The North Korea Thread: Threats, Propaganda and a brewing Holocaust

[Old dead account]

How powerful are NK's nukes anyways? I would doubt they have anything more powerful than a Fatman(or is it Fatboy?) much less a dreaded Tsar Bomba...

[Patticus]

How powerful are NK's nukes anyways? I would doubt they have anything more powerful than a Fatman(or is it Fatboy?) much less a dreaded Tsar Bomba...

 

Apparently, the most powerful nuke they currently possess is less powerful by at least 25% than the least powerful of Little Boy and Fat Man. If they fire one off accurately (and I don't think they can guarantee that it'll hit its target, if fired), it might destroy the heart of Seoul or Tokyo, but the destruction and heavy radiation would be pretty well contained to a small area.

 

Apparently, NK has been spotted moving missile parts in the last few days. A new missile test could be imminent.

[Tornado]

Plus, as mentioned above, they don't have much of anything to shoot them with; so they'd need to run bombing runs.

[Patticus]

The US Air Force wouldn't allow such a bomber to so much as enter South Korean air space.

 

Edit: Of course, now that I've said that, chances are they will.

[Badnik Zero]

I would love to know what kind of talk is going on between China, South Korea, and the US right now behind doors.

[turbojet]

I would love to know what kind of talk is going on between China, South Korea, and the US right now behind doors.

South Korea: Blow them the fuck up.

U.S.: So like...nuke 'em?

China and South Korea: NO!!!

[DGam'r]

*feels like making a Hetalia reference*

 

 

 

Well, the US sent B-2 bomber planes over there and if such an occurrence happens, I think it might intercept the bomb. 

 

 

U.S. is capable of many things....probably even the other surrounding Asian countries. Also, NK hasn't used their nuclear plants in 30 years or no?

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

*feels like making a Hetalia reference*

 

 

 

Well, the US sent B-2 bomber planes over there and if such an occurrence happens, I think it might intercept the bomb. 

Er...not sure if I'm reading that right, but last I checked a B-2 Bomber can't intercept bombs. It only drops them. They'd likely either send jets or launch SAM missiles after the aircraft the North sends on a bombing run.

 

As far as new ships are concerned, there's the USS Zumwalt stealth destroyer that'll possibly have a railgun...but that's not gonna be out until around 2015, and I'm cautious about whether the DPRK would wait that long.

[Conando]

The US has anti-air guns all over that area of Asia. They'd use those to shoot down any bombers or missiles.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Right...after all my knowledge of basic military hardware, for some fucked up reason the AA-guns never even crossed my mind.

[Stacy]

As far as new ships are concerned, there's the USS Zumwalt stealth destroyer that'll possibly have a railgun...but that's not gonna be out until around 2015, and I'm cautious about whether the DPRK would wait that long.

 

I highly doubt they would have one of those ready yet. The US Army is advanced but not that advanced yet, come on now....

 

Don't get me wrong it is an impressive ship but I don't think it would have a railgun.

 

Also it is a missile based destroyer if they were building something with a rail-gun we wouldn't know about it and it would be a much bigger ship.

 

EDIT: It's main gun is an Advanced Gun System basically a long ranged hi-tech naval gun platform. Its impressive weapon but not a railgun.

Edited April 6, 2013 by BW199148

[SuperStingray]

Something I've been curious about- how powerful is Kim Jong-un himself?  Like, is he just a figurehead that the government uses to unite people around or does he actually make the important decisions?

[Stacy]

Something I've been curious about- how powerful is Kim Jong-un himself?  Like, is he just a figurehead that the government uses to unite people around or does he actually make the important decisions?

 

We don't really know. I've read that his Aunt and Uncle pull a lot of the strings and the Generals agree with them and Kim Jong-un goes off them to make the big decisions.

 

That is what I have read I am sure it is more complicated than that.  

Edited April 6, 2013 by BW199148

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I highly doubt they would have one of those ready yet. The US Army is advanced but not that advanced yet, come on now....

 

Don't get me wrong it is an impressive ship but I don't think it would have a railgun.

Hence why i said that the railgun was merely a possibility, as I already said in the same sentence. Not something that we would already have by then.

[Stacy]

Hence why i said that the railgun was merely a possibility, as I already said in the same sentence. Not something that we would already have by then.

 

Then why did you said it was a possibility when you knew it is something you wouldn't have by then?

 

The ship is very possible but the railgun was a bit of stretch they only began to test that kind of weaponry let alone see if they can mount it something.

Edited April 6, 2013 by BW199148

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Then why did you said it was a possibility when you knew it is something you wouldn't have by then?

Really not trying to be an asshole here, but have you ever heard of something called "speculating"?

 

It's basically a guess that isn't necessarily correct or incorrect when the time actually comes. It's been done many times before even outside of the military.

