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[Spoiled Milk]

Hours after South Korea said it wanted to restore dialogue with North Korea, the nation’s president, Moon Jae In, warned of a potential military conflict between South Korea and its northern adversary. At a visit to South Korea’s Defense Ministry in Seoul, Moon told staffers there was “a high possibility of a military conflict” along two demarcation lines—one on land and the other at sea—between the neighboring countries.

Moon was elected earlier this month after calling for a two-pronged approach to relations with North Korea that includes both sanctions and increased dialogue. This “Sunshine Policy,” favored by South Korea from 1998 to 2008, seeks to develop peaceful cooperation between the two nations without tolerating an armed attack from North Korea. However, as North Korea continues to ramp up its nuclear programs and ballistic missile testing, the threat of military aggression has become increasingly palpable.

On Sunday, Moon condemned North Korea’s latest test launch, calling it a “clear violation” of Security Council resolutions. “While South Korea remains open to the possibility of dialogue with North Korea, it is only possible when North Korea shows a change in attitude,” Moon’s press secretary said at a briefing. Moon carried the same tune on Wednesday when he told South Korea’s Defense Ministry that launching ballistic missiles presents a “serious challenge to global peace and stability.” He also stressed that South Korea “will never tolerate such North Korean provocations and nuclear threats” under his administration.

While Moon’s comments serve as a warning to North Korea, it’s unclear whether he intends to change course in light of the nation’s continued missile testing. Just before Moon’s speech on Wednesday, Lee Duk-haeng, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, told reporters that the nation’s “most basic stance” was to reopen its communication lines with North Korea. “The unification ministry has considered options on this internally but nothing has been decided yet,” Duk-haeng said.

[click me]

 

[g23]

Whoa. I thought this dude was the more diplomacy oriented candidate but I guess not

 

[Spoiled Milk]

Whoa. I thought this dude was the more diplomacy oriented candidate but I guess not

The change of course is interesting. Seems to be carrot and stick.

 

[Staf]

Whoa. I thought this dude was the more diplomacy oriented candidate but I guess not

Hardly surprising given that Presidents gets more information from government intelligence. Might have persuaded him regarding the threat-level of NK.

 

[WaterAstro]

I just read about some stuff after I searched "Can South Korea invade North Korea?"

South Korea has half the troops, but superior tech. They can't hope to invade without America or something.

Honestly, war is bad. South Korea would suffer huge casualties. Freeing North Koreans from their whatever is good, but it has to be done cleanly.

 

[Matt]

I just read about some stuff after I searched "Can South Korea invade North Korea?"

South Korea has half the troops, but superior tech. They can't hope to invade without America or something.

Honestly, war is bad. South Korea would suffer huge casualties. Freeing North Koreans from their whatever is good, but it has to be done cleanly.

South Korea deciding to invade North Korea was never going to happen.

 

[Breads]

I've been hearing this since the early 90s when I was a kid.

Also heard that the war never really ended.

 

[Laieon]

I'm living 30 minutes south of Seoul. Wish me luck GAF.

 

[JordanN]

I just read about some stuff after I searched "Can South Korea invade North Korea?"

South Korea has half the troops, but superior tech. They can't hope to invade without America or something.

Honestly, war is bad. South Korea would suffer huge casualties. Freeing North Koreans from their whatever is good, but it has to be done cleanly.

They may have half the troops, but they're most likely fed troops.

North Korea has been ravished by famine, any war would have to be extremely fast on their part, or else they just descend into hunger.

 

[wandering]

I've been hearing this since the early 90s when I was a kid.

Also heard that the war never really ended.

This is true. A peace treaty was never signed, merely an armistice.

 

[ManUnkindH]

 

[Herr Schwarz]

I was thinking about visiting Seoul next year...



Fuck

 

[cirrhosis]

I was thinking about visiting Seoul next year...



Fuck

Don't let this stop you. You should go - great city.

 

[SSPssp]

They may have half the troops, but they're most likely fed troops.

North Korea has been ravished by famine, any war would have to be extremely fast on their part, or else they just descend into hunger.

They make sure their troops are well fed, everyone else starves.

 

[Spoiled Milk]

They may have half the troops, but they're most likely fed troops.

North Korea has been ravished by famine, any war would have to be extremely fast on their part, or else they just descend into hunger.

North Korea's era of famine is over.

 

[dhlt25]

They may have half the troops, but they're most likely fed troops.

North Korea has been ravished by famine, any war would have to be extremely fast on their part, or else they just descend into hunger.

one thing I've learned from the Vietnam war is that you shouldn't underestimate an army that has nothing to lose but everything to gain.

 

[WaterAstro]

South Korea deciding to invade North Korea was never going to happen.

Yeah, I was just looking at the legality of it, but I guess no one cares about North Korea.

 

[onken]

Well technically the Korean war never ended so..

 

[Tevious]

Whoa. I thought this dude was the more diplomacy oriented candidate but I guess not

I recall that Bak Geun Hye was also open to talks with North Korea and that never worked out either. I suspect maybe after becoming president, they got briefed and both realized having sucessful talks with them would be a pipe dream.

 

[Imperfected]

I've been hearing this since the early 90s when I was a kid.

Also heard that the war never really ended.

Really didn't. Technically either side can just start slugging it out again at any point.

The only thing that's ever stopped it, in practical terms, is the principal parties involved (China and the US) telling the Koreas to retain their chill.

 

[sturmdogg]

Don't let this stop you. You should go - great city.

Just remember to bring your anti radiation suit.

 

[Spoiled Milk]

From Reuters:

"The reality is that there is a high possibility of a military conflict at the NLL (Northern Limit Line) and military demarcation line," Moon was quoted as saying by the presidential Blue House, referring to the de facto maritime and land boundaries between North and South.

My military translator friend in Seoul says the local media aren't reporting on this at all and she's barely heard anything about it so in all honesty I think our media is exaggerating the significance of this comment.