Human Rights In North Korea

North Korea, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is an isolated country in the Korean peninsula. It is bordered by China to the north and South Korea to the south. It has the Yellow Sea to its west and the Sea of Japan to its east. It is a country the size of Greece, with a population of 23 million. It is one of the most despised countries in the world. It was created after the Korean War, a line was drawn through the 38^th parallel, and roughly divided Korea in half. North Korea is a Neo-Stalinist country, with an awful economy and a horrible political system. Its economy is based off socialism, so the government controls everything. It also has the world’s 4^th largest military, roughly numbered at 1,200,000 men. North Korea is a complete totalitarianism, where everyone has been brainwashed to love the leader to death. Anyone who speaks against the regime is put in a political prison if they said something against the government, and if they spread those ideas, then they will be taken to a detention center and tortured to death. North Korea has the world’s poorest countries. Its total GDP is 28.2 million, to put that in perspective that is roughly Canada’s military budget. It’s GPD per captia is 1,224$, to put that is perspective; in Canada that is how much parents spend on their children’s toys in a year. In order to keep a country as bad as this from turning against its leaders, there needs to be oppression and control over everything. This is where the Human Rights issues come into play. Since North Korea breaks so many Human Rights, it would be impossible to go over them all, so I am just going to over the main ones.

The right to exist is the concept that everyone has the right to live unless they broke a law which dictates that they must be killed. In North Korea, anyone who speaks out against the government is automatically sent to an extermination camp. Also in North Korea, anyone who is born disabled is killed off in order to prevent contamination. People who become disabled are also killed. Anyone with autism or related diseases is also killed. Public executions are also a common thing. There is nothing wrong with private executions, as some people should not be kept alive, but public executions are wrong because they let the person’s family and friends see them die. Also there have been occasions, such as in 1987, where North Korean agents have killed hundreds of people in attempts to bring fear to the hearts of the world. In 1987, North Korean agents planted a bomb on Korea Air flight 858, killing all of the 115 passengers on board. On November 23^rd, 2010 North Korea launched an artillery strike against the South Korean Island of Yongpyong. The artillery strike killed 2 marines and 2 civilians, while in North Korea hundreds of people are killed every day because they spoke out against the government.

The right to work for anyone and the right to own property are 2 things which are completely abolished by this government. Reason being is that in a communist country, you have to work for the government, because there is no private industry. The right to own property is also completely abolished, because everyone is equal, and no one is allowed to own anything. Only the leaders own houses, sports cars and so on, that’s because all of the government spending is controlled by the head of state.

The right to think freely is the right to have your own mind, or to be able to think. This is not present in North Korea, as there is constant propaganda everywhere. Since birth, people are taught to love the leader no matter what. In kindergarten, kids are forced to sing, read and write about the leader. This has gotten so bad that some people think that Kim-Jong-Il is god and can do things like control the weather, even though this clearly is wrong, and it does not take a genius to figure this out, as if the leader could really control the weather, he would it so that every year there is a good corps yield, but in recent years, North Korea was 33% malnourished. People are constantly bombarded by propaganda from every single aspect. There are images of Kim-Jong-Il everywhere, and when you approach one, you have to bow, as if you are approaching a god. North Korea’s television is also state run, meaning the Government controls everything that the people see hear or touch, meaning that everyone there will only see things from 1 angle. Internet access is strictly prohibited to the general population, meaning they have no other news sources. Although all the propaganda might seem a bit far-fetched, if you were told the same thing over and over again, and had no other sources, you would believe it too, and if you don’t, then you will either be imprisoned or killed.

The right to fair trial is also nonexistent. What fair trial implies is that when a person is suspected of committing a crime, they will receive a trial, where everything said is the truth, and the jury decide whether you are guilty or not, and a Judge sentences you whatever he feels necessary, as long as the sentence abides by the criminal code. In North Korea, this is non-existent because there is no Jury, Judge or Lawyer. The leader is the Jury, Judge and Executioner. People of higher class can take anyone who they don’t like, and say that they committed a crime. Without any trial, the accused are sentenced to whatever punishment the higher class feels like.

Human rights are a big issue in North Korea, and should be addressed, but can't, because North Korea does not care about it's people. 

North Korean Military Assessment

Introduction

North Korea is an isolated country, the last communist stronghold, and a really strong military power. It is geographically the size of Greece, and has a population of 23,000,000. It is one of the world's worst economies. It is a complete Totalitarianism, meaning people are brainwashed to love their leader no matter what. This assessment is designed for a purely informative and social purpose. I want you people who read this blog to tell me what you thing in the comments, even debate on what you think the outcome of the war would be. You can also participate in a pool, which will be updated on a weekly basis starting Saturday.

