My new ISU, on North Korea.

Undecided · Mar 7, 2004

This is merely the outline do enjoy, I know I will by doing it:

History ISU outline

Thesis: In this current world of pre-emption North Korea is seen as a threat, because of her ideology, advanced weapons technology, and her large conventional forces. North Korea is seen as a serious threat to not only South Korea but to the world for the reasons aforementioned.

General Statement: North Korea’s ideology of Juche and solipsism is seen as an eccentric and is dangerous to the peace of the region.

S.P: What is Juche: “Political ideology promulgated by Kim Il Sung. The application of Marxism-Leninism to the North Korean experience based on autonomy and self-reliance popularized since 1955 as an official guideline for independence in politics, economics, national defense, and foreign policy.”(http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/korea_north/kp_glos.html#chuch'e) ; “They must also participate economically and socially in the DPRK’s Juche system of national self-reliance and extreme isolation. What began half a century ago as an attempt to merge the egalitarianism of Confucianism with the economic deteriorated into a state ruled by insular, self-indulgent, and self-aggrandizing regime that has totally failed to meet its responsibilities to its own people. The experiment simply failed.”(O’Hanlon 27) Here we see what Americans perceive to be the Juche ideology as a failed one with no tangible results. But this is a misconception in my opinion, North Korea survives today because of this ideology. Her strong military and political fortitude is enshrined in this ideology which should only scare the West more. Also what must be mentioned is Korea’s solipsism: “national solipsism
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) Term indicating North Korea's isolationism and its sense that it is the center of the world's attentions.”(http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/korea_north/kp_glos.html#chuch'e)

S.P: Origins of the ideology of Juche: “Is it any wonder that for a communist arrested by both Chinese and Soviet ‘comrades’ independence and self reliance would later become Kim Il Sung’s leitmotiv?”(Cummings 119) Where did Juche come from? According to Bruce Cummings Juche ideology is one that originated from Kim Il Sung’s experiences in World War Two against the Japanese, by the betrayal of the Chinese and Soviet communists in that era. The whole premise is to never be at the whim of any other state in the world so it can do what it wants. Which to states like the United States which like control and conformity, makes North Korea into a “rogue” and rabid state.
S.P: Juche’s adoption: “When North Korea frankly broke with Marxist-Leninism in the late 1960s to establish the nationalist philosophy ‘Juche’ as reigning state doctrine, the key ideologues were orphans…” (Cummings 107) What Bruce Cummings is saying here is that North Korea’s ideology was something that was favored by those who had to be self-reliant like the orphans, and those who fought in the war against the Japanese. “The DPRK adopted Marxism-Leninism as its ruling philosophy when it proclaimed its establishment in 1948, but in a Constitutional revision in 1972, supplemented it with the juche ideology, or national self-reliance. The two philosophies were combined into one as "the juche idea of the Worker's Party of Korea, a creative application of Marxism-Leninism to the conditions of our country". In 1980, the official ideology was simplified as "the juche thought of the Great Leader, Kim Il-Sung". According to the DPRK Constitution, juche is "a revolutionary ideology with a people-centred view of the world that aims to realise the independence of the masses, the guiding principle of its actions". Juche consists of two parts: the philosophical theory that claims the masses are the masters of history and the revolution, and the principle that the masses need the guidance of a leader (Kim Il-Sung and his son, Kim Jong-Il) to fulfil their destiny.”(http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/intro.htm) Here Juche is shown as being the guiding light of the Korean People that the Juche ideology is made from the top, by the Great Leader Kim IL Sung. This passage shows what scares other nations about North Korea. She is one of the only states in the world that still extols the virtues of the Stalinist benchmark of popular support, the “cult of the personality” which Khrushchev so aptly named the Stalinist era. The country is essentially ruled like that of Absolutist France, the whims of the leader is to be met. The leader today of North Korea is Kim Jong Il, Kim Il Song’s son. Increasingly North Korea is being seen as a corporatist society.
G.S: North Korea for all her economic shortcomings has accomplished much in the sphere of advanced weaponry, otherwise known as WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction), and these technologies have proven to be a proliferation threat outside the Korean Peninsula.
S.P: “North Korea has the most advanced ballistic missile capability among states of
proliferation concern, having tested and deployed missiles with ranges of up to1,000 kilometers and conducted a single test of a longer-range system that, if fully developed, could deliver a small payload to the United States.” (http://www.ceip.org/files/projects/npp/resources/DeadlyArsenals/chapters%20(pdf)/14-NoKoreachap.pdf). North Korea does possess huge missiles forces; it far exceeds that of the Iraqi Scuds of the First Gulf War. If any lesson was learned from that war it was that states are vulnerable to relatively low tech rockets that are noting more then advanced variants of the German V-2 rocket of the 1940’s. But North Korea has far exceeded any other state in her missile capabilities. In 1998 the North Koreans had a satellite placed on board North Koreas long ranged missile known as the Taep'o-Dong 1 missile, although it failed it in it’s purpose to put up a North Korean satellite it did prove something: “…Today this is not the case with North Korean derived warhead technology. North Korea successfully demonstrated payload spin up with the satellite launch attempt of the Taep'o-dong-1 or PAEUTUSAN-1 booster. The Paeutusan-1 solid propellant third stage both demonstrated a near full duration burn and the spin up of the stage and satellite along its longitudinal axis. However, the third stage solid motor ruptured, de-orbiting the satellite, almost immediately after orbital insertion while achieving orbital velocity” (http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/dprk/missile/td-1.htm) This proves that the Koreans were able to successfully boost the rocket into orbit, and that her payload was successfully able to “spin up” (spin up allows the warhead to be more accurate then those of the Iraqi tumbling nature). “While testifying at a Senate committee hearing in Washington, CIA Director George Tenet was asked whether North Korea had a ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. West Coast… "I think the declassified answer, is yes, they can do that," Tenet said... The 2001 report said North Korea's Taepo Dong 2 missile may be capable of hitting the West Coast of the United States, as well Alaska and Hawaii.” (http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/02/12/us.nkorea/index.html). As shown the United States has admitted that its intelligence believes that North Korea can indeed attack the West Coast of the United States. This is obviously a prime threat to the United States and much of the world’s population is now within North Korea’s nuclear grasp.

