What Motivates North Korea to Start Wars and Endanger Its People?

[jaydnul]

I mean, what is their motive for war? It seems like they are an isolated country who do their own communist thing, so what advantage would merit the start of a war for them? Something political? In resistance against an outside influence trying to interfere?

I realize that their leader is crazy, but still, he must have some sort of reason to put his people in danger.

 

[Vagn]

I mean, what is their motive for war? It seems like they are an isolated country who do their own communist thing, so what advantage would merit the start of a war for them? Something political? In resistance against an outside influence trying to interfere?

I realize that their leader is crazy, but still, he must have some sort of reason to put his people in danger.

(Re)-unifying Korea?

 

[Bandersnatch]

From where I'm standing the danger NK is posing to anyone, as well as the craziness of its leadership, is a product of US propaganda. At best greatly exaggerated, at worst completely made up.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I mean, what is their motive for war?

They have no motive for war, only the motive for saber rattling. DPRK wants isolation, but also respect. DPRK needs to incite some international drama in order to keep the propaganda machines rolling, which gives them more control internally.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

At best greatly exaggerated, at worst completely made up.

The danger is that we have relatively little intelligence on DPRK and the leadership is unpredictable, cuppled with the fact they have enough artillery pointed at Seoul to destroy it ten times over. I agree that the media often exaggerates though, but that is with everything.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

fyi, I visited DPRK a few years ago. Of the 60+ countries I've visited, it was easily one of the most fascinating.

 

[DiracPool]

They have no motive for war, only the motive for saber rattling. DPRK wants isolation, but also respect. DPRK needs to incite some international drama in order to keep the propaganda machines rolling, which gives them more control internally.

Yeah, what Greg said. They're so isolated that they have to stir up the bowl or else they'd evaporate into obscurity and poverty. It's like the dog in your neighbors yard, it's not really a threat, but it's so annoying that when you decide to do a home invasion, you're going to pick the house next door where the dog is more tractable.

 

[DiracPool]

fyi, I visited DPRK a few years ago. Of the 60+ countries I've visited, it was easily one of the most fascinating.

Wow, really? That's pretty brave. I wouldn't go anywhere near that border out of fear of labor camp black hole.

 

[Bandersnatch]

The danger is that we have relatively little intelligence on DPRK and the leadership is unpredictable, cuppled with the fact they have enough artillery pointed at Seoul to destroy it ten times over. I agree that the media often exaggerates though, but that is with everything.

Why do you think it's unpredictable, though? I've never heard of a nation to commit mass suicide, which is what attacking either of NK's neighbours would amount to.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Wow, really? That's pretty brave. I wouldn't go anywhere near that border out of fear of labor camp black hole.

No problems when you fly into Pyongyang. As a visitor you must join a government sanctioned tour group. I've also never felt safer. There is no petty or violent crime. It's strange to have been on both sides of the DMZ line. When I was at the north side there was some US miltary on the other side and I'm sure they thought, "wth are you doing" when they saw me lol. I'll post some scans of a propaganda magazine later today. It's fascinating!

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Why do you think it's unpredictable, though? I've never heard of a nation to commit mass suicide, which is what attacking either of NK's neighbours would amount to.

When you have trouble figuring out even who exactly is in control of a country, nothing is off the table.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Wow, really? That's pretty brave. I wouldn't go anywhere near that border out of fear of labor camp black hole.

My friend has visited North Korea twice. He said you need to visit to find out what it is really like, rather than rely on news articles.

 

[russ_watters]

Why do you think it's unpredictable, though? I've never heard of a nation to commit mass suicide, which is what attacking either of NK's neighbours would amount to.

I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "mass suicide", but a lot have countries have started or fought both winning and losing wars that killed a lot of their own people.

It gets even tougher to do the math when the country is impoverished and famine-prone. If millions of people are going to die either way, what's the difference if they die in war or due to famine.

In addition, instability can lead to irrational actions.

Something else that probably needs to be said is that part of the reason we treat the risk of war as high is that we ARE technically still at war. The Korean War was not resolved with a treaty, so the border is fortified because it is still literally the front line of the Korean War.

 

[mheslep]

They have no motive for war, only the motive for saber rattling. DPRK wants isolation, but also respect.

What's the basis for the knowledge of the motivations of the DPRK? I see no basis for claiming the "DPRK wants" as an indication of the desires of a plurality of the enslaved population there. Apparently only what Kim II Sung wants, and perhaps some of his inner circle, is relevant to the actions of the the DPRK military and its internal security forces. Also, the sinking of the South Korea destroyer a few years ago killing most of the crew, and the artillery shelling of various S.K. islands goes beyond the common definition of saber rattling.

Edit:
Lord Lothian, 1935

"Herr Hitler . . . has said explicitly to me, as he has also said publicly, that what Germany wants is equality, not war; that she is prepared absolutely to renounce war . . .' "

link[/PLAIN]

 

[Blackberg]

I mean, what is their motive for war? It seems like they are an isolated country who do their own communist thing, so what advantage would merit the start of a war for them? Something political? In resistance against an outside influence trying to interfere?

I realize that their leader is crazy, but still, he must have some sort of reason to put his people in danger.

Because of WW2 and the cold war, the US and the USSR had to interfere in Korea, split it in 2. North Korea sees the US as an intruder, and South Korea as a US puppet. N. Korea wants to be independent, and push away US influence, push away US corporations. They don't want to be a puppet state like they believe S Korea is. If the Kim Jung let's go of power, he might just be sent off to neverland himself. I'm not an expert, but that's my view from reading news.

 

[nsaspook]

From where I'm standing the danger NK is posing to anyone, as well as the craziness of its leadership, is a product of US propaganda. At best greatly exaggerated, at worst completely made up.

That's correct to an extent but when even completely crazy stories about NK are taken as possible official government releases because of past actions it's hard to know what outlandish things they will do if the current leadership starts to lose total control of the population.

 

[Helios]

I was reading and looking at pictures of pyramids. I saw this diagram that showed the relative sizes of famous ones. There's Chichenitza. Ah, there's Giza. Then there's this biggest of all, king-daddy pyramid. What the heck is that, I asked. It's the North Korean pyramid (Ryugyong hotel). It's not really that ugly, like the Sydney opera house, but it is weird. It looks as if it belongs in a sci-fi movie. It is an example of craziness in my opinion. No propaganda necessary, it speaks for itself.

 

[ME_student]

What happened if I set foot in North Korea? I am from South Korea.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

What happened if I set foot in North Korea? I am from South Korea.

Depends on where. Near the border you are liable to be shot. If you are smuggled in some how, you will likely be sent to a prison labor camp for years.

 

[ChrisVer]

Well, first of all, the N.Korean government has shown its irrationality... so why would someone ask for motives? they have imprisoned people in camps for whole generations.
It's not so isolated... N.Korea secret police has, in certain circumstances, abducted citizens from S. Korea or Japan, who disappeared forever. That's probably because N.Korea needs to prove its existence...
A tourist in N.Korea of course will be treated nicely, except for if he disobeys the regularizations and rules (eg. no free photo-shooting, but only what is allowed by the government- what the government wants to show to the outside world). That is of course if that tourist achieves in going through all the bureaucracy needed to visit that corner of the world.

However, the N.Korean people although scared by the police, are very good , polite and friendly...but believing in their leaders as Gods, then they can become really dangerous if the leaders are insane.