How North Korea could kill 90 percent of Americans

The Hill ^ | March 29, 2017 | R. James Woolsey and Vincent Pry

[SkyDancer]

Now you’re getting it. Next he’ll find that CD-RW to show.

[Elsie]

I wonder if my pacemaker will withstand EMP?

[BlackbirdSST]

We've been practicing that battle since the mid 90s.

We've been practicing that battle a lot longer than the mid 90's. Hell, I was deeply involved in it in the early 80's. I took up the banner from people practicing on it long before I got there. We are still technically at war with the NORK's, operating only under a cease fire agreement.

[Cobra64]

Very true. Faraday cage not required.

[TheOldLady]

Dude! Nice to see you again, and you're exactly right about this:

"This should have the highest priority. China, Russia and India have
hardened their grids have hardened their grids."

We are stupid and criminally negligent not to do so.

[hattend]

Two North Korean satellites, the KMS-3 and KMS-4, presently orbit over the U.S. on trajectories consistent with surprise EMP attack.

Sounds like some anti-satellite missile practice targets.

[laplata]

Good to see you, too. Yes, this is serious. And the sun could do more damage than a man made EMP. The telegraphs were fried by a solar flare in the 1850’s. An event like that today would be a disaster.

[backwoods-engineer]

I wonder if my pacemaker will withstand EMP?

As an electronics engineer, I have studied texts on pacemakers and pacemaker design to try to determine this for my loved ones with pacemakers.

The answer is, as best I can determine it, "It depends." If the EMP happens when you are indoors (modern steel buildings), or in a car, and defintely not near power lines, or if the bomb used is not very efficient at creating gamma rays near 60 miles above the earth, I think you have a shot at your pacemaker still functioning. Best I can do it a qualified "probably." If your wristwatch still works after, I think your pacemaker will.

[Bringbackthedraft]

Remember, “The Shrimp Boats are Coming”, its such a primitive way of delivery to an unsuspecting harbor. Off load the box onto a U-Haul vehicle and just drive it to the target. Can’t happen here. Riiiiiight.

[Elsie]

Oh well. This world is not my home anyway.

[backwoods-engineer]

"This world is not my home, I'm just a' passin' through..."

Same.

[nevergore]

Little Kim is sooooo cool...he invented time travel as well!

[Yosemitest]

I know about the "operating only under a cease fire agreement."
I've got 5 tours in South Korea myself (Control Tower Watch Supervisor Osan and Kunsan); the first starting in 85 and the last ending in 95.
I'm very confident that the ROKAF has only gotten stronger and more aggressive.
I have some worries about an EMP attack, but afterwards ... there won't be one piece of glass in North Korea that hasn't been shattered by a Supersonic Boom, before we firebomb the hell out of them.
Then we let the ROKAF go in and kill what's left.

[CIB-173RDABN]

The bottom line is why would they do it?

The response would be immediate and North Korea would no longer exist.

Even if he was insane, there has to be someone close to him that would put a bullet in his head if he gave such an order.

I would think China would take him out if it looked like they planned on doing such a thing. If North Korea is vaporized, a lot of radiation will be carried into China.