Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Tiger Beer]

Thats part of the flaw in South Korean thinking. They always assume and think that North Korea and everything up there just becomes theres. Its like North Korea's land and resourced are there natural entitlement, despite what North Korea might think.

Its flawed thinking. If anyone with any kind of power whatsover in North Korea, there is no way they would even consider just walking away from it one day because a foreign power 'South Korea' wants all their land and resources. Even if they do speak the same language.

Its interesting how South Korea can't imagine it any other way. Particularly ironic because they have the U.S. support that they can't imagine it any other way. Without the U.S. support, you can pretty much guarantee North Korea would instead completely take over South Korea instead and probably very easily.

[ulsanchris]

I read a book not too long ago by a korean about korea and its people and it covered reunification. AT one point in the book it stated that reunification would make korea an economic powerhouse and put it into the G7, by combining S. Korea's technical know how and N. Korea's resources. I"ve heard since than that N. korea has some iron mines and a few other resources. Later on in hte book it says how the cost of reunification would crush the s. korea economy. The author said that reunification would have to be a long and slow process. THe author put none of the blame on the US for the continued seperation of korea and put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the presidents of N. Korea.

H and T there are few economic benefits for the s. koreans making stuff in n. korea at the moment. For one the infrastructure is extremely limited. I think direct transport between the two countries is forbidden so that adds to transportation costs. Also there is very little energy to run the plants. Also the productivity of the n. koreans is extremely low. S. korean companies i have heard find it very frustrating to do business in korea. I imagine the only reason they are doing business there is because the S. korean government wants them to do business there. NOt because they can remain competitive against the Chinese.

[jvalmer]

[Ilsanman]

Just 1 point. I disagree with what someone posted earlier. I think if there was a war now between the north and south (without intervention) the south would win.

Sure the south has a lot of conscripts, but the people of the north are underequipped, underfed, and demoralized people. KJI can barely afford to feed his army, let alone equip them with anything modern.

[tokki]

The South would win. They dont spend a lot on their national defense, in terms of % of GDP, but in real spending they spend far more than the north. The North has old and very inferior equipment, oil shortages, food shortages. The size of the army doesnt matter, its the quality that counts, and the South has a better equipped army. The only question is the soldiers themselves. The indoctrinated but poorly trained and underfd DPRK soldier, against the well fed, well trained Southern conscript who is still a momma's boy who loves Starcraft and has never gotten laid.

[the_beaver]

[tokki]

[mithridates]

I always wonder if Kyushu and Busan / kyongsangdo could be made into a country. They're always cooperative with each other when the two capitals are squabbling over something petty, and a lot of them share common ancestors and linguistic characteristics. Busan certainly has a lot more in common with Fukuoka than it doesn with Pyongyang.

[Tiger Beer]

[andrew]

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[Gwangjuboy]

[The Bobster]

[Derrek]

[Gwangjuboy]

[The Bobster]