• ___@l.djw.li
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    27
    ·
    5 months ago

    Update: South Korea says it will send actual, meaningful numbers of troops into Pyongyang within thirty-one days, bringing a formal end to conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

    /s but you know they’re thinking about it.

    • Neato@ttrpg.network
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      5 months ago

      Doesn’t NK have one of the biggest standing armies in the world? I figured they could toss some troops into the blender and not care.

      Also doesn’t NK have a nuke? They’d definitely detonate one if they were invaded.

        • EleventhHour@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          Only when crashing into the ocean, thousands of miles short of its target

          Edit: seriously, though, it’s pretty clear that they can build nuclear warheads (how many and what size is unclear), but their problem is getting the bomb to its target.

          Rocketry is hard. It’s uber-expensive, and it requires a great deal of trial-and-error. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had gotten data, etc, from Russia and China like some guidance (or even rocket plans), but NK’s best physicists and aerospace engineers are both: not that great, and working entirely alone with a budget that is a minuscule fraction of anyone else who has tried this.

          They’ve been trying to launch an ICBM successfully for almost 2 decades. They haven’t had much success yet.

    • Seraph@fedia.io
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      5 months ago

      I do feel guilty but that is what I wish would happen. Mostly for the sake of the people of NK. But some people would die on both sides…

  • Jesus@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    23
    ·
    5 months ago

    The Ukrainians should just fire back with delicious food and free visas for defectors.

    • foggy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      5 months ago

      My bets have been on Taiwan being the flashpoint for well over a year now. Standing firm.

      And my bet is and has been “before Christmas of 2024.”

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        5 months ago

        Especially if there’s “voting irregularities” or Trump wins outright. The Chinese would definitely take advantage of the confusion.

      • EleventhHour@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        I thought about that for a long time, and, honestly, it seems that Russia may have stolen China’s thunder there by invading Ukraine. As a result, the whole world (mostly) super-hates and has united against Russia with untold billions of weapons and aid to Ukraine.

        What’s China to think of their Taiwan plan, now? Well, I think it’s obvious by watching what they’re doing, what they’ve been doing.

        Although they’ve become more aggressive in the South China Sea, what with building all their fake islands and atolls in order to claim some sovereignty to the waters. But most of what they’re doing merely amounts to harassment and bullying of surrounding nations. And while there’s been a good amount of somewhat-incendiary talk re: China’s intentions towards Taiwan, they’ve actually done very little to accomplish that goal, as of late. They’re being careful, weighing their options, and proceeding slowly but surely.

        Will Taiwan become the next place invaded? A new flashpoint? I don’t think so, or, at least, not for a while. The Ukraine War, Russia’s almost-collapsed economy, and their need for aid of all kinds has put China into an uncomfortable position, and they seem to be reprioritizing. Also, Taiwan has had a defense buildup for several years, and they’re far more capable of defending themselves than before.

        If China makes any serious move against Taiwan, IMO, it will be a while from now.

        • foggy@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          Idk. We’ve choked China out of AI supremacy. All of our mega GDP makers rely heavily on TSMC. Heavily.

          I mean, entirely.

          Like Biden throwing billions at chip manufacturers. Tensions in the South China Sea are ridiculous. The stakes have never been higher, and it’s right in what they see as their back yard. Taking down TSMC cripples the US economy, causes a worldwide kerfuffle (especially with tensions from Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Palestine, Israel/Iran, US/Israel, US/Ukraine, US/Iran relationships.

          I get what you mean that you’ve been thinking that for a decade. Ive been seeing it for as long. But it’s gotten real with the AI bubble and tech sanctions. If it doesn’t burst before 2030, there’s no way China doesn’t act. Frankly, I’m betting on less than 6 months.

          • EleventhHour@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            5 months ago

            All of China’s actions that you have described, I see as a dissipation of the united effort against Taiwan. Like I said, I’m not saying it won’t happen, I’m just saying it won’t happen really soon. China actually gives a huge shit about their international reputation. And they don’t want to that damaged fighting a war they can’t win. They will wait to move on Taiwan until they can be reasonably assured of a victory. And that won’t happen anytime soon.