First assessment:Army Personel. All facts from CIA world factbook

Total Population

23,479,088

Population Available

12,414,017

Fit for Military Service

10,280,687

Reaching Military Age Annually

392,016                                                              

Active Military Personnel

1,170,000

Active Military Reserve

4,700,000

Active Paramilitary Units

189,000

These numbers indicate that North Korea has a trained, full-time army of 1.17 million. They are the 4^th largest in the world. North Koreas population is quite low, and half of North Korea’s population is not fit for military service. Active reserve is also high, at 4.7 million; it is the largest in the world. This means that North Korea could mobilize and army of 5.87 million soldiers in less than 30 days. Even though the number of people reaching military age annually is low, we do not expect a renewed conflict in Korea to last a year. The number of active paramilitary units is quite low, at 0.189 million. Knowing this, North Korea’s army is made up of mainly conscripts, using equipment from the cold war. This greatly limits their capability in a war. In addition, North Korea has not conducted a battalion-level military exercise in 20 years due to lack of fuel.

Second Assessment: Army all facts from CIA world factbook

Total Land-Based Weapons

16,400

Tanks

3,500

Armored Personnel Carriers

2,500

Towed Artillery

3,500

Self-Propelled Guns

4,400

Multiple Rocket Launch Systems

2,500

Mortars

7,500

Anti-Aircraft Weapons

11,000

As you can see from these numbers, North Korea posses a very large number of tanks, they are the 10^th in the world. The number of APCs is also high, at 2,500. North Korea also possesses a large number of towed artillery, most of it stationed along the border and capable of reaching Soule. The same goes for their self propelled guns. They also have a large number of Multiple Rocket Launch Systems, which can be used to great effect if properly coordinated. They also have a lot of mortars for use by squad. Although they have a large number of anti-aircraft weapons, these are all stationed around Pyongyang. Even though North Korea may have a large number of tanks, APCs and other vehicles, North Korea lacks fuel due to all of the sanctions and lack of oil production. This means that the only effective land based weapons that they have are mortars, as they can be carried, and any systems that have been stationed in appropriate locations. Other systems will be useless due to the lack of fuel.

Third Assessment:Air Force. All facts from CIA world factbook

Total Aircraft

1,778

Helicopter

612

As you can see, this section is much smaller, mostly because North Korea does not have a functioning air force. Most of the aircraft that they have are aircraft from long before the collapse of the Soviet Union, rendering them effectively obsolete. The helicopters are a different story, and could be used to para drop troops, and transport them around the battlefield. Keeping in mind North Korea’s lack of fuel, these aircraft will not all of these aircraft will be getting off the ground.

Fourth Assessment:Navy. All facts from CIA world factbook

Total Navy Ships

708

Merchant Marine Strength

167

Aircraft Carriers

0

Destroyers

0

Submarines

97

Frigates

3

Patrol & Coastal Craft

492

Mine Warfare Craft

23

Amphibious Craft

140

As you can see, the North Korean navy is very large. It has a merchant marine strength of 167, which provides them with a transportation method. They lack Aircraft Carriers and Destroyers, meaning even if they were to gain naval supremacy, there is little they could do in order to inflict heavy casualties on land. With 97 submarines, they have the largest submarine fleet in the world. They also have 3 frigates, which is in reality their only land bombardment capability. They have a lot of patrol craft, but those are only useful for reconnaissance. They also have a large sum of mine warfare craft, meaning that numerically speaking, they would be able to neutralize a lot of allied submarines. But practically, North Korea’s lack of fuel will render most of their ships useless.

Logistical Assessment: All facts from CIA world factbook

Number of Serviceable Airports

77

Major Ports and Harbours

12

Labour Force

20,000,000

Roadways

25,554 Km

Railways

5,235 Km

From these numbers we can tell that if full mobilization occurs, North Korean Aircraft will only have 77 airports in which to land. Most of these airports are close to the border, meaning they would be susceptible to allied fire. The North Korean navy will have 12 harbours from which to choose. Only 7 of them are in the yellow sea, where most of the naval fighting will be going on, as Japan will secure the Sea of Japan. Korea’s labour force is 20,000,000 people, which is really good for North Korea and means that almost the whole population is working. This means that the country will be able to mass produce military equipment at alarming rates in case of war. The length of the roadways is quite pitiful, and in case some roads are destroyed, and considering the North Korean Army has fuel, they might not even be able to reach their target. The length of railways is also really bad for transportation. Railways are key to moving military equipment, as a train can carry a lot more than a truck. If one part of a railway is bombed out, there is no alternative way for the train to reach its destination, simply due to the lack of railways.

