North Korea

Nitefly · 29 Aug 2017 at 08:18

Wow, over Japan.... this is getting quite alarming now. Imagine receiving a text saying 'don't panic but please take orderly shelter as there may be an atomic bomb incoming'.

Nasher · 29 Aug 2017 at 08:51

I'm suprised Japan didn't shoot it down over the sea of Japan, they monitored it for the entire way.

As for testing missiles. Sane countries don't just fling them wherever. Proper arrangements are made and they are recovered afterwards. We don't shoot ICBMs over populated areas. Even though theres no warhead attached they can still do a lot of damage if they crash.

Domo · 29 Aug 2017 at 08:57

Screeeech said:
It's pretty interesting how the missile flew 1700 miles, I remember how so many people were laughing their missile tests off as they had so many failures, but I remember a NASA rocket scientist on the news saying "no test is a failed test when it comes to missile development", they will have learnt so much from all the failures - now they're making serious headway with their development.

Every step of the way experts have massively underestimated NKs progress. Be it nukes or missile capability. Was only last year they were saying NK are at least 10 years from miniaturising nukes to fit onto ICBMs, and that ICBMs were years away from success.

Nasher · 29 Aug 2017 at 08:59

Well they have had help from Russia...

Cold Fusion · 29 Aug 2017 at 09:05

sityeuropa said:
Where do all other countries test their missiles?

As far as I know NK have never invaded anywhere. Why are they not allowed.

You need a lesson in history son....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War

Without United Nations intervention South Korean wouldn't exist today.

Sliver · 29 Aug 2017 at 09:31

Nasher said:
I'm suprised Japan didn't shoot it down over the sea of Japan, they monitored it for the entire way.

They didn't shoot it down because they couldn't. The ICBM was flying at too high an altitude to be shot down from a ground based missile. The ICBM reached a height of about 550km (340 miles).

Nasher · 29 Aug 2017 at 09:32

Sliver said:
They didn't shoot it down because they couldn't. The ICBM was flying at too high an altitude to be shot down from a ground based missile. The ICBM reached a height of about 550km (340 miles).

They have missiles which can reach them.

ubersonic · 29 Aug 2017 at 09:35

Cold Fusion said:
You need a lesson in history son....

He is correct, attempting to reunify their own country after part of it was annexed following WW2 isn't "technically" invading another country.

Sliver · 29 Aug 2017 at 09:35

Nasher said:
They have missiles which can reach them.

I read in a news report that the ICBM was flying too high up to be shot down.

Experts say defences in Japan and South Korea that are designed to hit incoming missiles would struggle to bring down a missile flying high overhead.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-northkorea-missiles-idUKKCN1B8281

ubersonic · 29 Aug 2017 at 09:36

Cold Fusion said:
Without United Nations intervention South Korean wouldn't exist today.

The funny thing is, had Korea been allowed to reunify in the 1950's then it would probably all look like the South today as they would have turned to capitalism just like China but faster, and there would certainly be no dictator running the show lol.

Cold Fusion · 29 Aug 2017 at 09:38

Nasher said:
They have missiles which can reach them.

They may have missiles that can reach that height but not to intercept a ballistic missile at that height. Even THAAD only has an operational height of 93 miles.

THAAD is what is deployed in South Korea. The missile launch was never really a threat to Japan at that height but it is still highly provocative.

Cold Fusion · 29 Aug 2017 at 09:41

ubersonic said:
The funny thing is, had Korea been allowed to reunify in the 1950's then it would probably all look like the South today as they would have turned to capitalism just like China but faster, and there would certainly be no dictator running the show lol.

It was a similar situation to Vietnam, except the US decided to pull out and the South Vietnamese were over-run. Not that up to speed with how Vietnam is run as a country these days .so cant comment on whether that was a good or bad thing.

I also think there is plenty of discussion that could be had over whether China is a capitalist state.

Sliver · 29 Aug 2017 at 09:44

Cold Fusion said:
I also think there is plenty of discussion that could be had over whether China is a capitalist state.

I would describe China as Quasi Capitalist. They certainly have elements of Western Capitalism but they also retain elements of Communism too. At least they are heading in the right direction, unlike Putin's Russia.

The Running Man · 29 Aug 2017 at 10:04

Hmm he doesn't need nukes though. Drop a missile with chemical warheads and the loss of life will be huge anyway.

ubersonic · 29 Aug 2017 at 10:08

Sliver said:
I read in a news report that the ICBM was flying too high up to be shot down.

Indeed, it's kinda scary to think that had NK actually be launching a surprise nuclear attack on Japan they would have been powerless to attempt an intercept, luckily NK is a long way off that capability.

Schlong&Stable · 29 Aug 2017 at 10:13

ubersonic said:
The funny thing is, had Korea been allowed to reunify in the 1950's then it would probably all look like the South today as they would have turned to capitalism just like China but faster, and there would certainly be no dictator running the show lol.

What makes you think that? The North Korea people have endured a series of dictators despite immense hardship. There's no reason to believe a unified Korea would have been any different.

ubersonic · 29 Aug 2017 at 10:25

Schlong&Stable said:
What makes you think that? The North Korea people have endured a series of dictators despite immense hardship. There's no reason to believe a unified Korea would have been any different.

The entire reason NK is so ruined/crazy today is because they have spent the last 64 years living in fear of US aggression and focused entirely on building a strong military at the expense of everything else. Remove all that and they would essentially be comparable to China.

For those who don't know, the reason the People's Republic of China (China) stopped being like NK and ended up how it is today is because the west actually stopped trying to intimidate/threaten them and cooperated, much to the dismay of the Republic of China (Taiwan) which the west had backed previously. So while there's no definitive proof that NK would have turned out much differently had Korea been allowed to reunify half a century ago and then been treated properly by the west, that's where the smart money lies.

Tefal · 29 Aug 2017 at 10:27

I want an RTS game where you build a DMZ and turtle like NK

Schlong&Stable · 29 Aug 2017 at 10:31

ubersonic said:
The entire reason NK is so ruined/crazy today is because they have spent the last 64 years living in fear of US aggression and focused entirely on building a strong military at the expense of everything else. Remove all that and they would essentially be comparable to China.

So nothing to do with Juche ideology then?

For those who don't know, the reason the People's Republic of China (China) stopped being like NK and ended up how it is today is because the west actually stopped trying to intimidate/threaten them and cooperated, much to the dismay of the Republic of China (Taiwan) which the west had backed previously. So while there's no definitive proof that NK would have turned out much differently had Korea been allowed to reunify half a century ago and then been treated properly by the west, that's where the smart money lies.

Yes, I am familiar with 20th century history. But there is no reason to assume a unified Korea would have shaken off the Kim dynasty. Did Libya, Iraq, Cuba etc manage to unwind their dictators? No.

ubersonic · 29 Aug 2017 at 10:36

Tefal said:
I want an RTS game where you build a DMZ and turtle like NK

The Supreme Commander games had an option to toggle a delayed start, I.E set the timer to 20min and nobody could move more than a few screens from their spawn in any direction until the timer expired, great for building an epic base or an awesome assault force.