48% of s. korean youth would rather help NK

48% of South Korean youth would support N. Korea in case of a US attack on N. Korea. 40.7% Would remain neutral. 11.6% would back the US.

a recent poll that South Korea should side with North Korea if Washington attacks nuclear facilities in the North without Seoul's consent.

Nearly 40 percent of respondents chose China as the partner most important for South Korea to keep friendly relations with. The United States came next with 18.4 percent.

times.hankooki.com...


Looks like the tide is shifting for the US in the pacific with nearly half of S. Korean youths stating they would defend NK if America attacked them and twice the amount of the S. Korean youths would rather keeping friendly relations with China than the US






[edit on 24-4-2006 by k4rupt]

Indeed. And American hawks should also take a look at similar figures in Taiwan.

That said, North Korea is a different animal than China, and I think while many South Koreans would rather help N. Korea than go to war with it, they would also probably like American help should N. Korea decide to go to war with them.

Well isn`t it quite natural that the people of South Korea would support North Korea as many of there family live there AND THEY ARE THE SAME RACE!Why would they support America is the real ??, And for what reason America could attack Korea right now!?

Originally posted by Peruvianmonk
Well isn`t it quite natural that the people of South Korea would support North Korea as many of there family live there AND THEY ARE THE SAME RACE!

Well, this could be a sign that the future generations of Koreans want the US out of their land, as what is happening in Japan, and finally... out of Asia.
What is the US still doing half-way around the world in Asia anyways?

Why would they support America is the real ??, And for what reason America could attack Korea right now!?

Well... the US has numerous reasons to attack NK right now. They announced they have nuclear weapons, for starters, is definately one of the biggest reasons to do so.

Originally posted by Peruvianmonk
Well isn`t it quite natural that the people of South Korea would support North Korea as many of there family live there AND THEY ARE THE SAME RACE!Why would they support America is the real ??, And for what reason America could attack Korea right now!?

Oh! Oh! Oh! there are no races....just the human race

We shouldnt have people in Korea period. let them hanndle their own affairs, there is no more Soviet Union to worry about anymore spreading communism.

Alright, say the US pulls its troops out in a very tense situation with North Korea. NK is foaming at the mouth at the fact that for the first time since the 50's they can invade SK and probably win. So they take the chance and invade, who would the S. Koreans want back then?

The reason I say this is the fact that I personally believe that if Korea were to become one country(by means of peace or war in the near future), whos model do you think it would follow. In my opinion it sure wouldnt be SK, who is much better off economically than NK and in much better condition in genereal. Thats just my personal opinion because I dont think Kim Jong Il will give it up if it happens during his lifetime. Especially if he feels he has the military advantage.

[edit on 4/25/2006 by ludaChris]

Being a US soldier stationed in SK I find this poll vary hard to believe. Considering it is manditory for all Korean males to join the RoK army for 2 years 48% is vary hard to believe because a lot of males would be forced to go awol to help North Korea. What I mean by that is, during a time of war RoK soldiers can be called back into service (for a certain amount of time).

On another note I once asked a group of Korean soldiers if they had ever seen or knew much about North Korea and they laughed at me.

There are a few issues with protesters around US military bases but for the most part this is not a problem. The fact of the matter is that US and South Korean soldiers work together everyday. North Korea has artiliry pointed at South Korea and South Korean/US Forces train together for a North Korean attacks.

So because North Korea has nuclear weapons they should be bombed to hell, how does that work exactly? They haven´t used them against anyone clearly they were meant as a deterrent to stop America from attacking them in there endless spread of freedom throughout the world

Well pull out all the United states troops and every last piece of gear, and when the NK army rolls over the DMZ, just watch it all go down.

When the ship storm slows and america is asked why it didn't help, they should just qoute the 48% who think they would be better off living under NK rule...

Oh they would snitch and moan, but at the end of the day if they would rather support NK than the USA, well leave them to it.

Originally posted by Peruvianmonk
Well isn`t it quite natural that the people of South Korea would support North Korea as many of there family live there AND THEY ARE THE SAME RACE!Why would they support America is the real ??, And for what reason America could attack Korea right now!?

Since when do the Yanks need a reason to invade anyone? They will just make one up and the gullible/ignorant public will lap it up.

MadGrebo- South Korea is more than capable of defending itself these days. Im sure they appreciated UN help in the 50´s but it is time to let them deal with the North themselves and i´m sure they would agree.

good for them then. Stop maintaining all the bases, stop funding lots of the training, stop training the troops....

and sit and watch the war.
awesome.

You know NK has quite an Army themselves. I'm not saying SK coulnt win alone, but with the amount of artillary the N. Koreans have, Seoul would be leveled in a day. Thats where NK is very strong in Artillary. But NK also has a larger army than SK and SK needs help if there is to be an invasion. I dont feel they could win by themselves.

