US and Korea "Slipping Into War"

[DanS]

A lot of interesting news regarding NK the last couple of days.

Perry, the former Defense Secretary, is warning that the US and the NK are slipping into war, and that we should engage in some coercive diplomacy to impose a diplomatic settlement.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56019-2003Jul14.html

Now here's a very intriguing proposal that the US would accept up to 300,000 North Korean refugees per annum.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61555-2003Jul15.html

I can't imagine how this would actually be done. For instance, would we accept the people who make it to Mongolia?

For context, South Korea accepts only about 1,000 NKers per annum and hasn't asked China to send the refugees their way, rather than repatriating them to NK. The US doesn't accept these refugees under the assumption that they will go to SK.

A lot of those refugees would seem to be NK agents, and there are complications, but it is definitely an interesting proposal.

[Drake Tungsten]

Now here's a very intriguing proposal that the US would accept up to 300,000 North Korean refugees per annum.

Wouldn't this just release one of the major societal pressures on the current government, allowing them to stay in power longer?

[Kramerman]

excellent I didnt read the articles, but we should take all those refugees we can. I bet they would make model citizens in the US, and would be very greatful for the freedoms and ability to improve your socio-economic status

[DanS]

The thought is that it would destablize the NK gov't as everybody with any skills tries to flee the country. It is probably a good thing to question this assumption, however.

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

Now here's a very intriguing proposal that the US would accept up to 300,000 North Korean refugees per annum.

Wouldn't this just release one of the major societal pressures on the current government, allowing them to stay in power longer?

who cares. we got room, and it would only make us a better nation, until our ultimate final showdown with NK... they can go back with their new skills and education, if they want afterward and join their families, or they can stay here

[GePap]

How would they get to the US? They can only leave NK by sneaking into China, so we woudl be talking about accepting 300,000 people via Chinese ports..nah, ain;t going to happen at all. Chances are zip.

As for the "Us and NK slipping into war", well, lets seriously hope not. But diplomacy does need to restart, cause if the NK has gone as far as they claim, the time at which the WH will have to either give up the notion it can stop a nuclear NK, or have to take actions that would lead to full war.

[Nubclear]

Re: US and Korea "Slipping Into War"



The only winner that will come out of this is Kim-Jong Il.

[DanS]

Kramerman: It's more complicated than that. Basically, NK is full of abused people. There are a lot of problems associated with that, such as suicidal tendencies and violent behavior. Q^3 linked to a heartwrenching article about this several months ago.

[Drake Tungsten]

It really says a lot about North Korea when we can't even accept their refugees at face value. I wish there was an easy way to end that regime.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by DanS
The thought is that it would destablize the NK gov't as everybody with any skills tries to flee the country. It is probably a good thing to question this assumption, however.

You can bet the group will be loaded with DPRK agents of several varieties, and you can also bet that those with usable skills will be the absolute last allowed to leave - the DPRK will want to shed dead weight, since they can't feed their population.

I have no problem with aiding the NK people through a reunification process (or anything else where they're there, and the DPRK government apparatus is gone), but allowing a mass flood of refugees we're ill equipped to handle from either a humanitarian transitional or a security and intel POV is sheer lunacy.

[DanS]

How would they get to the US? They can only leave NK by sneaking into China, so we woudl be talking about accepting 300,000 people via Chinese ports..nah, ain;t going to happen at all. Chances are zip.

Yeh, I would like to see the details. As I understand, the current underground railroad runs through Mongolia, as I said above. But there the flow is modest.

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by DanS
Kramerman: It's more complicated than that. Basically, NK is full of abused people. There are a lot of problems associated with that, such as suicidal tendencies and violent behavior. Q^3 linked to a heartwrenching article about this several months ago.

i know they are abused
Im no sociologist, but im sure they could do fine in american society, with a little help perhaps. mind you, im not going into any of the technicalities of getting them to the US. and MtG has some good points. Im just assuming we get all those who escape

[DanS]

In SK, the NK refugees receive about 3 months of reeducation and then 2 years of benefits, IIRC. They also are shadowed by an SK intel agent for a couple of years.

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by DanS
In SK, the NK refugees receive about 3 months of reeducation and then 2 years of benefits, IIRC. They also are shadowed by an SK intel agent for a couple of years.

hmm... thats pretty pricey, i suppose

[GePap]

They had an interesting peice on the lives of NK teenagers that had fled and made it to SK. In general, they were about 6-12 inches shorter, due to malnutirtion. They were also geenrally more porne to violence, since life in NK is very violent. It was a depressing story.

As for the refugee thing: aint; going to happen ever.