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US was pretty close to a preemptive strike in the 90s. There were estimates of massive SK casualties just via artillery strikes. (1M+, Seoul destroyed, ...). N
by adriancr 5y ago
US was pretty close to a preemptive strike in the 90s.
There were estimates of massive SK casualties just via artillery strikes. (1M+, Seoul destroyed, ...). NK also had chemical/biological weapons...
There was also always a threat of nuclear escalation via China if US went too far...
> The US and SK could have handed over NK to China as an industrial colony for all we care
China wants what is currently in place, it's doubtful they would have not intervened as they did in Korean war after which war becomes one of attrition and keeping the Chinese out of SK...
- Jtsummers 5y agoYeah. Living in South Korea with the threat from North Korea in the 90s was probably the closest I'll come to (well, hopefully the closest I'll come to) to understanding what it was like for my parents' generation (Baby Boomers) growing up with the constant threat (real or perceived) of nuclear war. NK was almost certainly not going to initiate a war, but they had everything in place to decimate SK if one began by the 90s at least.
- justicezyx 5y agoYep, you got it. The joke is: "when US claimed you have wmd, you better actually have it"... NK has been behaving quite bad comparing to some other countries that got US invasion. The reason that they were not invaded, is mostly that they indeed have the stuff that can scare away US.