[Milwaukee_Guy]

"When you say poker hand you seem to mean we need a large ground force available? We will never again use a large ground force in NK"

The NK army has millions of trained troops, lots and lots of armor and massive amounts of artillery. NK can shower the approaches to Seoul with relentless artillery and missile attacks and likely get to the South Korean capital in 24-48 hours.

Our air assets would wreck havoc on the NK army but the big question is, can we actually stop them before the South Korean landscape and economy is shattered for the next 20 years?

[Enchante]

I am no expert, but while it's certainly true that N. Korean artillery could wreak havoc around Seoul and kill vast numbers, I don't think an invasion of the south would go anywhere in the face of the airpower we could bring to bear. N. Korean columns and divisions would look like the 1991 "Highway of Death" within a very short time.... correct me if you have specific information about how N. Korean troops could move at will without being decimated from the air.

[cherokee1]

The SGooks themselves don't seem to be terribly concerned about the prospect of a 20 mile demolition area developing on their north side. Unless they change their Rodney King policy I guess we shouldn't fret too much ABOUT THEM. The NGooks do have a pretty impressive 180 MM cannon, and we have to have plans in place to deal with them, But if they ever touch one off pointing south they have to realize it would be an act of SUEECIDE (remember Lantos).

[JasonC]

Who cares? If they come south, throw 50 nukes at their front line forces and blow them off the planet. It would concentrate minds. Don't ask anybody's permission, don't make any UN grandstanding speeches, don't treat it as a photo op. Just win and let the chattering classes be speechless for a few hours. Oh and never apologize.