Q&A:

North Korea – State of War

An Ongoing State of War

North Korea has declared that it has entered a state of war, and will use wartime protocols to deal with its counterpart South Korea.

As a country, North Korea has been largely shut off from, and closed to, the rest of the world.  Where things often taken for granted elsewhere, such as mobile phones and even magazines are not allowed to cross the borders.  This speaks to the level of control the government – or, dare it be called a regime – exerts upon its citizens.  Methods such as this are used as a means of media control.  To stifle the ease, and freedom of speech; and promote the party line (and propaganda) of the ruling body politic.  If one thinks about how hard it is to monitor and censor statements made, especially in real time, on mobile phones, the link between their availability and the level of a society’s openness becomes clearer.

Clarity is not something North Korea is known for.  Secrecy is.  Although this has changed dramatically in the past few days with open wartime rhetoric issued from Pyongyang.

Technically, North and South Korea have been in a state of war since the Korean War ended near 60 years ago with an armistice, not a peace treaty.  It has been an example of another form of Cold War.

Missile and Nuclear Tests

Given North Korea’s apparent nuclear weapon capabilities, including the recent test in February 2013, and the country’s long-range rocket launches, there is cause for concern.

The Cold War notions of mutually assured destruction (MAD) if either Russia or the USA initiated a nuclear strike, was a strategy to prevent escalation.  Holding things ill at ease; yet this was a better impasse than the alternative.

With North Korea’s ability to use ballistic missiles capable of striking Japan, tensions have grown in the wake of Pyongyang’s tests.  Similarly, the United States is now planning to establish a 50 percent increase in ballistic missile interceptors along the West Coast of America.  This is linked with statements purporting that the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has ordered his country’s missile units to prepare to strike US military bases and homeland.

Following the missile and nuclear testing, sanctions by the UN have been imposed on North Korea.  However, such measures tend to hurt the masses more than the ruling elite of a country.

Diplomacy, Threats, and Escalation

Threats out of North Korea, are not especially new.  With the threats levelled at Seoul, given South Korea’s alliance with the USA, and the joint military exercises the countries conduct.

China and Russia have both called for calm in the situation, urging North Korea back towards a diplomatic solution.

The US, confirmed on Thursday, that it had used nuclear capable B-2 stealth bombers to drop munitions on a target range in South Korea.  Perhaps favouring a show of its military might, and bringing the knife to the table rather than discussion.

However, one threat is usually followed by another, and the fear is the escalation of these into actual violence and nuclear warfare.  The US may be attempting a grim trigger approach, and aiming to display to North Korea that assured destruction will not be mutual.

The problems with such declarations, even if empty threats, are the impact and repercussions of nuclear warfare should it occur.  Furthermore, if taking such an approach, the threats cannot be empty if they are to have any credibility.  North Korea is well known for its sabre rattling, tending to follow a pattern.  Of course, this assumes the pattern is predictive and will continue.

The Art of War?

Curiously, much of the greater region in Asia has gone through some interesting times.  Nothing quite on the scale of North Korea’s statements of following “wartime protocol”.  However, there may be some cracks on the surface.  China and Japan continue to rattle their sabres over the Senkaku, or Diaoyu, Islands.  There has been unrest and violence in the Philippines.  Along with reported attacks and attempts by Chinese hackers on the institutions of other nations.  There is the sense that such apparent calmness, and perhaps volatility suppression, may belie a powder keg of a situation.  North Korea hopefully will not be the spark to the tinderbox.  Or, it may perhaps serve to focus efforts and attention towards it, and away from the other matters.

In addition to the politics, economics may also have a role to play, including notions of currency warfare.  Statements made along the lines of, that starting a war is good for the economy (and the share market), are seriously flawed.  Both logically and empirically.  This is without taking into account the costs and losses from a humanitarian perspective.  However, that does not mean that glorious and supreme leaders understand this.

What are your thoughts on the North Korea’s declarations?  Boys and their toys playing with people’s lives, threats to world peace, or something else?

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Feature Image Credit: James Mossman

  • John Roam

    Definition of a Bully: to intimidate or mistreat weaker people, an aggressor who intimidates or mistreats weaker people

    Bullies, regardless of their size, (from and individual, to a gang, or even as large as a country), have similar characteristics, act in similar ways, and unfortunately respond to similar stimuli.

    It is admirable, and even required, to attempt to “reason” with Bullies. However, ultimately, as history has shown, attempts to reason with a Bully do not work, at least not long term.

    Unfortunately, real bullies are not interested in reason, real bullies thrive on emotion, and as such, reasoning does not work. Bullies are not interested in equity, or fairness, or even humanity, but rather on control, superiority and domination, which they believe, and in many cases are proven accurate, they can obtain through fear and power.

    Human dynamics have NOT changed in thousands of years. There has always been one or more groups forcing their viewpoints and ideologies on others, and if not accepted happily, they are mandated by fear and power (force).

    From the schoolyard, to the office, from local government, to the world stage, Bullies will always rise-up, and society will always need to make a stand – regardless of the personal pain.

    As a wise person once said to me, “Stand for something or you’ll fall for anything”

    It is time that the reasonable to stand-up and tell the Bullies, enough, before it is too late. We cannot be afraid of the “big brother” that might come to the new Bullies aid, and if they do, then so be it.

    If we allow the Bully to think we are weak, or unresolved, we will fail.

    It is time to remove the global threat(s) and meet the unreasonable with the unstoppable.

    No more side-stepping, no more waiting until after the election, no more talking, no more starving the innocent people that are also victims of the Bully (weather they know it or not). It should never have been allowed to get this far, and now we must act before it is too late.