Maybe maybe not... but SK's military is quite a formidable force, I'm sure they could hold off the NK if the US did leave but I would be quite worried about the Northern artillery aimed at the capitol. I wonder how the South Koreans would defend their capital against that.

North Korea has Nuclear, Biological and Chemical weapons. If North Korea simply wanted to kill people it would be very successful. In fact if you or I just wanted to kill people I’m sure we would be very successful too. Individuals do it all the time (they go to prison or loony bin).
However even if the leadership of North Korea does not act like humans they do know how to think like them. A war with South Korea could still see North Korea getting nuked. This would equate a bad "lifestyle decision" for NK's leaders.

With North Korea's leaders being very much like that I guess any military fate which would entail loosing not just your communist party membership, but also your place in life will remain high from the agendas of NK's leaders.

In the event of South Korea being attacked all the United States ever need do is ether brake the Non Proliferation treaty by supplying South Korea with nuclear bombs (a action it could try to legalise through the United Nations afterwards). Or it could save the trouble and just do the job themselves. Who know maybe NATO would do that?

Many South Koreans want U.S troops out of South Korea. They know North Korea could in theory attack. It has ample amounts of short range weapons (and let's face it, the Korean border isn't very wide). But so do they. In fact South Korea is a big defence spender. It has a smaller army on paper but its equipment is very modern (unlike something out of planet of the apes). True; its soldier’s haven’t had the benefit of human target practice. But what North Korea has in experience it losses in strength. Basically the South Korean military is perfectly capable of guarding its own grass.
If its necessary for the U.S to have a "symbolic presence" in South Korea then why not have 3 troops enjoying a cigarette, with a cup of coffee on a table under a check point?
Maybe it all makes sense if Kim Chim thinks the idea of being nuked is a good lifestyle decision, but the idea of being invaded by the U.S troops is a bad one?

Honestly I can’t see any other reason for U.S troops being there. That said it would be quite a cool life?
Just like something out of my history book North Korea is a typical case of cold war stalemate. North Korea could attack in the same way earthquakes can erupt. But frankly the South Koreans seem to realise this isn't going to happy any time soon. They are right.

What I hate about North Korea is the way it represents a triumph of totalitarianism over man. It is a lesson to all of us and about why we should worry about our own governments.
But frankly till we develop a telaporter I don’t see how it can be worth our while to go to war with North Korea. Its military expenditure has paid of. Any war with it would be one of liquidation over liberation.
This don’t you know is the case with Iraq? The body count figures are likely to be much, much higher. This is of course why we don’t do body counts. It amazes me that we don’t, but just don’t keep it secret. Surely this would make so much more sense?

I think its easy to assume that most South Koreans want the U.S. out cause there really is no need for us to be there anymore, they have all the defense they need. however I think that the 48% of the youth that said they'd rather help NK are probably just saying that to be rebellious like most teenagers are (even here) I'm pretty sure they're not really that stupid to side with NK because they most likely know what goes on on the other side of the border. and we all know its not good.

Originally posted by k4rupt

a recent poll that South Korea should side with North Korea if Washington attacks nuclear facilities in the North without Seoul's consent.

[edit on 24-4-2006 by k4rupt]

Maybe, I'm missing something, but isn't the "48%" response a result of the question, it says "...without Seoul's consent".

Therefore the way that I read this scenario is that the US has decided to attack the NK's nuclear facilities; SK, fearing (...and probably rightly so) an all out war with NK as a result of the attacks has decided that it's not in their national interests (at present). The US has said "we have noted your concerns, however, our long term national security is at risk" and goes ahead with the attacks - thereby attacking without Seoul's consent.

So to me it would seem that those within the 48% would be thinking that "Well if America is going to attack NK even though our nation (SK) doesn't want them to, I'd rather support NK to try and avoid total war, the consequences of which would be fought out on our territory - not the US's...".

Just my two pence...


[edit on 26/4/06 by Kwikblade]

[edit on 26/4/06 by Kwikblade]

I would think that 48% of South Korea's youth would side with North Korea because they are not old enough to remember the last time North Korea rolled over their country. They are just not old enough to remember when the US came over and saved them from North Korea. Much like the youth of the US today has never been in a major war so they don't know what it is like to sacrifice something for your country. They don't know how much it means when someone else sacrifices something for them.

Hmmm, this would be the same North korea described in this thread NORTH KOREA - THE WORST TERRORIST STATE IN HISTORY ?!

No doubt many included in this 48%, see NK through rose tinted glasses with no thought of the actual reality they live in. I would doubt they would back up their words with any actions.