Finances:All facts from CIA world factbook

Defense Budget

$5,500,000,000

Purchasing Power

$40,000,000,000

These numbers indicate that the North Korean economy is extremely weak, and that it cannot sustain a war for long.  Any modern army has a defence budget of at least 15 billion. And any country that can even think about going to war has a purchasing power of at least 1 trillion. North Korea’s numbers simply do not cut it. North Korea does not have the ability to repurchase lost military equipment, and maybe not even to fix damaged equipment. If North Korea were to fight a war, it would have to rely of blind patriotism and fear to force the population to give up their personal goods and work only for the military. Strangely enough, North Korea might just succeed in shifting to full military production, due to the fact that 50 years of propaganda have convinced the people of North Korea that they live in a paradise, and must protect it at all costs.

Oil:All facts from CIA world factbook

Oil Production

141 barrels/day

Oil Consumption

10,520 barrels/day

As we can see from these numbers, North Korea Consumes much more oil than it produces, and with the sanctions in place, and its low purchasing power, North Korea cannot purchase any more. This means that there will be very limited use of aircraft because the oil will be preserved for the land systems. The use on naval systems will also be very limited, only for special missions. This renders much of North Korea’s war machinery useless and means that they cannot use their numbers to full effect. This also means that they cannot transport things using trucks, and will have to revert to steam powered-trains. But with the lack of railroads, it will be very difficult to get equipment to the front lines, especially if North Korea is the one who launches the attack.

Geographic Assessment: Do I really have to say it?, OK I will, all facts are from CIA world factbook

Waterways

2,250 Km

Coastline

2,495 Km

Total Land Area

120,540 Km²

From here we can tell that attacking North Korea from the sea would be quite difficult, as they have a very small coastline and a very large navy. But considering the fact that most of their navy will be obsolete due to the lack of oil, it would be a very open possibility.  North Korea’s waterways are quite large, allowing for transportation by sea, which could get rid of some of the logistical problems that North Korea faces. The total land area indicates that it would not be difficult to defeat North Korea, and Guerrilla Warfare would be impractical due to the fact that North Korea is only the size of Mississippi. North Korea terrain however, does provide a lot of cover, and it would be difficult to just march straight into North Korea, as North Korea could position it’s soldiers to wait out and then flank the allied forces. Therefore its terrain gives North Korea an advantage in a defensive war, but limits its capability further in an offensive war. 

Conclusion(War Scenario)

North Korea is a nation on the brink of war with the western world. It has threatened to attack its neighbour to the south and has made several provocative moves, such as firing artillery shells into South Korea, and sinking a South Korean warship. North Korea has also warned about its nuclear capability. Sources confirm that North Korea has nuclear enrichment facilities, although at this point we do not know if they have developed nuclear weapons. If North Korea decides to attack South Korea, the war would be quick bellow the 38^th parallel. The South Korean Defenders would destroy the ill-equipped, ill-trained, technologically lacking North Korea. Considering that North Korea would not have the majority of their tanks to support their ground infantry. The only real damage that North Korea can cause below the 38^th parallel is shelling Soule. This is a fact of life, as Soule is located 20 miles away from the border, and is in range of conventional artillery. North Korea also has the capability of deploying commandos in order to commit acts of terrorism in places like Soule. The war bellow the 38^th parallel is expected to last no longer than a month, as North Korea is outmatched in every way by South Korea.

Once the war get above the 38^th parallel however, things get a little more complicated. Although a full Guerrilla war against South Korea is not possible, North Korean troops using Guerrilla tactics can still inflict a lot of damage. Also even though South Korea has total air superiority, it will become less and less significant and you push north, because of the 11,000 air defence systems that North Korea has. Furthermore, North Korea’s propaganda has literally led all of the population to hate everyone except North Korea. This means that South Korean troops will receive no cooperation from the North Korean population. North Korea’s Navy would probably be obliterated, mostly because there is not enough fuel to power all the ships. This gives South Korea some options in supporting its ground forces. Also by this time, Most of the fighting is happening between ground infantry, and in this sector, North Korea has a great numerical advantage. At this point, South Korean ground forces would have to rely of their own training and support from armoured units to fight back the sheer numbers of the North Korea army. This however, is very difficult, and will really put the South Koreans to the test. Also it would be very hard to maintain supply lines, due to the fact that the population is against South Korea. This would turn into a war of attrition, and all evidence points to a South Korean victory, due to larger resources.

A war like that would be devastating and would cause thousands of casualties. A reunified Korea would have to deal with a lot of things, such as convincing the former North Koreans that 90% of what they have been told are lies. Also an economic recovery would be really difficult to achieve, after a war. North Korea has the manpower to be the largest army in the world. But North Korea does not have the resources to even fuel their tanks and airplanes. That is why there is no way that North Korea can win any war; accept a war of attrition above the 38^th parallel. Even that is highly unlikely due to South Korea’s advanced military technology and superior economy.