Cyber Attacks--Government Style (North Korea)

[American Pit Bulls]

I do feel that North Korea is a threat to South Korea and possibly to Japan. Especially, if they do have any sort of nukes. As for a threat to the United States, I seriously doubt it. At least, not a real threat to us. North Korea, I believe is doing what they do for the international attention which they are receiving plenty of. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the USA is strapped both militarily and financially. We're already broke. China's financing our war fronts. I'm not so sure they would or could finance yet another war front. I'm not so sure that the rest of the international community would get themselves involved. The United Nations doesn't have the back bone to enforce the sanctions or anything else for that matter.

If North Korea did do something/anything really stupid and the US invaded, we'd have to primarily use our Air Force and Navy. If we send in ground forces, I really think we'd be in trouble.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/army.htm

North Korea despite their failing economy, diseases, and all of their many problems/issues, they do in fact have an extremely powerful army which is ready to pounce on South Korea and destroy Seoul with very little warning.

[Leavatia]

I happen to also think that North Korea is doing a bit of this not for attention, but also to sorta start another cold war (although we already know who would dominate in one of those). But it's also my strong opinion that North Korea is a sovereign state that can do what it wants, communist or not, they have the same rights to fire off missiles as a show of force all they want. They also have the rights to build nukes. I know most of you wont agree with me, but North Korea has the same rights to develop nukes as the united states and other nuclear armed (or former nuclear armed) nations.

Also, if you think about it, what is North Korea good at. Infiltrating other countries. You don't need a missile to fire a nuke, you can just use those infiltration tunnels to move the nukes around. Plus, it's not like it's hard to hop the USA boarders from Canada. So they can find a way on a boat to Canada and into the usa, then to a city like New York and BOOM, no more New York. Plus, We have more to lose then North Korea.

[Rhodmhire]

I don't see how NK would be able to start WW3.

I think the thing that really set me off was when they threatened to send a missile to Hawaii. I doubt they even have missiles that can travel that far, but it reminded me of Pearl Harbor during WWII and just gave me the thought that it could happen.

And the more realistic way would be for them to hit Tokyo (or another major Japanese city) or Seoul or something along those lines. That would probably start a World War, or at least a fairly large war between North Korea, the U.S. and perhaps Japan, South Korea, and other nations near North Korea that are threatened.

[Greed and Death]

No serious threat.
Their internet(and all other international communications) is based over satellite connections. The 2 second delay makes any serious hacking threat from them laughable at best.

[Letat]

North Korea does not pose an existential challenge to the United States in any respect, militarily, economically, or ideologically. Nor does it really undermine the US's global security stance in existing. I'd even go so far as to say that North Korea doesn't pose a completely existential threat even to South Korea. If NK ever pushed it too far, you could expect to see them battered mercilessly. That said, it does have the potential to cause spectacular havoc. They're a long way from putting a mushroom cloud over LA or even Honolulu, but they could conceivably launch a chemical warhead at Seoul and cause thousands of fatalities.

North Korea is at present playing a bit of a game with how much havoc they can cause without endangering their own survival, hoping to garner concessions from the outside world. While I believe there is a small but significant possibility that NK will set off a WMD over a population center in the near future, I also think the Obama administration is essentially taking the right tone with Pyongyang. Would we gain much by going into hysteria over the imminent threat of North Korea? No. So as far as the public is concerned, we don't worry about it. What's important is what's going on in bilateral diplomatic talks with relevant parties - especially the PRC - that have more potential to influence North Korea.

The real tragedy is that the region is actually rather comfortable with a status quo that leaves nearly the entire population of North Korea enslaved to the whims of Kim Jong-Il's regime. China benefits from having a regional ally and a buffer against Korea. South Korea indefinitely postpones a potentially messy reunification process. Japan doesn't face the competition a fully unified Korea might pose to it. The US maintains a reason to keep troops in South Korea, which keeps the defense industry happy and helps maintain a good relationship with them. Certainly, the arrangement is not ideal, but it is - in a strange way - nearly optimal given the circumstances.

In any case, NK is unpredictable if nothing else. A good cause for worry in the region - but not cause to send the US public into a panic.

