WI North Korea invades the South in 1975

South is much more heavily armed and defended in 1975 than 1950
Unsure how many US personnel are still there
My thoughts are it would be a massacre for the north

While the ROKA was no longer a shamble/ pushover in 1975 like its 1950 counterpart, the KPA outmechanized and outgunned it until the ROKA started to modernize in the 80s. The ROKA today remains a infantry heavy force even though its level of mechanization and quality of equipment improves significantly.

Do not forget that the DPRK remains at more or less economy parity with ROK until mid 70s. That reflected in heavy industry development and DPRK urban residents enjoyed better living standard than their PRC and ROK contemporaries.

The full effect of "miracle of the han river" only became obvious on defence matters in the 80s and the ROKA received its first modern equipment, like K1 MBT (1987) in the 80s. Before that, the ROKA was most equipped with US hand me downs.

The 1975 ROKA was certainly capable of defending the country, but army equipment disadvantage means that the battle would be bloody. The difficult terrain and densely packed urban areaa offered good cover to the ROKA, but US and allied forcez reinforcement remains necessary to address equipment deficiency.
 
That is most unlikely to be the plan even though USA did not and does not has a no first use policy. Reckless proposal use of nukes fails to consider USSR-WP reaction.

Not least because they'd win comfortably without nukes (assuming China and the Soviets stay out). Using nukes on North Korea would cross a very dangerous line.
 
Someone here asked as to why the DPRK would attack the ROK after Vietnam fell. Here's from the Wikipedia.

"With the fall of South Vietnam to the North Vietnamese on April 30, 1975, Kim Il-sung felt that the US had shown its weakness and that reunification of Korea under his regime was possible. Kim visited Beijing in May 1975[78][79][80] in the hope of gaining political and military support for this plan to invade South Korea again, but Mao Zedong refused.[81] Despite public proclamations of support, Mao privately told Kim that China would be unable to assist North Korea because of the lingering after-effects of the Cultural Revolution throughout China, and because Mao had recently decided to restore diplomatic relations with the US."

So, there had been a proposal and will to attack, but it didn't happen due to Mao's China being in a very bad situation.
 
Top