When North Korean soldiers meet a modern army

Bullgrit · Apr 12, 2013

I'm not looking to make a political discussion in any way. I don't mean to belittle anyone, nor to start an argument about who starts what in the real world. But recently reading articles and seeing pictures of the North Korean army, this thought came to mind.

Can you imagine what the reaction will be for the NK soldiers if/when they come face to face with American or South Korean soldiers.

The NK soldiers average 5'5" height, and [guessing] 110?# weight. They seem to use and wear 1950's, (maybe 70s), uniforms and war gear, apparently (judging from pictures) with minimal equipment and ammunition. They've had no exposure to the rest of the world. So I would imagine they'd see fully geared-up American soldiers as almost mythological monsters, giants with sci-fi war tech -- almost 6' tall, 170#, plus body armor, ammunition, and various 21st century gear.

This idea fascinates me. It would be not just a clash of cultures, but almost like some kind science fiction, alien invasion story from Hollywood. What do you think?

Here are some pictures to illustrate the idea:

2012_12$largeimg215_Dec_2012_215041967.jpg

Bullgrit

Umbran · Apr 12, 2013

I think you may be comparing what one side looks like in the field to what the other side looks like when kitted out in dress uniform for photo opportunities.

Bullgrit · Apr 12, 2013

Yes, I do realize that. I've seen photos of some NK soldiers supposedly "in the field" and they look similar to the first pic above. But there's no way to know for sure if that is truly their battle gear, but considering their situation, I suspect it's at least close.

Bullgrit

Bullgrit · Apr 12, 2013

Ahnehnois · Apr 12, 2013

WWII was not so different in this respect. The Japanese aren't exactly tall either, but they proved formidable combatants. In some cases, it was probably an advantage.

Bedrockgames · Apr 12, 2013

I think weapons, tactics and technology matter a lot more than height when you are talking about modern warfare.

frankthedm · Apr 12, 2013

And don't ignore the added benefit that Nor.K. forces are back up by a leader willing to use the nukes he has as part of an attack strategy rather than merely as deterrent.

On WWII Japan: Centuries of God-Emperor worship & romanticizing the warriors code did wonders for fighting moral. Fighting was anticipated to be so brutal, that the reserve of Purple Hearts the US had commissioned for the planned invasion lasted into the next century.

Speaking of Japan...

Bullgrit · Apr 12, 2013

I'm not talking about how a fight/battle/war would go. I'm talking about the reaction of a common/average/normal NK soldier on being confronted (not necessarily in a combat situation) by a modern soldier of a 1st-world nation.

Bullgrit

Dannyalcatraz · Apr 12, 2013

My guess is that they'd react pretty much like any soldier seeing combat for the first time.

jonesy · Apr 12, 2013

I think they would think that the avarage american soldier was weighted down by pointless gadgets and gizmos, because the avarage NK soldier probably wouldn't know why all that suff was there.