Remember Iraq in 1990?

 

Iraq in 1990… coming off a ten year war with an opponent several times its size, Iraq had the then-4th largest military in the world. Many pearl-clutchers were worried about them – after all, they had taken the Iranians on for ten years, they were battle hardened, tested, yadda yadda… and the US blew through them in Desert Storm faster than kimchi on a beer drunk.

Today we have another of the world’s largest militaries in the news. North Korea, alias the Demoncratic Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (always have to say People’s when the people have no say in how the place is run) – the nuclear-armed bogeyman of eastern Asia. They’ve hit the news a couple of times recently:

North Korean troops have suffered “multiple casualties” from land mine explosions while laying explosives along the country’s heavily armed border with the South in recent months, the South Korean military said Tuesday.

Since January, North Korean soldiers have been setting mines and installing structures that appear to be anti-tank barriers at various locations along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that splits the Koreas, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

A number of the North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded by land mine explosions, the JCS said in a statement, without providing more details on the casualties. CNN

From our viewpoint, we have no intentions of invading so they can put up pretty much what they want. Don’t think nuclear mines would be a good idea, though, based on their track record with the conventional ones.

Apparently “front towards enemy ” doesn’t translate well?

Now, we all know the DMZ is one of the most heavily militarized places on the planet, right?

Two million mines, barbed wire fences, tank traps and tens of thousands of troops from both countries patrol a divided swath of land 248 kilometers (154 miles) long and 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) wide.

Dunno about you, I have no desire to cross a minefield, inadvertently or otherwise (advertently? Vertently? Is that like gruntled?) But of all the minefields to choose…

So how, on the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s summit Wednesday with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, did as many as 30 North Korean soldiers wander over the line separating North from South, causing South Korea to fire warning shots before the North Koreans withdrew?

We have had incidents before, notably World War Tree ‘way back when.

On Tuesday, South Korean troops broadcast warnings and fired warning shots to turn back North Korean soldiers — somewhere between 20 to 30 — who briefly crossed the demarcation line in the DMZ.

The North Koreans, who had been doing construction work in the area, immediately retreated, and the South’s military didn’t spot any suspicious activity after that, the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said.

The short answer appears to be shrubbery: Because of an overgrowth of foliage, the North Koreans may not have seen the signs marking the thin military demarcation line that divides the DMZ into northern and southern sides.

Thought all this man-made-climate-change was killing off the shrubbery along with everyone else?

The demarcation line, in many parts of the DMZ, is simply a sign mounted on a stick or a slice of concrete.

Outside of Panmunjom, much of the DMZ is wilderness, but it is heavily monitored on both sides. And while the demarcation line may be easily crossed, it is very difficult to do so without being spotted immediately.  Military.com

No one seems to think this was intentional or suspicious. To me it does confirm, however, a commonality – they seem to have second lieutenants  with maps, too.

Category: North Korea