            China is also quite adept at fighting economic wars (like the US), and that’s what they’re going to do with AI. Just with money and sanctions and diplomatic bullshittery.

            • foggy@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              5 months ago

              Id put money on it happening before 2031. Like lots of money.

              But Xi outright told Biden he and to invade Taiwan. This year. Verbatim. I guess I’m saying he’ll lose a lot of public respect. Not that that’s as valued there as it is in the US, but it’s still reflect globally very weak and that’s just not what global superpowers do. They don’t make clear threats empty.

              • EleventhHour@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                edit-2
                5 months ago

                2031? Maybe. If the Ukraine war ends soon, it would give them a couple of years before they started up their bullshit. So, yeah, maybe. (Edit 2) I’d say it’s much more likely of Russia walks away with favorable terms, even less likely should Russia end up with an embarrassing loss…

                But the stuff with AI it’s not some thing they could win with their military. Not even by taking over Taiwan (which I’m not convinced they can). Economic pressure that they can weild certainly would be more likely to help them achieve their goals. It just takes a lot longer.

                Edit:

                They don’t make clear threats empty.

                Oh, yes they do. All the time. China is a lot more talk than they are action, and they always have been. That’s why I am skeptical about them invading Taiwan anytime soon.

                • foggy@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  5 months ago

                  I put a hard barrier past 2030 because of the China Reunification thing. It’s a big thing for Xi. If he doesn’t attempt he’ll look like a no-balls fearful leader, or something. Idk.

                  And I say 2024 because he balls’d up around Xmas 2023 and said, as I mentioned, verbatim, “We will invade Taiwan this (next) year”

      • Drusas@kbin.run
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        5 months ago

        China starting it like that had been my firm suspicion for years, but after the past year or so, I’ve changed my mind. They still could be the ones to trigger it, but there are so many more players now. Russia could start it (or have already done so without us realizing it yet). Israel could start it. China could start it over island territories that they have no legitimate claim over–oh wait, that includes Taiwan.

        • foggy@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          Strange time to change your mind about it…?

          South China Seas have never been more piratey. It’s basically a warzone already, inching closer to Taiwan every day.

          By this I mean like… What’re your regularish news sources? Because my radar flipped the other way.

    • Dizzy Devil Ducky@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      5 months ago

      That, or depending on how mistreated they were in North Korea, the soldiers surrender immediately because I’d have to assume Ukrainian prisons/jails/whatever are nowhere near as bad as just living in North Korea.

      • EleventhHour@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        5 months ago

        I believe this is a possibility, esp. considering how openly Ukraine will accept surrenders/defectors. Russia may be a shithole for a lot of people, but Ukraine doesn’t have a huge amount of benefit to offer most Russians (to surrender/defect) compared to North Koreans. Ya, know, aside from the freedom from chattel military slavery… but most in NK have it much worse than Russians, so the appeal would be greater.

    • Drusas@kbin.run
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      Their military is not what North Korea wants to purge. That’s where they actually bother to send food.

    • Drusas@kbin.run
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      5 months ago

      There’s no reason to think their military would defect. They get fed. It’s peasants who want to defect.

  • Capt. Wolf@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    5 months ago

    Oh cool, a bunch of soldiers whos only military experience is goose stepping in front of their glorious leader and filling up balloons with shit to float over South Korea…

    They’re the global equivalent of the stereotypical trenchcoat wearing, wannabe-nazi bullies that leave flaming bags of shit on people’s doorsteps and couldnt spraypaint a swastika if they had a gun to their head.

    I hope Kim rations them extra pants, cause given their track record, they’re going to be filling up more than balloons.

  • Drusas@kbin.run
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    5 months ago

    The military treaty states: “In the event that any one of the two sides is put in a state of war by an armed invasion from an individual state or several states, the other side shall provide military and other assistance with all means in its possession without delay.”

    Okay. And that hasn’t happened.

  • ThePyroPython@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    5 months ago

    Here’s my prediction:

    Russia send the NK troops forwards in human waves, mostly under armed with all of the rusty waves. The NK troops surrender when given the chance. Russia waits for the surrendering NK troops to get the Ukrainian troops out of cover and then opens up with artillery and FPV drones on both the Ukrainian troops and NK defectors.