[Rejistania]

About cutting NK off the internet. 'won't work! Kim Jong-Il is stupid but not that stupid. Also, time on South Korean botnets is cheap. I guess, NK could cut off SK government sites by a DDoS from South Korea for basically a song.

NK is a threat in so far as governments are more often than not corrupt messes and the IT security was designed by the cheapest contractor.

[Leavatia]

Again, you do not need a missile to fire a nuke. You can sneak one into the country easilyish.

North Korea has proven many times that it can infiltrate countries without being discovered (well, they are discovered after they attack the target). The only thing they would have to do is head north to Russia, then go to the far east of Russia and get someone with a boat (and some balls, the bearing straight is pretty treacherous) that will take you across the straight. Then head threw Alaska and Canada into the USA.

Now that might be a bit far fetched, but Kim Jong Il is totally insane, he would be the kind of guy that would do that.

[Grays Harbor]

I don't see how NK would be able to start WW3.

why not? it was Serbia that started WW1, and they were a whole lot smaller and less capable militarily than NK currently is.

[United Russian State]

I don't see how NK would be able to start WW3.

why not? it was Serbia that started WW1, and they were a whole lot smaller and less capable militarily than NK currently is.

I would say Austria-Hungary started it more than Serbia.

Who would/could aide NK?

Their military is a joke. They are Poorly armed poor trained. They mostly have very old export versions of Soviet weapons. They are in no condition to fight a war economically. All they have going for them are numbers and nukes (which would be shot down).

If a conflict would start it would most likely be a collection of UN nations against NK. Not WW3.

[Leavatia]

I would say Austria-Hungary started it more than Serbia.

Who would/could aide NK?

Their military is a joke. They are Poorly armed poor trained. They mostly have very old export versions of Soviet weapons. They are in no condition to fight a war economically. All they have going for them are numbers and nukes (which would be shot down).

If a conflict would start it would most likely be a collection of UN nations against NK. Not WW3.

You don't know that (the poorly trained thing). You cannot judge something that you've never seen before. I say if you want to see how well (or poorly) trained they are, go to North Korea and train in their army or something. But aimlessly judging something is ridicules.

And no, Serbia didn't start the war, and neither did Austria-Hungary. It was the Black hand Movement. They assassinated Franz Ferdinand. Then Germany told Austria to invade, so they invaded.

[Grays Harbor]

I would say Austria-Hungary started it more than Serbia.

Who would/could aide NK?

Their military is a joke. They are Poorly armed poor trained. They mostly have very old export versions of Soviet weapons. They are in no condition to fight a war economically. All they have going for them are numbers and nukes (which would be shot down).

If a conflict would start it would most likely be a collection of UN nations against NK. Not WW3.

You don't know that (the poorly trained thing). You cannot judge something that you've never seen before. I say if you want to see how well (or poorly) trained they are, go to North Korea and train in their army or something. But aimlessly judging something is ridicules.

And no, Serbia didn't start the war, and neither did Austria-Hungary. It was the Black hand Movement. They assassinated Franz Ferdinand. Then Germany told Austria to invade, so they invaded.

There has been much discussion over the years as to whether the Black hand was working in concert with the Serbian government as it was the goal of both of them to create a pan-slavic state. There is quite a bit of evidence that the Black hand had several members who were also Serbian Military Intelligence. Germany did not "tell" Austria to invade. In fact, Germany tried to get Russia to intercede with Serbia to try and get them to assist with the investigation Austria was holding. Russia refused. Serbia didn't cooperate. Austria wouldn't back down and issued their "july ultimatum". When Serbia only agreed to 9 of the 10 demands, Austria recalled their ambassador and invaded. Thats when all the secret treaties bgegan to kick in, turning what should have been nothing more than a limited war (3rd Balkan war perhaps?) into a general Europe wide conflagration.

[Leavatia]

Yeah, that is right. I just like to keep things simple.

[Grays Harbor]

Yeah, that is right. I just like to keep things simple.

I can understand that. Unfortunately, the beginnings of WW1 are nothing if not confusing.