S.P: North Koreas special weapons programs otherwise known as WMD programs are some of the most extensive in the world. WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) are three distinct weapon systems that inflict more damage against an enemy then a conventional warhead. These systems are known as NBC systems (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical), these are deadly to those who are not prepared. The first WMD that I will discuss is North Korea’s chemical weapons. Being the most numerous of North Korea’s WMD stocks they do present a serious threat to other states:
“North Korea possesses chemical weapons and a large amount of chemical pre-cursors
for the production of such weapons. It is likely to have the ability to
produce “bulk quantities of nerve, blister, choking, and blood agents.”25 …
North Korea is thought to possess the means to deliver a chemical
agent by ballistic missile, as well as by conventional artillery or aircraft. North
Korean troops have also trained to fight in contaminated areas, according to the
U.S. Defense Department.26… In the assessment of U.S. intelligence services,
North Korea’s reserves, accommodated in perhaps half a dozen major storage sites
and in as many as 170 mountain tunnels, are at least 180–250 metric tons, with
some estimates of chemical stockpiles running as high as 5,000 metric tons.27” (http://www.ceip.org/files/projects/npp/resources/DeadlyArsenals/chapters%20(pdf)/14-NoKoreachap.pdf) This shows that North Korea does have a large chemical weapons force, that could disrupt the operations of any opposing forces. But according to some American analysts the North Korean chemical threat is not serious at all; rather it is actually detrimental to North Korea’s aims in the region. “…Furthermore, each type of DPRK chemical attack would be difficult to execute properly. Planes conducting aerial attacks…would run a high risk of being shot down. Submarines with special forces …would require penetrating militarily sensitive areas and approaching and unloading area undetected, hardly a trivial undertaking…Use of persistent chemicals might cause very serious troubles to allied forces…But it would also prevent North Koreans, who likely lack sufficient numbers of good protective suits and would have trouble covering several kilometers of land on foot while wearing them anyway, from exploiting any holes they created in a timely fashion.” (O’Hanlon 174-175). North Korea has undoubtedly large stock piles of these weapons, and can slow any “allied” advance on North Korea. The next part of North Korea’s WMD arsenal is harder to verify, but is much more serious then a chemical attack. North Korea’s Biological weapons capability: “Acting on orders of Kim Il-sung, in November 1980, North Korea accelerated the development of biological weapons, organizing research institutions and plants with specialists from other countries… Biological warfare has not received the same attention as chemical or nuclear warfare. This could be because North Korea lacks the technical expertise or because the difficulty in controlling biological warfare makes it a less desirable option… However, if North Korea did choose to employ biological weapons, it probably could use agents like anthrax, plague, or yellow fever against water and food supplies in the South's rear area.” (http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/bw.htm) Although North Korea is not known to have Biological weapons she does have the basic necessities to build these deadly weapons. Although Biological weapons are very dangerous and can be as deadly to your enemy as it is to you. North Korea’s crisis is characterized by her nuclear weapons program, which has been under much contention since 1989. “The Central Intelligence Agency estimates that North Korea has one or two nuclear bombs that were assembled with plutonium reprocessed between 1989 and 1991.” (http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/NK/Nuclear/index.html), “In late January, North Korea evidently began to move some of its eight thousand spent nuclear fuel rods out of storage in an apparent attempt to