The Korean Dilemma

[Monash]

Well if the reports I'm reading now are correct it was the Defense Minister who ordered the mobilization of the (apparently few) troops that did deploy. In particular an SK special forces unit that was helicoptered to the parliamentary compound and deployed throughout the building. No word on whether the President ordered him to do it or whether he decided to do so on his own initiative (for his sake I hope not!) but that would be the normal chain of command if the President was the one who issued the order anyway so it's still not clear who did what. Also no explanation as to what those troops orders were once they arrived. The officer in command of the unit is apparently insisting that the troops were not deployed with orders to seek out and confront civilians preemptively and that none of the troops involved were issued with live ammo. If that's true it's anyone's guess WTF they were actually expected to do once they got there - other than look intimidating. So I guess the question is who were they supposed to intimidate?

[Officer of Engineers]

*** Shaking my head *** Clearly a coup and Gen Park put his name on it, now trying to weasel out. Nobody owns their decisions.

[Monash]

*** Shaking my head *** Clearly a coup and Gen Park put his name on it, now trying to weasel out. Nobody owns their decisions.

Yep, the news about the arrest list only broke here late in the afternoon yesterday. What I want to know now and what will be interesting to learn is what specific orders were given to the few units that initially deployed. If the statement I mentioned earlier from the CO of the special forces unit is true and his troops went into the parliament complex without ammunition (if it's true)? Then its possible the President and or Park were trying to 'boil the frog' i.e. first issue mobilization orders for vague/unspecified reasons and then only after troops have occupied specific locations (without any clear understanding of why they are actually there) start issuing orders for arrests. From watching the video of the scenes inside Parliament when the troops arrived it certainly didn't look like they had a clear idea of what they were there for. It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out. Even if he isn't impeached he and his party will be toast at the next election. Mind you there's a very good chance he will be given he apparently had the head of his own party on the list of officials to be arrested.

[Officer of Engineers]

No battle plan survives first contact. This one didn't even survived planning. The enemy was not identified even before planning.

[Officer of Engineers]

[Officer of Engineers]

[Officer of Engineers]

What I want to know now and what will be interesting to learn is what specific orders were given to the few units that initially deployed. If the statement I mentioned earlier from the CO of the special forces unit is true and his troops went into the parliament complex without ammunition (if it's true)?

Col. Kim Hyun-tae, commander of South Korea’s 707 Special Task Force, described himself to reporters at a Monday briefing as an “incompetent and irresponsible commander” when he authorized troops to storm the National Assembly during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law.

“I ordered the deployment to the National Assembly. As the on-site commander for the 197 troops involved, I was the first to arrive by a helicopter. I instructed them to seal the building, engage in physical confrontations at the front and rear gates, break windows, and enter the premises,” he said.

“If such orders had been given in combat, everyone would have died,” he added. “These troops are the most tragic victims of this situation. They are not guilty. Their only fault lies in following the orders of an incompetent commander. Please forgive them.”

Kim also blamed the country’s former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun for “exploiting” soldiers during the chaotic night.

[rj1]

http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8n0ng2m88o

So it's not a civil war because people aren't shooting at one another, but it's a civil conflict of some kind as in one of our close allies we have military bases in and our troops are assigned to fight and die for in the event of Chinese and North Korean invasion, they can't figure out their internal affairs. It greatly weakens the current government if they can't go arrest this man.

[Monash]

Someones eventually going to start issuing arrest warrants for the presidential security team. Then things will get 'interesting'.

[Officer of Engineers]