[Stacy]

Really not trying to be an asshole here, but have you ever heard of something called "speculating"?

 

Sorry I am a bit of a Military Geek.

 

But like I said it was a bit of stretch that is why I had to look it up because I knew the US was testing a rail based gun but I didn't think they managed mount it on something as a turret yet so I looked it up.

 

You're not wrong in that ship is Advanced. I looked it and it is a highly advanced stealth destroyer with the latest missile technology and one of most advance naval guns in the world.

 

It might one day be fitted with one eventually but by then they will probably have better even more advance ships to mount one.

Edited April 7, 2013 by BW199148

[Tani Coyote]

Also why people keep saying the North are saying they are going to do a surprise attack? Its hardly a surprise when you have already threaten the people you want to attack. I can't see where people are getting this from if I wanted to launch a surprise attack they would of just done it by now.

 

Never mind the large array of American satellites means we can monitor a small country's every move very, very easily. Fears of government surveillance aren't entirely the property of coocooland.

 

Since there haven't been any threatening military build-ups near the border, or other movements beyond that one missile, and since the atmosphere in Pyongyang is pretty calm, I'm still thinking that this is still probably just a storm in a teacup, manufactured purely to secure Kim Jong-un's place at the top of NK's military hierarchy.

 

Ultimately yes. Assuming the government's rational, they know they can't hope to win. It's all a bunch of posturing.

 

it's apparently rich in coal, among others, but they're not making good use of it from what I hear.

 

Story of every undeveloped country's life.

 

Something I've been curious about- how powerful is Kim Jong-un himself?  Like, is he just a figurehead that the government uses to unite people around or does he actually make the important decisions?

 

As I've said before, dictatorships quickly become oligarchies over time. Hosni Mubarak, for example, wasn't really in control of Egypt; the military was. Only a handful of dictators have actually had the charisma and brutality to maintain one man rule, such as Stalin, who regularly killed all his inner circle about every five years. Kim Il Sung had a lot of pull because he was a revolutionary; the first dictator usually has the most concentrated power due to their image. I think by this point the fervor's worn off and Kim Jong Un is so youthful and inexperienced he isn't really in control like his father or grandfather were.

 

As I recall, hundreds of people were killed shortly after KIm Jong Un took power. This may look like it was his doing, but some old generals also remained. What this means is that the military elite likely were (and likely still are) fighting among themselves, and killing their opponent if they weaken enough. Meanwhile, they prop up Kim so it looks like the government is one. Heck, for all we know this intense diplomacy the last month is just a cover for serious intrigue going on inside the country.

 

Let's not be surprised if sometime this year we hear about one of the Korean elites being executed for treason.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Ogilvie Maurice

[Stacy]

Never mind the large array of American satellites means we can monitor a small country's every move very, very easily. Fears of government surveillance aren't entirely the property of coocooland.

 

The North is notorious for its underground complex and tunnels somewhere satellites can't go and even with Satellites we don't actually know fully what goes on there. Not mention the government tells us very little.

 

Even then if the North attacked regardless it would a be a surprise because nobody is taking them that seriously at least that is what the media is saying which has been really contradicting.   

[Dr. Homem]

The US has anti-air guns all over that area of Asia. They'd use those to shoot down any bombers or missiles.

They wouldn't need to, NK got that covered.

 

Edited April 6, 2013 by Dr. Homem

[DarkOverord]

Even then if the North attacked regardless it would a be a surprise because nobody is taking them that seriously at least that is what the media is saying which has been really contradicting. 

Actually that's wrong. Militaries are taking this seriously, and China and Russia are getting very antsy about it because they really don't want more US presence there. The problem is that a lot of speculation etc. has been rife with NK for so long that it's basically a complicated "Boy who cried wolf" tale.

[Stacy]

Actually that's wrong. Militaries are taking this seriously, and China and Russia are getting very antsy about it because they really don't want more US presence there. The problem is that a lot of speculation etc. has been rife with NK for so long that it's basically a complicated "Boy who cried wolf" tale.

 

Exactly but the media is contradicting the situation.

Edited April 6, 2013 by BW199148

[DGam'r]

Exactly but the media is contradicting the situation.

How so? 

[Stacy]

How so? 

 

One article says that various experts (they don't give examples) saying that North Korea isn't much of threat and lacks a Nuclear capability then has a quote from Secretary Of Defence Chuck Hagel saying that they are threat and have a nuclear capability.

 

So who is right? 

[Patticus]

North Korea is nuclear, but they only have a couple of nukes and they're pretty damn weaksauce, which is why they're trying to build more. NK is not a threat to the US, but it is a threat to South Korea, Japan and potentially the US military facility on the isle of Guam.