They have no intentions of "winning" a war. Their ace in the hole is in the fact that they can lay such dramatic amount of carnage in a short amount of time, that there is no way of justifying the high amount of human suffering and loss of life over diplomacy.
Think about this, in the most fragile sense, once the seal of war is breached with North Korea, you can expect 1.5 million people to die in the first half hour of military conflict.
Japan would be facing a major economic halt after the destruction of a number of their population and economic centers.
S.Korea would have its major metropolitan and rural population centers, basicly its entire infrastructure, decimated.
NK have that capability already.
That is why the US and it's allies have yet to ever win computer simulated battles with NK. The US does not have anything but a deterent policy, not a comprehensive military strategy with any assurances of averting massive casulaties by our allies.
One more thing, much of the NK military is spread about the country, there for, there are no discriminate targets that could justify the nuclear weapons. The destructive fall out and radiation from one of our nuclear weapons would wreak havok on the neighbors of the Koreas.
Their bunker systems are far more elaborate than anything we saw in Vietnam, Iraq or the mountains of Tora Bora. Bombing campaigns would not be sufficient in halting NK agression. With a large stockpile of missiles, they are definitly going to be difficult to fight.
NORTH KOREAN MISSILES
SHORT-RANGE MISSILES
North Korea has a variety of short-range missiles. The KN-02 is thought to be the most accurate, but its range - around 100km - is the shortest.
The Scud-B and C have ranges of 300 and 500km respectively, while the Scud-D is believed to have a range of 700km. It is thought that these missiles could deliver conventional warheads.
The Scud-B, C and D have all been tested and deployed. These missiles would enable North Korea to strike any area in South Korea.
The KN-02 missile, currently in the testing stage, could be aimed at key targets in South Korea such as military installations south of the border.
NODONG MISSILE
The Nodong missile is thought to have a range of around 1, 000km and could potentially carry a nuclear warhead.
But it is not accurate. A report by the US Center for Non-proliferation Studies said it had a circular error probable of 2-4km, meaning that half of the missiles fired would fall outside a circle of that radius.
The Nodong could strike most of Japan but not with any accuracy. If it were fired on a military target, its inaccuracy could lead to high levels of civilian casualties.
The missile was test fired in May 1993.
TAEPODONG-1 MISSILE
The Taepodong-1 is a two-stage missile comprising Nodong and Scud parts and can reach a distance of 2, 200km, but it is said to be even less accurate than the Nodong.
North Korea tested a Taepodong-1 in August 1998, firing a missile over northern Japan.
It brings US bases on Okinawa within North Korea's reach.
But the missile must be fired from a fixed location and has a long preparation time, meaning that potential launches could be detected.
A land-based missile, the Taepodong-X, is also said to be under development but has not yet been tested.
Based on a Soviet submarine-launched ballistic missile, it is thought to have a range of up to 4, 000km, reaching US bases on Guam. Unlike the Taepodong-1, it could be fired from mobile launch systems hidden from view.
TAEPODONG-2 MISSILE
The Taepodong-2 long-range missile is estimated to have a range of between 5, 000 and 6, 000km, putting Alaska, Hawaii and parts of the west coast of the US within range.
But the first launch of the missile, in July 2006, appeared to be a failure after it crashed within seconds of launch - according to US sources.
If the missile was successfully launched, it is not thought to be particularly accurate or to be able to carry a large warhead. Like the Taepodong-1, it requires a fixed launch site.
The Taepodong-2 test took place from the Musudan-ri complex on the East coast of the Korean peninsula. Analysis of satellite images of the area appear to show a range of missile fabrication, fuelling, testing and control facilities.
So what are your suggestions to minimize the casualty rate in terms of military conflict between the US and NK?
Think about this, in the most fragile sense, once the seal of war is breached with North Korea, you can expect 1.5 million people to die in the first half hour of military conflict.
Japan would be facing a major economic halt after the destruction of a number of their population and economic centers.
S.Korea would have its major metropolitan and rural population centers, basicly its entire infrastructure, decimated.
NK have that capability already.
That is why the US and it's allies have yet to ever win computer simulated battles with NK. The US does not have anything but a deterent policy, not a comprehensive military strategy with any assurances of averting massive casulaties by our allies.
One more thing, much of the NK military is spread about the country, there for, there are no discriminate targets that could justify the nuclear weapons. The destructive fall out and radiation from one of our nuclear weapons would wreak havok on the neighbors of the Koreas.
Their bunker systems are far more elaborate than anything we saw in Vietnam, Iraq or the mountains of Tora Bora. Bombing campaigns would not be sufficient in halting NK agression. With a large stockpile of missiles, they are definitly going to be difficult to fight.
NORTH KOREAN MISSILES
SHORT-RANGE MISSILES
North Korea has a variety of short-range missiles. The KN-02 is thought to be the most accurate, but its range - around 100km - is the shortest.
The Scud-B and C have ranges of 300 and 500km respectively, while the Scud-D is believed to have a range of 700km. It is thought that these missiles could deliver conventional warheads.
The Scud-B, C and D have all been tested and deployed. These missiles would enable North Korea to strike any area in South Korea.
The KN-02 missile, currently in the testing stage, could be aimed at key targets in South Korea such as military installations south of the border.
NODONG MISSILE
The Nodong missile is thought to have a range of around 1, 000km and could potentially carry a nuclear warhead.
But it is not accurate. A report by the US Center for Non-proliferation Studies said it had a circular error probable of 2-4km, meaning that half of the missiles fired would fall outside a circle of that radius.
The Nodong could strike most of Japan but not with any accuracy. If it were fired on a military target, its inaccuracy could lead to high levels of civilian casualties.
The missile was test fired in May 1993.
TAEPODONG-1 MISSILE
The Taepodong-1 is a two-stage missile comprising Nodong and Scud parts and can reach a distance of 2, 200km, but it is said to be even less accurate than the Nodong.
North Korea tested a Taepodong-1 in August 1998, firing a missile over northern Japan.
It brings US bases on Okinawa within North Korea's reach.
But the missile must be fired from a fixed location and has a long preparation time, meaning that potential launches could be detected.
A land-based missile, the Taepodong-X, is also said to be under development but has not yet been tested.
Based on a Soviet submarine-launched ballistic missile, it is thought to have a range of up to 4, 000km, reaching US bases on Guam. Unlike the Taepodong-1, it could be fired from mobile launch systems hidden from view.
TAEPODONG-2 MISSILE
The Taepodong-2 long-range missile is estimated to have a range of between 5, 000 and 6, 000km, putting Alaska, Hawaii and parts of the west coast of the US within range.
But the first launch of the missile, in July 2006, appeared to be a failure after it crashed within seconds of launch - according to US sources.
If the missile was successfully launched, it is not thought to be particularly accurate or to be able to carry a large warhead. Like the Taepodong-1, it requires a fixed launch site.
The Taepodong-2 test took place from the Musudan-ri complex on the East coast of the Korean peninsula. Analysis of satellite images of the area appear to show a range of missile fabrication, fuelling, testing and control facilities.
So what are your suggestions to minimize the casualty rate in terms of military conflict between the US and NK?
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Oregon
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