prepare them for chemical reprocessing…After being irradiated in North Korea’s small ‘research reactor’ in the late 1980s early 1990’s, they could provide enough plutonium for about half a dozen bombs once reprocessed.” (O’Hanlon 32). Some say that North Korea could have up to 8 nuclear weapons today. Some argue that North Korea cannot have a feasible nuclear warhead, but recent revelations about Pakistan’s involvement in North Korea’s programs tell a different story. “Furthermore, a plutonium bomb would have to be tested before North Korea could use it with confidence. However, some analysts speculate that North Korean scientists were present during Pakistan’s nuclear tests in May 1998, and that Pyongyang could have obtained a tested bomb design from Islamabad or from Pakistani scientists without government approval.” (http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/NK/Nuclear/index.html). The A.Q Khan case in Pakistan has been a wake up call to the United States and the world on how easy it actually was to get nuclear technology. According to the Carnegie endowment for peace North Korea in theory could have up to 253 nuclear weapons by the 2010
(http://www.ceip.org/files/projects/npp/pdf/JBW/nknuclearweaponproductionpotential.pdf). The threat is there, the question is how to solve it.
S.P: My next point is that North Korea presents a serious threat to regions outside her own sphere of influence. North Korea has been a major ballistic missile proliferator to nations that the United States would consider “undesirable”. “September 1997: A U.S. State Department official claims that North Korea earned close to $1 billion from missile sales over the past decade, making it the foremost missile exporter in the world.” (http://www.wisconsinproject.org/). North Korea’s missile partners are mostly located in the Middle East, the principle partners are/were; Iran, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, and Yemen. Since as seen before North Korea’s missiles are relatively good Israel sent a delegation to Pyongyang in the late 80’s to defuse the missile trade. “Indeed, until stopped by the first Bush administration, Israel had reportedly been pursuing a deal to compensate North Korea for not selling missiles to Iran just a short time before.” (O’Hanlon 44).
G.S: North Korea’s strongest element is not her WMD programs (although a threat), North Korea’s greatest threat is her large conventional forces which threaten her neighbor being South Korea with excessively large artillery power, with a massive numerical force, and her underground facilities which are impervious to most American weaponry and espionage.
S.P: North Korea maintains a very large artillery force that is mostly targeted against the capital of South Korea, Seoul. With a population of 20 million (including the suburbs) the death toll of a North Korea attack would be tremendous. Here is a brief description of her artillery force; “The KPA fields over 13,000 artillery and multiple rocket launcher (MRL) systems. Of this total approximately 1,100 are long-range 170mm self-propelled guns (SPGs) and 240mm MRLs. A key requirement for these systems was the capability of reaching Seoul from specialized hardened artillery sites (HARTS) constructed within 5-20km of the demilitarized zone (DMZ)… . If all the KPA's artillery of 100mm or more, capable of firing across the entire DMZ, were calculated together they could achieve an initial rate of fire of approximately 300,000-500,000 rounds per hour.” (http://www.janes.com/defence/news/idr/idr031111_1_n.shtml)
The sheer capability of these forces far outweighs any perceived threat posed from WMD that North Korea poses. They are potentially so powerful that Gen. Thomas A Schwartz said that North Korea could destroy all 37,000 Americans forces in “…less than three hours” (http://www.asianresearch.org/articles/1359.html). One may assume that by coincidence Donald Rumsfeld is proposing to move US troops away from the DMZ where the North Koreans will do most of their damage against them. Although that three hours is a marked improvement from the half-an hour about a decade ago.

