US Invasion to North Korea

[anw_rev]

Can the US launch a Operation Iraqi Freedom-like military invasion to North Korea? Maybe to prevent Kim from acquiring nuclear weapons?

The POD must be post-Soviet.

Thanks in advance!

[EternalCynic]

North Korea has enough artillery to turn Seoul into a pile of rubble in 20 minutes.

The end.

[anw_rev]

Originally Posted by EternalCynic

North Korea has enough artillery to turn Seoul into a pile of rubble in 20 minutes.

The end.

Really?
Iraq had supply of botulinum toxin to kill world's population
The end?
Think again

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by EternalCynic

North Korea has enough artillery to turn Seoul into a pile of rubble in 20 minutes.

The end.

Live up to your username, don't you?

This is a US/NK conflict. He said nothing of collateral damage. The US could easily remove North Korea's second-strike capability in a single night of targeted bombing.

[Wolf Tengu]

Originally Posted by anw_rev

Really?
Iraq had supply of botulinum toxin to kill world's population
The end?
Think again

If so, they had no way to directly disperse it, especially not in 20 minutes.

Edit: Disperse it to the world I mean. All of it.

[EternalCynic]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

Live up to your username, don't you?

This is a US/NK conflict. He said nothing of collateral damage. The US could easily remove North Korea's second-strike capability in a single night of targeted bombing.

But don't you think NK will make a first strike just as the US is preparing to march over?

Any why the hell will South Korea risk it? The costs of such a dangerous and risky reunification will be entirely up to them. And for what?

[ModernKiwi]

Originally Posted by EternalCynic

North Korea has enough artillery to turn Seoul into a pile of rubble in 20 minutes.

The end.

Almost certainly incorrect.

See (for example) this open sourced intel analysis of NK's artillery park and other military resources. Only the (few) 170mm ‘Koksan’ guns have the range to reach Seoul.

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...strikes!-(2009)

[anw_rev]

Is it that hard to understand that I said this a US invasion?

[Nofix]

Yes, but as South Korea is right over the border they will be involved in this. Even if they resist the US doing this, they would still be targeted by their paranoid and trigger-happy neighbor, so they will need to be in on this attack, or defense-wise

[Incognito]

You know what would be an interesting alt. his.challenge? North and South Koreas ALLYING together to stop a US invasion of the peninsula!

Not sure how to make that come about, but that would explain why R.O.K. doesn't have to worry about the North attacking Seoul if U.S. attacks them.

[Alex1guy]

Originally Posted by anw_rev

Is it that hard to understand that I said this a US invasion?

Logically where would the US invade from? Perhaps the heavily miltarized South?

Originally Posted by anw_rev

Really?
Iraq had supply of botulinum toxin to kill world's population
The end?
Think again

Yes, but no means to do such a thing, North Korea does have the means to bomb Seoul, that is an accepted fact.

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by anw_rev

Is it that hard to understand that I said this a US invasion?

Yes, apparently.

[anw_rev]

Originally Posted by Alex1guy

Logically where would the US invade from? Perhaps the heavily miltarized South?



Yes, but no means to do such a thing, North Korea does have the means to bomb Seoul, that is an accepted fact.

There's this thing called Japan, with a US base at Okinawa.

Bombardment, then amphibious assault.
The US Seventh Fleet is in part of the operation too.

I don't know why South Korea should be a problem.
If the North had a nuke ( of course they do now, but that's different), Seoul government would fear it more than Cold War-era artillery bombardment, which the US can knock out early.

[BigWillyG]

Originally Posted by Nofix

Yes, but as South Korea is right over the border they will be involved in this. Even if they resist the US doing this, they would still be targeted by their paranoid and trigger-happy neighbor, so they will need to be in on this attack, or defense-wise

One of the easier ways to make this POD happen would be to have a more hawkish ROK come up with the idea and ask the US to help them reunite Korea after the DRPK does something belligerent or maybe have the '90s famines be even worse.

[EternalCynic]

Do you actually really think this could happen without the involvement of the 28500-strong US Forces in Korea, or the half-a-million strong ROK Army? Or that the North won't retaliate by raining artillery and medium-range missiles at South Korea and Japan?

And what's the purpose of invading North Korea? South Korea takes 98% of the risk, and 100% of the post-war reconstruction costs in both North and South Korea. And 100% of the general post-reunification costs of North Korea.

No, seriously, this makes Iraq look like Panama in comparison.

[Whodoyouthinkiam]

Originally Posted by anw_rev

Can the US launch a Operation Iraqi Freedom-like military invasion to North Korea? Maybe to prevent Kim from acquiring nuclear weapons?

The POD must be post-Soviet.

Thanks in advance!

Wholly ASB-territory, unfortunately

[d32123]

Originally Posted by Whodoyouthinkiam

Wholly ASB-territory, unfortunately

Unfortunately? An invasion of North Korea would be detrimental to the lives of all Koreans, North and South, as well as the world economy and pretty much everybody.

[Nofix]

Originally Posted by d32123

Unfortunately? An invasion of North Korea would be detrimental to the lives of all Koreans, North and South, as well as the world economy and pretty much everybody.

Short term yes, but after all the starving and tortured citizens are given a much better government, things would get better in the long term for them at the very least. Plus, under better management, the world wouldn't have to send billions of dollars in aid to prevent mass starvation, and the many other problems N. Korea faces.

[FDW]

There have actually been a couple of TL's on this. I remember Hunam doing one recently (Though it the war there takes place in the Fall of 1991, which is probably out for you), and there was an older TL that did have a 2003 war with N. Korea, let me look it up-

(looks)

(looks)

(finds it)

Here it is:

http://www.alternatehistory.com/disc...d.php?t=108316

[d32123]

Originally Posted by Nofix

Short term yes, but after all the starving and tortured citizens are given a much better government, things would get better in the long term for them at the very least. Plus, under better management, the world wouldn't have to send billions of dollars in aid to prevent mass starvation, and the many other problems N. Korea faces.

The people of North Korea are probably brainwashed to the point where they wouldn't give up without a fight, and many of them would view it as their duty to die fighting against the evil Americans in the name of Juche. It'd be like Okinawa in WWII x1000. Plus the fact that Seoul would be completely leveled, and even if you somehow evacuate everyone in advance that's going to absolutely wreck the global economy. There's a very good reason why we've never attempted this.