Arms buildup between two Koreas heightens risk of conventional and nuclear war



Analysis Arms buildup between two Koreas heightens risk of conventional and nuclear war In-depth review of military capabilities on the peninsula underscores obstacles to peace and catastrophic costs of war James M. Minnich October 25, 2021 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON KCNA \| North Korean soldiers march at the military parade on Oct. 10, 2020 Overshadowed by decades’ long efforts toward denuclearization is the ongoing conventional arms buildup on the Korean Peninsula that will prove central to any future armed conflict between the two Koreas. Unlike other large militaries that defend long territorial fronts like China or that deploy forward like the U.S., the Korean People’s Army (KPA) of the DPRK is singularly organized to deter, defend against and defeat as necessary the Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command (ROK-U.S. CFC). The KPA’s narrow purpose, coupled with a home turf advantage, helps compensate for shortfalls from limited Read More © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01North Korea reveals new vertical take-off drones amid ‘modern warfare’ push 02How long-range strikes on Russia could impact North Korean troop deployments 03How North Korean hackers and IT workers collude to cause chaos 04What pro-Trump think tanks reveal about his likely North Korea policy priorities 05Yoon bet on US to deter North Korea. Now he faces an alliance skeptic in Trump. 06All the question marks hanging over Trump’s approach to North Korea in term two 07Time almost up for North Korea’s plan to launch 3 military satellites in 2024 08Trump return rekindles prospects of North Korea talks, but Russia stands in way

About the Author

James M. Minnich

Dr. James M. Minnich, Colonel U.S. Army retired, is a professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu. Formerly he was associate dean and senior military professor, and is now chair of the Northeast Asia Group and Women, Peace, and Security Group. He has had sustained in-depth experiences in Asia since 1982, including 15 years in Korea. In 2016, the South Korean president awarded him the Order of National Security Merit Samil for long and substantive service in defense of the Republic of Korea. He served in Korea as the secretary of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission, deputy chief of the Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group, and chief of the USFK Policy Branch. He is a 2009 senior service college distinguished honor graduate from the Korean National Defense University, and a 2001 graduate from the Korean Army College. He earned a doctorate from the University of Southern California, master’s degrees from Harvard University and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a diploma in Korean language studies from Sogang University in Seoul. He has written several books and articles on various security issues. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect official policies or positions of DKI APCSS, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

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