S.P: Like many states in her position North Korean forces are old; “About half of North Korea’s major weapons are roughly 1960s design; the other half are even older.” (O’Hanlon 67). This characterization is mostly true, but North Korea does maintain some modern weaponry like the MiG-29 “Fulcrum” fighter, and some of best artillery that the Soviet Union could have provided. But to the North Koreans the capability of their technology is secondary to their actual strength. Their forces are motivated ones; “North Korean soldiers are taught to fight to the bitter end. In September 1996, a North Korean submarine got stranded at Kangrung, South Korea, and its crew abandoned the ship. Eleven of the crew committed suicide and the rest fought to the last man except one who was captured. In June 1998, another submarine got caught in fishing nets at Sokcho and its crew killed themselves. Such is the fighting spirit of North Korean soldiers.” (http://www.asianresearch.org/articles/1359.html). According to O’Hanlon the actual strength of the North Korean forces are not that great; “North Koreans have the overall firepower of nearly five modern U.S heavy-division equivalents in their force structure. That is nearly equal to the six modern-division equivalents that Iraq possessed in 1990”. In my essay I will further expand on the debate.

S.P: The last point is North Korea’s extensive use of underground facilities; “North Korea is the world most-tunneled nation. North Korea's expertise in digging tunnels for warfare was demonstrated during the Vietnam War… Tunnel entrances are built to withstand US chemical and biological attacks. Tunnels run zig-zag and have seals, air-purification units, and safe places for the troops to rest. It is believed that North Korea has built about 20 large tunnels near the DMZ. A large tunnel can transport 15,000 troops per hour across the DMZ and place them behind the US troops.” (http://www.asianresearch.org/articles/1359.html) Obviously a serious threat to American/ROK forces in any expected battle for the Peninsula. The air force itself is underground; “In the KPDR there is absolutely no private vehicle ownership but many highways with concrete surfaces and arched reinforced concrete tunnels (for example the superhighway linking Pyongyang with Wonsan), that in case of hostilities are sure to be used as military airfields.” (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/airforce.htm). The Koreans simply are very intelligent by following the masters of warfare, being the Vietnamese in their extensive use of Tunnel warfare.” Most of this force in the forward area is protected in over 4,000 underground facilities, out of over 11,000 nationwide. From their current locations, these forces can attack with minimal preparations or warning.” (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/army.htm) The most ominous part of this tunneling by the North Koreans is the fact that they are almost impervious to an American attack, conventional or not; “Even if the Pentagon were to develop nuclear "bunker-busters" -- relatively small bombs that penetrate the surface before exploding -- the United States would be hard-pressed to use them successfully without knowing which of the thousands of bunkers scattered throughout the country were the correct targets.” (http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2003/031114-dprk-tunnels.htm).

Conclusion: North Korea does present a major threat to the region and the world, which there is no easy political or military solution.
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Any constructive criticism would be welcomed.
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cosmictraveler · Mar 8, 2004

Interesting but remember China can be a very powerful ally and force NK into resolving its problems or else. China will have as many problems if Kim were to go beserk with his troops so they want to remind him who's the boss.

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Vortexx · Mar 8, 2004

Kim loves Johny Walker too much to risk his little throne, the games he plays are merely to secure the continious supply of Johnny Walker.

