Revealing the formidable power of the North Korean Army

Regarding the strength of the North Korean Army, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said any military solution against Pyongyang would lead to unpredictable consequences.

These days, the world is focused on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions in developing missiles that can launch nuclear strikes on US territory, forgetting the formidable power of the conventional forces in the North Korean Army.

North Korea's multiple rocket launchers are one of many conventional weapons that could destroy the South Korean capital Seoul. Photo Daily Express

On May 22, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that any military solution to the North Korean crisis would lead to "tragic consequences on an unbelievable scale." This is the reason why a diplomatic solution is considered the only solution to resolve the crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

How strong is the North Korean army?

Analyst Nick Bisley, managing director of La Trobe Asia and editor-in-chief of the Australian Journal of International Affairs, said the North Korean military was the second most powerful institution, behind only the Kim family leaders.

Although North Korea has an estimated population of about 25 million, it has the second largest military in Asia, behind only China.

Professor Bisley said the Korean People's Army's active force is about 1.2 million soldiers, and two-thirds of them are deployed within a few dozen kilometers of the demilitarized zone (DMZ). In other words, this huge military force is right on the doorstep of the South Korean capital, Seoul.

North Korea's massive artillery and rocket force targeted the capital Seoul, a city of 10 million people and within artillery range of the DMZ.

Professor Bisley said that the North Korean military “has the ability to quickly destroy Seoul” with conventional weapons, let alone the most advanced weapons.

Many observers believe that North Korean artillery can concentrate firepower that can cause destruction no less than a nuclear attack, only without the radiation.

According to Professor Bisley, there is no doubt that North Korean soldiers could flood across the DMZ in the event of a second Korean War. “The extensive network of tunnels allows North Korea to infiltrate South Korea,” he added. As for the casualties of this war on the Korean Peninsula, analyst Nick Bisley estimates the number to be in the millions.

Professor Bisley said that while he may be indifferent to the suffering of his people, leader Kim Jong-un was still acting "entirely rationally".

A former CIA official said that within four years, North Korea could have a missile with a 10-kiloton nuclear warhead that could hit the west coast of the United States and kill 100,000 people. To do that, North Korea would need more than just an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Professor Bisley said North Korea would need to reach a point where it could survive a preemptive strike and still be able to launch a devastating nuclear counterattack on the US. He said it would be “a long time” before North Korea reached that level.

According to Kienthuc.net.vn