Caution in Korea by Matthew Homsher 9th

Summary: Tension has only been building as Pyongyang demonstrated its fourth nuclear test. In response, American and South Korean troops staged an assault on North Korean beach defenses despite North Korean threats to annihilate the combined forces for such a provocative action. Their drills were just the tail end of eight weeks of joint exercises between South Korean and American troops. The North accused the allies of conducting these exercises as nuclear war moves and threatened massive retaliation. The American- South Korean coalition contains 55 U.S. marine aircraft and 30 U.S. and South Korean ships. The South Korean troops in the most recent exercise numbered 300,000 and American troops numbered 17,000. It’s important to remember, as tensions continue to mount, that the United States currently has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.

Synopsis: Offensive action by the American-South Korean coalition has only been hinted at up till now. The last nuclear test North Korea demonstrated showed signs of intercontinental ballistic missile technology and this provoked the offensive measures. It seems that any misstep on either side could trigger another Korean War. This would be different, however, from the Korean War during the Cold War. Russia no longer heavily backs the North Koreans and, with America being one of China’s greatest economic partners, China would have strong incentive to stay out of the conflict. If it came to war, as it stands now, the current North Korean regime would be annihilated in a two-versus-one war that they would not win.

For more information, click on the link below:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-south-korea-stage-assault-drill-amid-nuclear-threats-n537151