smarta$$ answer-on youtube
The pistols will be collector items in due time.

About the weapon manipulation thing,the bloody idiots in '89 sent troops into urban combat that looked just like these ''elite'' NORKs.2 months in service,a few rounds at the range and that was it.Those with longer time in service were the same.They spent months picking corn and potatoes and generally helping the development of the socialist society.
They had a few range sessions at best.The most serious danger was them hanging themselves with the weapon's sling.Officers were a mix.Some did what was possible,even broke the regulations to do something good of/for the lads in training as well as when SHTF.Kept their wits under fire,checked their men and adapted to chaos.Good ones were quite numerous,otherwise the whole charade would have been a real massacre.Plenty others,though, ''saw with their own eyes Lybian helicopters sent by Gaddafi to help Ceausescu''.
I suspect these NORK officers are the same or worse.You simply can't have enough good officers with 1 million army out of 24 millions population.Particularly in a society that offers next to nothing.
So my guess is plenty of opportunists,petty tyrants and servient fools are officers there.If the real deal starts,they'll kill more of their men then the ROK ,US and China combined.

[chanjyj]

Good God!

Where did you dig up this shit? The actors look so forced and... nickel plated pistols!

[erik]

So now it's our fault....

U.S. reducing rhetoric that feeds North Korean belligerence

"We accused the North Koreans of amping things up, now we are worried we did the same thing," one Defense Department official said.

U.S. reducing rhetoric that feeds North Korean belligerence - CNN.com

[YellowFever]

Now you're just being silly.

The axes are thrown against the Seal snipers.

They have longer reach than the sniper rifles.