this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2024
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South Korea has summoned the Russian ambassador, seeking the "immediate withdrawal" of North Korean troops which it says are being trained to fight in Ukraine.

About 1,500 North Korean soldiers, including those from the special forces, have already arrived in Russia, according to Seoul's spy agency.

In a meeting with the ambassador Georgiy Zinoviev, South Korea's vice-foreign minister Kim Hong-kyun denounced the move and warned that Seoul will "respond with all measures available".

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Seoul will “respond with all measures available”.

Perhaps the law that forbids arms exports to warfighting countries could be re-examined? Wouldn't even need to toss the whole thing, a new law could probably be passed to create an exception.

I'm sure some of S Korea's gigantic reserves of 155mm would make a very significant difference.

[–] gravitas_deficiency 13 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Or, a few battalions of those shiny K2 Black Panthers, which Poland signed a deal for an absolute shitload of a couple years back. This’d be outstanding battlefield testing for them, tbh.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 6 days ago

SK has mostly kept from supplying Ukraine. Closest they have gotten is selling shells to the US to open up more US shells to go to Ukraine. I could see SK changing their stance about supplying Ukraine over this.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I've been curious about this, since the United States and South Korea are both still at war with North Korea and the latter is sending troops into Ukraine, doesn't that mean that it's an active combat zone for both of us? Seems like all the pretext you would need to move troops into the area.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

NK is protected by China so no, no the US wont move troops into NK.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago

Not into NK

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 days ago (2 children)

why does anyone in existence think that goose-stepping isn't the dumbest goofiest looking bullshit anyone's ever done? i say this in a world where dabbing and planking have been things

[–] [email protected] 43 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Basically because Prussia developed it as a way of keeping soldiers in rigidly drilled formation advancing in lines towards defensive positions with muskets, because before rifles were common in military advancing in a tightly coordinated firing line in the face defensive musket fire was a devastatingly effective tactic but which required a lot of training and discipline. The Prussian army became famously successful while using it and it became very in style. As rifles became more common on the battlefield and defensive fire became more accurate it became obsolete as a tactic but it stuck as a ceremonial "impressive" looking thing. Now that everyone who remembers it being a real effective combat tactic is long dead and it's just associated with Nazis and the Soviet Union... Well... It basically just summons images of authoritarian military parades and people who get hard for that kind of thing are still into it and everyone else thinks it's stupid as hell.

That said, formal marching is still very much a thing in most if not all militaries, and it does tend to focus on rigidity and body control and very purposeful movements. Marching without bending the knees is a semi easy way of simplifying it so that every soldier seems to be moving the same way, which is often the goal of the effect, otherwise you have to train the exact time and angle which people are bending their knees and correcting for people with different length legs.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 days ago

Really great explanation! Thanks!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

Ah Prussia, the root cause of so much military ridiculousness

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 days ago (3 children)

I would think that fewer DPRK soldiers on the Korean peninsula, and more or them defecting, captured, wounded, or killed in Ukraine would be good for South Korea.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I think DPRK's hope is that at least some soldiers and officers will return with some modern combat experience, something that their military organization is dreadfully lacking. It could end up being a bigger problem down the road for ROK even if they lose a few thousand bodies.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 days ago

That's a good point. So the ROK should work closely with Ukraine in order to try and bridge the gap on the other end...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

They can't really take them back they've seen the outside world.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

All they're seeing is western Russia and war torn Ukraine. Not really an impressive view, is it?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

If you're from a starving country and have been told all your life that everywhere else is worse, a war zone without famine is bloody impressive.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 days ago

Agreed, but on the flip side, they likely don't want the stain of this war on anything that can be termed "Korean".

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure the answer is no.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

All measures available: strong worded letter.

The peeeeeen!

Is mightier

Than the sworrrrerrrrrrrrrrrd!

/S

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago

I read that as the peen is mightier than the sword and giggled

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago

OH SHIT UKRAINIAN K2s?!????? PLEASE YES PLEEEEEEASE