North Korean Tourism -- A Trip To Kimland

[Q Classic]

22 million, over half of which are probably malnourished. the people in pyongyang, obviously, are more brainwashed... but as far as i can tell, it's populated mostly by loyalists. same with a lot of the tourist destinations.

it's like walking into a rpg, where everyone is programmed to say one thing, and do one thing, knowing nothing else...

makes you want to cry sometimes.

[The Mad Monk]

I read the piece. It is a sad situation, I...how do you explain these things, to anyone? So much pain, such desire to reunite lost kin and as a people, yet knowing how much work,and risk, and additional pain, it would take to make it so. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[Nubclear]

At least people in Baghdad can talk to foreigners.....N. Koreans, on the other hand, are not so lucky

Down with Kim-Jong Il! Down with North Korea!

[Ned]

Kimland and Saddamland. Two examples of socialism at work.

Even if Kim did not torture and kill to maintain his regime, I would vote for a war of liberation of Kimland if asked. It is uterly shocking how extreme the thought control is.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Ned
Kimland and Saddamland. Two examples of socialism at work.

[Q Classic]

Ned, it isn't socialism, by any stretch of the definition. It's Stalinism, through and through, at least for NKorea. Iraq isn't communist or socialist at all; i'd put it closer to pure despotism, or fascism.

Even as Kim tortures and kills my brothers and sisters, I still cannot bring myself to want a war of liberation. Such an event would only cause more deaths, more blood, more loss of life on a peninsula whose only real method of fertilization seems to be its own peoples' blood.

[Zero]

Originally posted by Tassadar5000

Yeah I thought that was pretty bad too. I was just gonna let it slip, but since u brought it up....

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
22 million, over half of which are probably malnourished. the people in pyongyang, obviously, are more brainwashed... but as far as i can tell, it's populated mostly by loyalists. same with a lot of the tourist destinations.

it's like walking into a rpg, where everyone is programmed to say one thing, and do one thing, knowing nothing else...

makes you want to cry sometimes.

Do you see a way in which the pennisula can be unified peacefully? I think one of the questions MM asked, and I wondered myself, is how can all those people be brought out of that mindset without some kind of force or total collapse. Don't get me wrong, I don't think force should be used to settle the issue unless they attack first. Is there anyway you see reunification happening peacefully.

Do you think there is a chance of a German style reunification?

[ranskaldan]

Economic reform changes any mindset.

IMO, if North Korea begins reforms tomorrow, a German-style reunification can be pulled off in 20 years.

[Q Classic]

Do you see a way in which the pennisula can be unified peacefully? I think one of the questions MM asked, and I wondered myself, is how can all those people be brought out of that mindset without some kind of force or total collapse. Don't get me wrong, I don't think force should be used to settle the issue unless they attack first. Is there anyway you see reunification happening peacefully.
Do you think there is a chance of a German style reunification?

If by german-style reunification, you mean the collapse and fall of east germany?
that's probably how it'll happen with korea. i doubt that skorea's long term slow-and-steady reunification plan would ever hold, seeing as it has a timeframe of at least 10 years, and presumes a functioning nkorea. i also doubt that nkorea's only reunification, that of invading skorea, would also ever work out.

if it reunifies, it'll be with nkorea's collapse. and skorea will find itself struggling to deal with 22 million new citizens, trying to get them basic necessities, etc., etc., etc.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Q Cubed

If by german-style reunification, you mean the collapse and fall of east germany?
that's probably how it'll happen with korea. i doubt that skorea's long term slow-and-steady reunification plan would ever hold, seeing as it has a timeframe of at least 10 years, and presumes a functioning nkorea. i also doubt that nkorea's only reunification, that of invading skorea, would also ever work out.

if it reunifies, it'll be with nkorea's collapse. and skorea will find itself struggling to deal with 22 million new citizens, trying to get them basic necessities, etc., etc., etc.

I suppose the SK Goverment would try to prevent most of them from migrating south. I can't even imagine all it would take to rehabilitate the north.

Question remains. Would China accept a Korea run from Seoul. Maybe if US troops were withdrawn they would accept it.

[ranskaldan]

China most probably would. We've been looking for rail and road links into SK ports for years.
[As long as NK doesn't flood China with 5 million refugees first, of course.] NK has been a burden, annoyance, and general embarassment to Chinese foreign affairs anyways.

The US troops are a problem. I'd say that China would only accept a neutral unified Korea.

[DarthVeda]

North Korea isn't quite so friendly with China as they used to be (like 50 years ago), and a good portion of their standing army is "protecting" them from China.

[Dinner]

The quickest and most peaceful way to reunify Korea is for the communist Chinese stop providing support to the murders of the north. The communists in charge of China won't do this however. They will continue to be the malignant force which enables Kim to oppress his people and the Chinese will look the other why as the north Koreans starve and are brain-washed by a mad dictortor who is bent on conquest and aquiring WoMD.

China should be ashamed of their government and what they have done.

[ranskaldan]

Jeez...

And what do you think would happen if North Korea is cut adrift tomorrow? It's going to transform in a magical, miraculous wonderland?

Gimme a break. If North Korea implodes tomorrow it will spill its bloody guts all over China, SK and Japan.

This is what I find disturbing - proposals of ending the North Korean regime through bloody, violent, overnight means. If you want to get Seoul demolished quickly, that's the way to go.