North Korea stages reunification rally in DMZ as tensions rise. Do you think the two Koreas will ever be reunified?

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 11:52:40 -0400

North Korea held a loud but peaceful mass rally inside the Demilitarized Zone on Saturday — the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Koreas from Japanese colonial rule — replete with an all-woman brass band, flag-waving and fist-pumping, as South Korean and U.S. soldiers stood watch just meters away on their side of the truce village of Panmunjom.

Though staged to mark the anniversary of Japan's World War II defeat, the rally came just after Pyongyang said the South had committed an act of war by broadcasting anti-North propaganda across the border.

North and South Korea failed to agree on any joint celebration of the landmark anniversary of the liberation of their peninsula from Japan.

Read more at ...

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2015/08/15/north-korea-stages-unification-rally-dmz-tensions-rise/31774485/

North Korea stages unification rally in DMZ as tensions rise

PANMUNJOM, North Korea (AP) — North Korea held a loud but peaceful mass rally inside the Demilitarized Zone on Saturday — the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Koreas from Japanese colonial rule — replete with an all-woman brass band, flag-wa

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Aug 15 at 2015 12:12 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 12:12:46 -0400

Not until the North is defeated.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Aug 15 at 2015 12:27 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 12:27:59 -0400

Not in any of our lifetimes.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Aug 15 at 2015 4:55 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 16:55:35 -0400

Korea has just as much chance of reunification as does Vietnam. Oh wait, Vietnam was reunified when the South was abandoned by the United States and the North, backed by China, invaded (again). So I guess my answer is "yes", it could happen (again)...

Response by SGT Christopher Churilla made Aug 15 at 2015 9:05 PM

SGT Christopher Churilla — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 21:05:08 -0400

It is possible, once North Korea swallows its pride and admits its policies are killing its own people. I don't believe military action will be needed to bring it down; it will destroy itself.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2015 11:41 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 23:41:45 -0400

I don't see this ever happening. At least not in our lifetime. If anything, North Korea will most likely just open up there borders for more influx of technology and commerce. The Kim family will never re-unify into one large Korea, they will lose all their power and he/they will be brought up on crimes against humanity. He isn't completely stupid and he knows this.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 15 at 2015 11:43 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 23:43:23 -0400

Not until the north changes

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Aug 16 at 2015 2:27 AM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Sun, 16 Aug 2015 02:27:21 -0400

Not going to hold my breath on that one. Wasn't just a few days ago I heard about some of the South Korean soldiers being the victims of some Land Mines from an area along the DMZ that they were sure had previously been cleared. Between that and the Pot Shots across the DMZ by both sides. No going to be a long time before Korea is a Settled Issue.

Response by SPC William Weedman made Aug 17 at 2015 8:11 PM

SPC William Weedman — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 20:11:54 -0400

It is highly doubtful. The military is kept happy and fed by the power elites to prevent a general uprising, along with the pervasive propaganda that starts as a young child to believe that the ruling families are deities to be worshipped. Anyone under 65 has never known anything different. I read elsewhere that DPRK is having a problem with defections when North Koreans are permitted to travel abroad despite the warnings that the family will be rounded up and interred in the prison camps that the North claims do not exist. Cracks are showing in the leadership as it is clear Kim Jong Un did not have the decades of training his father did at Kim Il Sung's side.
I also do not think the North Koreans will try to unify the peninsula by force either. The generals know, even if they will not admit it, that they will lose a conventional war, especially if they initiate a resumption of combat; the response by a well-prepared South Korea and US military will not allow a June surprise like 1950. The wildcard is whether the North will try to use their nuclear power to destroy the South, if they do they will destroy the technology, bodies & wealth they would need to keep the economy from total collapse.

Response by SGT Lawrence Corser made Aug 18 at 2015 7:15 PM

SGT Lawrence Corser — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 19:15:44 -0400

no.

Response by SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint made May 13 at 2016 11:16 PM

SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint — Fri, 13 May 2016 23:16:12 -0400

I know that South Korea has spent of a lot of money on the Ministry of Reunification. They have studied the East German transition and want to not have the same challenges. Below are pictures from the new LAST train station in South Korea, or as you now say the first to North Korea. We bought tickets to North Korea, which would have got me in hot water with my security clearance as an MI guy. Times have changed. (FYI, it cost 50 cents, but no train comes..... Until reunification happens.) I recently went to South Korea, which was trip 47 between the wife and I. It was my first time paying to go there!! We wrote a book about the comparison from my first tour 1987-88 through my other tours and than Oct 15 trip. The info on the book is
Book Co-Authored with Dr. Anna Lint, “8 Eyes on Korea, A Travel Perspective of Seoul, Korea.”
Multiple perspectives of Korea from both Americans and Koreans.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BAEVN7I All proceeds go to charity for scholarships.

Amazon.com: 8 Eyes on Korea, A Travel Perspective of Seoul, Korea eBook: Anna Lint, James Lint,...

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Response by Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen made Mar 2 at 2017 5:30 PM

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:30:13 -0500

Perhaps when Hell freezes over.

Response by SFC George Smith made Mar 3 at 2017 12:12 AM

SFC George Smith — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 00:12:32 -0500

NK will Never surrender ... Never... you have to come begging to them or you are Nothing .... The entire family is a bunch of inbreed Morons and idiots with ideals of modern imperial rule of their Nation ...

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Feb 13 at 2018 4:27 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:27:31 -0500

Yes, There were three Koreas for centuries. They united for a while because we attacked them in the 1870's but Japan made short work of that. Hyundai and Samsung have major plants there so do hundreds of smaller companies. Follow the money. Joe Pence just did us more harm than Kimmie the Pooh

Response by MSG Louis Alexander made Mar 12 at 2018 7:11 PM

MSG Louis Alexander — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 19:11:11 -0400

On reunification you have the South willing to do almost anything to unite the country. The North however is not as agile. To them, unification is only possible if “They” are the ones in control of two things. First: They want the security of controlling the military forces. Second: they will want to spread Juche throughout the South ensuring their philosophy is instilled guaranteeing their political system and control. Eventually they’ll unite. When is another question. For six decades tensions existed…like a yoyo always back and forth to see who has the better angle, neither getting the upper hand. I would have thought by now one or the other would’ve pushed the other into a warring altercation. I suppose unless they are gently pushed into hostilities, the war of words will continue.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Mar 12 at 2018 10:08 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 22:08:06 -0400

Never say "never". The reunification of East and West Germany came as a complete surprise. And, like Germany, I think that South Korea has the capacity to absorb the North and build a successful nation. Of course, the Soviet Union had to fall before German reunification could occur. Similarly, China would have to suffer a similar catastrophic collapse otherwise they will continue to stand in the way of any reunification of Korea. They could never allow such a powerful Western Ally to develop on their border. They need North Korea as a buffer...

Response by PO1 Mary Vermont made Mar 13 at 2018 10:17 AM

PO1 Mary Vermont — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 10:17:25 -0400

As much a chance as peace in middle east. Snowball in hell

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Mar 13 at 2018 10:55 AM

SGM Bill Frazer — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 10:55:38 -0400

Quite possibly, but not under NK- they are starving, beaten, with only enough economy to keep the military up. South Korea is one of the most economic rising nation in Asia, and the they will not lost everything they have. I imagine something like the union of West and East Germany.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Mar 13 at 2018 8:00 PM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 20:00:47 -0400

Sure I do, and I believe in the tooth fairy and Mr. Kim will go to Disney once he gives up his seat...not