S Korea's nuke-powered subs to counter JPN threat

[Taro Toporific]

South Korea may deploy nuclear-powered subs - newspaper26 Jan / SEOUL (Reuters) - - South Korea is developing a plan to deploy several nuclear-powered submarines from 2012 to counter threats from "powerful neighbours"...The newspaper said the submarines would counter threats from "Japan, China and other surrounding countries" ...

[Kanchou]

Last time I checked, it was NK that was pointing nukes at everyone, not Japan... Man, that must be some real cultural resentment to still consider them a threat.

[Taro Toporific]

Last time I checked, it was NK that was pointing nukes at everyone, not Japan....

I suppose Lil' Kim counts as, "other surrounding countries" . However, the majority of S. Koreans under the age of 35 want "immediate reunification", it's kind of hard to say they need protection from N Korea, ain't it?

[AssKissinger]

Last time I checked, it was NK that was pointing nukes at everyone, not Japan....

I suppose Lil' Kim counts as, "other surrounding countries" . However, the majority of S. Koreans under the age of 35 want "immediate reunification", it's kind of hard to say they need protection from N Korea, ain't it?

You got a source for that one Topor? Do you think that's right Caustic?

[Taro Toporific]

[However, the majority of S. Koreans under the age of 35 want "immediate reunification", it's kind of hard to say they need protection from N Korea, ain't it?

You got a source for that one Topor? Do you think that's right Caustic?

Source for majority of S. Koreans under the age of 35 want "immediate reunification" Nope. But if ya wanna make a little wager, I'll come up with one.

The way I hear it, young S. Koreans are wacko for "immediate reunification", and the middle aged ones have obvious practical reservations. and the older ones have grave concerns.

[Kanchou]

I bet the older ones realize that "immediate reunification" will just mean that half the labor force of Korea (the ex-NK half) will be a bunch of lazy bastards, just like the East Germans after the reunification of Germany.

See, South Koreans don't need nuclear subs for defense... They need... MARINE COMMANDER!

[Caustic Saint]

I suppose Lil' Kim counts as, "other surrounding countries" . However, the majority of S. Koreans under the age of 35 want "immediate reunification", it's kind of hard to say they need protection from N Korea, ain't it?

You got a source for that one Topor? Do you think that's right Caustic?

I think the "age 35" part might be a bit off. By that age most Koreans are married with kids and have come to realze what would happen if "immediate reunification" were done instead of "gradual reunification."

It's mostly the hotheaded, "we love a good protest" university students who cry out for an immediate rejoining of the two Koreas. Also, high school-aged and younger students aren't being taught that immediate reunification is a great thing. They learn that people in NK are Korean too, and that it would be great for Korea to be whole again, but not that it should happen right away.

When I used to teach adults we had more than a couple discussions about reunification. The older ones (mid-thirties on up) shared the idea that it has to be a slow and steady process. They all understand that to rush into it would be an economic disaster far greater than the Chaebol Crisis of the late 90s.

I honestly think it will happen someday, but won't even hazard a guess as to when. Right now the issue is used by politicians in the south to curry favor with different groups, but nobody's putting any serious work into it. They know that the influx of NKers to the south would seriously change the economy. The makeup of the labor force would change and salaries for some jobs would likely dip. Most people here are pretty happy with their financial situation, and though they'll talk of how great it'd be for Korea to be whole, they don't want their wallets affected one single Won.

[Taro Toporific]

It's mostly the hotheaded, "we love a good protest" university students who cry out for an immediate rejoining of the two Koreas. Also, high school-aged and younger students aren't being taught that immediate reunification is a great thing...

I've got a real skewed sample of dozens of 30-something S Korean software engineers working amongst hundreds of mainland Chinese engineers here in a Japanese company. Needless to say, ALL the young S Korean engineers get wild ideas about the immediate rejoining of the Koreas from their ex-ChiCom coworkers who "magically" became capitalists overnight. Hell, I spent a summer in the old East Germany and would have never guessed that reunification would happen in my lifetime.