Based on what has happened in the past I doubt there will be any serious fallout. South Korea doesn't have the stones to do anything military. Why would I say that? Past reactions to North Korean attacks.
1999: North Korean ships entered Southern waters. When SK ships headed for them they opened fire. No real retaliation.
2002: The last day of the World Cup saw North Korean ships cross into Southern waters and attack ,the SK Navy. No real retaliation.
Hell a South Korean tourist was murdered by a NK soldier at Keumgang Mountain and nothing came of that. Why should a serious military reaction be expected this time?
Double Hell, South Korea let's illegal Chinese fishermen run roughshod over their Coast Guard and does nothing. Coast Guardsmen have been murdered by the fishermen and SK refused to arm the Coast Guard so they can defend themselves. (Must not anger China after all.)
It would be nice to see them man up for a change but I don't expect to see it. (The NorK reaction would be interesting in this case ... after freaking out I wonder what they would do.)
Then you have the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper vow to put new sanctions in place against North Korea as a show of support for the South. That would be nice if Canada ACTUALLY TRADED WITH North Korea you fucking moron!
Lip service. Hollow threats. This is pretty much how South Korea and the US have traditionally responded to North Korean provocation. I doubt it will be any different this time. Odds are North Korea doesn't expect anything serious. And why should they?
Then you have China and to a degree Russia. Their protectors in the UN Security Council. What will they allow?
And while we are on the topic or Koreans dieing ... where the fuck are the Anti-North Korea protests and vigils? A US armoured vehicle accidently runs over 2 middle school girls and there are rallies everywhere. The mad cow scare had how many rallies and riots? NorKs DELIBERATELY torpedo a South Korean ship killing how many and there are no protests. What the kimchi?!?!?
Ok ... started rambling there. Yes, I would go back because I don't expect anything to come of it. As per usual.
And what did the Korean government say ... they would not tolerate ANY MORE provocations from North Korea. Stop or I will say stop again!
ReplyDeleteIf South Korea, evacuates its population 30 odd miles from the DMZ (the North's Artillery), then its the sound of the North Korea coffin being nailed shut. Raw truth is younger South Koreans care, but not that much to hurt their standard of living. Fighting the North would not be pretty, despite how TRITE we can appear on 'blogs'. How much does the US care, not too much seeing they elected a president who promised about Iraq and Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot Sept. 1995, aka the Gangneung Submarine Incident. I was living in Chuncheon at the time. Koreans and ex-pats are used to the baloney but it scared my friends back home a lot.
ReplyDeleteTamar1973
ReplyDeleteThere have been a lot of incidents, not just at sea. As you said, we were used to it. My family is glad I am not there right now. :)