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Undecided · Mar 8, 2004

Thank you two for your advice, sadly I am not talking about North Korea's geo-political situation vis-à-vis with China per se. What I am trying to show is that North Korea is a serious and dangerous threat to the region, which cannot be ignored. My purpose is to show that the policy of pre-emption against the North Koreans simply is not a viable option. Also that a North Korean attack against the South will not end in North Koreas favour. What any war will create is death on a massive scale probably not seen since the last Korean war. The speed and efficiently of the death will be massive. I don't buy American or North Korean claims as any objective one. But they are sadly all I really have to work from. Alot of brovado goes into these things and it would very interesting to dissect the situation from a neutral perspective.

15ofthe19 · Mar 8, 2004

Run spell check. Run grammar check. Your document would be much more effective if you would do these things. I'm assuming this is something you plan on turning in for a grade?

As far as DPRK being a threat to the outside world, probably about as much of a threat as a starving tiger locked in a jail cell with the key to the cell in his belly. You just have to wait for him to die before you can go in and clean up the mess. The communist, isolationist mentality is wretched and sad. The world will certainly be a better place when the last embers of that dream finally go the way of the dodo.

Stokes Pennwalt · Mar 9, 2004

I'd footnote those urls if you don't already intend to do so. Block quote the large excerpts that you've lifted from your sources to obviate charges of plagiarism. As they are it is difficult to distinguish from your own writing. Overall layout and formatting could use some work too, if this is close to how you intend to submit it to your teacher. Clearly seperate paragraphs and sentences on the page so that it is clear where one topic stops and the next begins.

I'm surprised you don't have to follow the MLA manuscript format.

Undecided · Mar 10, 2004

I'd footnote those urls if you don't already intend to do so.

Not aware of MLA style are you? You don't footnote in MLA...what your taking about I think is Chicago style.

Clearly seperate paragraphs and sentences on the page so that it is clear where one topic stops and the next begins.

I did, it was just the way it looks when I pasted it.

And I got 17/20 thank you very much on the outline, and I will get perfect if I make a few adjustments thank you.

Michael · Mar 11, 2004

I think it sounds good to begin with. More citations may be nice, I tend to end almost every sentence with one when writing a review but that may not be nessary. I also find using "referance manager 10" as a great tool for bib. Yeah, spell check and grammar of course. Good job.

Undecided · Mar 11, 2004

Thank you, this is only a outline. But I will take into consideration your advice.

Stokes Pennwalt · Mar 11, 2004

Undecided said:

Thank you, this is only a outline. But I will take into consideration your advice.
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Alright, I was under the impression this was your final draft. I assumed you meant to keep those urls within the body text rather than including them on your works cited page, IAW with the MLA. That's why I suggested footnoting them, to keep them on the current page, only in a less obtrusive location.

Undecided · Mar 11, 2004

I was under the impression this was your final draft.

See this is exactly why I cannot take you seriously...read the FIRST line of the thread. It's obvious to anyone who reads that you simply attack for no reason other then to merely attack.

Stokes Pennwalt · Mar 11, 2004

Undecided said:

See this is exactly why I cannot take you seriously...read the FIRST line of the thread. It's obvious to anyone who reads that you simply attack for no reason other then to merely attack.
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Calm yourself, sister. There was no intention of "attacking" anything. No need to get your panties in a bunch over it. Verbose apologies if I hurt your feelings.

Undecided · Mar 11, 2004

No you are nothing more then a wasteful ad hom poster, you know it. We all know it, you simply are here to follow me like a pedophile does a child. I wouldn't be surprised if you post in reply to satisfy your unshakable hunger for undecided.

Michael · Mar 12, 2004

Calm it you two!

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My new ISU, on North Korea.

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cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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My new ISU, on North Korea.

Undecided Banned Banned

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cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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Vortexx Skull & Bones Spokesman Registered Senior Member

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Undecided Banned Banned

15ofthe19 35 year old virgin Registered Senior Member

Stokes Pennwalt Nuke them from orbit. Registered Senior Member

Undecided Banned Banned

Michael 歌舞伎 Valued Senior Member

Undecided Banned Banned

Stokes Pennwalt Nuke them from orbit. Registered Senior Member

Undecided Banned Banned

Stokes Pennwalt Nuke them from orbit. Registered Senior Member

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Michael 歌舞伎 Valued Senior Member

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