    It is time to respond to the Bullies with the only thing they respect – Fear and Power. That is their mantra, (Fear and Power), that is their paradigm (Fear and Power), that is how they operate (Fear and Power) – that is how we need to respond – Fear and Power – Making us the new Bully!

  • Michael

    what a sad, short, pathetic little man…….it is a shame millions of Koreans in the north have to suffer because of the likes of this idiot.

  • uthinki

    John Roam says:

    “Definition of a Bully: to intimidate or mistreat weaker people, an aggressor who intimidates or mistreats weaker people

    Bullies, regardless of their size, (from and individual, to a gang, or even as large as a country), have similar characteristics, act in similar ways, and unfortunately respond to similar stimuli.

    It is admirable, and even required, to attempt to “reason” with Bullies. However, ultimately, as history has shown, attempts to reason with a Bully do not work, at least not long term.

    Unfortunately, real bullies are not interested in reason, real bullies thrive on emotion, and as such, reasoning does not work. Bullies are not interested in equity, or fairness, or even humanity, but rather on control, superiority and domination, which they believe, and in many cases are proven accurate, they can obtain through fear and power.

    Human dynamics have NOT changed in thousands of years. There has always been one or more groups forcing their viewpoints and ideologies on others, and if not accepted happily, they are mandated by fear and power (force).

    From the schoolyard, to the office, from local government, to the world stage, Bullies will always rise-up, and society will always need to make a stand – regardless of the personal pain.

    As a wise person once said to me, “Stand for something or you’ll fall for anything”

    It is time that the reasonable to stand-up and tell the Bullies, enough, before it is too late. We cannot be afraid of the “big brother” that might come to the new Bullies aid, and if they do, then so be it.

    If we allow the Bully to think we are weak, or unresolved, we will fail.

    It is time to remove the global threat(s) and meet the unreasonable with the unstoppable.

    No more side-stepping, no more waiting until after the election, no more talking, no more starving the innocent people that are also victims of the Bully (weather they know it or not). It should never have been allowed to get this far, and now we must act before it is too late.

    It is time to respond to the Bullies with the only thing they respect – Fear and Power. That is their mantra, (Fear and Power), that is their paradigm (Fear and Power), that is how they operate (Fear and Power) – that is how we need to respond – Fear and Power – Making us the new Bully!”

  • uthinki

    Michael says:

    “what a sad, short, pathetic little man…….it is a shame millions of Koreans in the north have to suffer because of the likes of this idiot.”

  • You make the following statement: “Technically, North and South Korea have been in a state of war since the Korean War ended near 60 years ago with an armistice, not a peace treaty.” You left out one “minor” detail: This is as true about South Korea as it is for the…United States! Oops, left out that detail. Also, how would WE like it if N. Korea flew
    B-1 Bombers–capable of carrying Nuclear Missiles over OUR country, the United States? WHat? It’s ok that WE do this, but they CAN’T? Sounds like the usual double standard, doesn’t it? Of course, these questions have NOTHING WHATEVER to do with the “leadership” in North Korea, but those questions are irrelevant. Many don’t like our gov’t either. Now IF North Korea flew bombers over OUR country, what would/should we do in response? Would WE call THAT provocative? Of course we would !! Then how come, along with the thousands of U.S. Troops that have been stationed in S. Korea for fifty years AND the annual, month-long “war games” between the U.S. and S. Korea, North Korea should not feel “threatened?” After all a peace treaty with N. Korea has NEVER been signed, so technically, we’re still at war with them.
    Yes, N. Korea is known for their bellicosity and “war” manuevers, launching missiles (which often crash), etc., but so too does S. Korea and the U.S. involve themselves in war games EACH spring for one entire month. N. Korea is not supposed to feel threatened? I’m sorry, but the double-standard is as clear as two plus two is four. Go to the “killing hope” website and see just how many countries WE’VE invaded and how many leaders WE’VE overthrown. Isn’t fifty enough for one country? And it’s US–the United States I’m speaking of, not N. Korea, Iran, Iraq or other (nonsensical), “axis of evil” countries. Americans need to learn their history because if they do not, they’ll be another war and it will not be the fault of N.Korea, but of us.

    • uthinki

      Granted, the Armistice Agreement of 1953 called upon both North and South Korea, as well the US and China, to participate in peace talks.

      At the time of posting, North Korea’s statements regarding its state of war, were specifically with reference to dealings with South Korea. By way of extension, then yes, the US will be involved in this. Much like China has been.

      The contention of the post, was not to laud one side over the other, making a judgement of which was ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. Rather it was to consider various aspects, and how things may develop.

      That one country may feel threatened by another is wholly understandable. Therein is also the complexity. Because, is a country merely a geographic marking of land, is it the people inhabiting it (as a collective or as individuals), the political party ruling it (perhaps in a Realpolitik sense) at the time, the combination of these or something more, which make it in some way an entity? Is a ‘side’ truly representative of the majority, or rather a controlling minority?

      From this notion of a country as an entity (however defined) feeling threatened, then the nature of threats and “credible commitments” can result in a rapid escalation. This may set in motion a chain of events of a pre-emptive and retaliatory nature; or a heighted stalemate, akin to a Cold War-like situation. Which, if of a nuclear nature [again, the reference to mutually assured destruction (MAD)], can have dire consequences were war to occur.

      The difficulty is that consequences can be both intended and unintended, and as much as possible we should try to understand these. An example of unintended consequences can be those brought about by sanctions.

      As you raised, an understanding of history is important, and it demonstrates thinking about the issues and potential consequences from more than one perspective.

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