Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - N. Korea vows to end Korean War cease fire...

CaptainCrunch · 12-14-2013, 07:47 PM

I doubt that there will ever be a conventional war between the Korea's. The old story that the North had a formidable military is pretty much dead

Some comparisons for you all

Military budget

North Korea 8 billion dollars a year
South Korea 30.2 billion per year

Now you look at the size comparisons

South Korea number of men in uniform 639,000
North Korea 1.1 million
Reserve forces South Korea 2.9 million
Reserve forces North Korea 8.2 million

South Korea tanks 2876 mixture of M1A1 and M48
North Korea approx 5500 mixture of T55, T62 with 500 considered to be home built fairly modern

APC

North Korea 1200 mostly BTR-60's
South Korea 2600 apc

Combat Helicopters
South Korea 600
North Korea < 100 functional mostly based on M-24 and MI-8
Combat aircraft 450 fighters functional unknown, only 35 being modern (mig 29)
Ground attack aircraft 194 with unknown numbers being serviceable the most advanced being the SU 25

south Korea approx 600 strike and fighter combinations containing the F15k and F16, 40 F35 being deployed

Artillary, North Korea has a large edge but most of it is fixed artillary aimed at Seoul.

Navy, no comparison

Remember as well, while North Korea has a vast edge in troops, they aren't being fed and South Korean troops have more advanced equipment and better training, and possibly higher moral.

Where North Korea has a big edge is in their special forces who are the lavishly treated specialized troops.

We won't see a conventional war, North Korea wouldn't need American help to roll up the North Korea military.

What you might see is one of two things.

1) North Korea infiltrates with their special operations groups and attack civilian and economic targets, and create a campaign of terror. They would also attack governmental targets in an attempt to decapitate the South Korean government. The South Korean response would be a invasion of the North combined with massive air strikes on North Korean political targets of opportunity.

2) North Korea destroys Seoul using artillary strikes to sew terror in the South followed by a land invasion of the South. South Korean response. Massive air and missile strikes on the North cities with heavy emphasis on the capital. The North Korean ground invasion would probably ground to a halt within days due to a lack of logistical support and South Korea's marked edge in war fighting equipment.

In both cases the North would lose and the biggest loser would be the North Korean government who would be targeted by the South.

There is a third option, the North unleashes a nuclear or chemical attack on the South. Under the terms of the mutual defense treaty between South Korea and the United States the United States would treat this as an attack with WOMD and retaliate with tactical nuclear strikes in the North. The South would take advantage of this to invade the North and topple the government.

I don't see how the North can win and Kim and his government know this.

12-14-2013, 07:47 PM	#162
CaptainCrunch Norm! Join Date: Jun 2002 Exp:	I doubt that there will ever be a conventional war between the Korea's. The old story that the North had a formidable military is pretty much dead Some comparisons for you all Military budget North Korea 8 billion dollars a year South Korea 30.2 billion per year Now you look at the size comparisons South Korea number of men in uniform 639,000 North Korea 1.1 million Reserve forces South Korea 2.9 million Reserve forces North Korea 8.2 million South Korea tanks 2876 mixture of M1A1 and M48 North Korea approx 5500 mixture of T55, T62 with 500 considered to be home built fairly modern APC North Korea 1200 mostly BTR-60's South Korea 2600 apc Combat Helicopters South Korea 600 North Korea < 100 functional mostly based on M-24 and MI-8 Combat aircraft 450 fighters functional unknown, only 35 being modern (mig 29) Ground attack aircraft 194 with unknown numbers being serviceable the most advanced being the SU 25 south Korea approx 600 strike and fighter combinations containing the F15k and F16, 40 F35 being deployed Artillary, North Korea has a large edge but most of it is fixed artillary aimed at Seoul. Navy, no comparison Remember as well, while North Korea has a vast edge in troops, they aren't being fed and South Korean troops have more advanced equipment and better training, and possibly higher moral. Where North Korea has a big edge is in their special forces who are the lavishly treated specialized troops. We won't see a conventional war, North Korea wouldn't need American help to roll up the North Korea military. What you might see is one of two things. 1) North Korea infiltrates with their special operations groups and attack civilian and economic targets, and create a campaign of terror. They would also attack governmental targets in an attempt to decapitate the South Korean government. The South Korean response would be a invasion of the North combined with massive air strikes on North Korean political targets of opportunity. 2) North Korea destroys Seoul using artillary strikes to sew terror in the South followed by a land invasion of the South. South Korean response. Massive air and missile strikes on the North cities with heavy emphasis on the capital. The North Korean ground invasion would probably ground to a halt within days due to a lack of logistical support and South Korea's marked edge in war fighting equipment. In both cases the North would lose and the biggest loser would be the North Korean government who would be targeted by the South. There is a third option, the North unleashes a nuclear or chemical attack on the South. Under the terms of the mutual defense treaty between South Korea and the United States the United States would treat this as an attack with WOMD and retaliate with tactical nuclear strikes in the North. The South would take advantage of this to invade the North and topple the government. I don't see how the North can win and Kim and his government know this.