[RichardG]

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday issued the Trump administration's starkest warning yet to North Korea, saying that a military response would be "on the table" if Pyongyang took action to threaten South Korean and U.S. forces.

Speaking in Seoul after visiting the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula and some of the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, Tillerson said former President Barack Obama's policy of "strategic patience" towards Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs was over.

"We are exploring a new range of security and diplomatic measures. All options are on the table," Tillerson told a news conference.

He said any North Korean actions that threatened U.S. or South Korean forces would be met with "an appropriate response," turning up the volume of the tough language that has marked President Donald Trump's approach to North Korea.

"Certainly, we do not want for things to get to a military conflict," he said when asked about possible military action, but added: "If they elevate the threat of their weapons program to a level that we believe requires action, that option is on the table."

In spite of Tillerson's warning, U.S. officials have stressed that while an ongoing review on North Korea policy includes military options, such contingency planning has been conducted for decades and that the preferred course is to press Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programs through increased sanctions and other diplomatic pressure, particularly on China.

Tillerson, a former oil executive with no prior diplomatic experience, travels to China on Saturday, where he will press Beijing, North Korea's only ally, to do more to rein in its neighbor.

The main focus of Tillerson's trip, his first visit to Asia as secretary of state, has been on developing a "new approach" to North Korea after what he described as two decades of failed efforts to persuade it to denuclearize. Tillerson also visited Japan on his trip.

Trump said on Friday that North Korea was "behaving very badly" and accused China of doing little to resolve the crisis over the North's weapons programs.

(can they not declare war anytime soon please, i'm supposed to be spending a year studying abroad in south korea during my third year of uni )

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by RichardG

(can they not declare war anytime soon please, i'm supposed to be spending a year studying abroad in south korea during my third year of uni )

That is worrying for you. Hopefully things will have calmed down by then. When are you due to go?

[RichardG]

june 2018 rip me

hopefully nothing comes of this !! i'd rather not have my plane shot down by kim jong un

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by RichardG

june 2018 rip me

hopefully nothing comes of this !! i'd rather not have my plane shot down by kim jong un

IT''s good you can joke about it, but I understand your concerns. You have a while yet so hopefully all will be ok by then. Enjoy your year it sounds like a great opportunity.

[RichardG]

thank you, yes i'm looking forward to it ^^

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by RichardG

thank you, yes i'm looking forward to it ^^

I forgot to ask, what are you studying?

[RichardG]

history

i'm taking a horizon study abroad which is where you can choose to go to either south korea, japan, or china for a year and do intensive study of the native language plus a beginners course in another asian language (i'll be doing korean + beginners mandarin chinese). i have to do introductory korean language lessons in my first two years of uni here in the uk so i can start at intermediate level in korea and it's going really well so far! i'll be very disappointed if it gets cancelled because a war breaks out!

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by RichardG

history

i'm taking a horizon study abroad which is where you can choose to go to either south korea, japan, or china for a year and do intensive study of the native language plus a beginners course in another asian language (i'll be doing korean + beginners mandarin chinese). i have to do introductory korean language lessons in my first two years of uni here in the uk so i can start at intermediate level in korea and it's going really well so far! i'll be very disappointed if it gets cancelled because a war breaks out!

Oh well done. I was never very good with languages. Was useless at French despite having a cousin who is a French teacher. I always quite fancied something like German or Swedish, might give it a go someday. For some reason Russia intrigues me but I would have no hope of learning that - looks far too complicated.

Hat off to you for taking on Korean , not an easy choice.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Brillopad

Oh well done. I was never very good with languages. Was useless at French despite having a cousin who is a French teacher. I always quite fancied something like German or Swedish, might give it a go someday. For some reason Russia intrigues me but I would have no hope of learning that - looks far too complicated.

Hat off to you for taking on Korean , not an easy choice.

Russian isn't that bad apparently, it's a different alphabet so there's the issue of learning that, but the symbols aren't too elaborate (like Mandarin or Japanese) and the syntax and structure of the language itself aren't too bad.

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Russian isn't that bad apparently, it's a different alphabet so there's the issue of learning that, but the symbols aren't too elaborate (like Mandarin or Japanese) and the syntax and structure of the language itself aren't too bad.

I don't know - maybe one day I'll be brave enough to take on Russian, it does look an interesting language.

Apparently learning a language is a good way of keeping your brain active when you get older and helps fend off dementia. As my mother was recently diagnosed with this it has really got me thinking.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Brillopad

I don't know - maybe one day I'll be brave enough to take on Russian, it does look an interesting language.

Apparently learning a language is a good way of keeping your brain active when you get older and helps fend off dementia. As my mother was recently diagnosed with this it has really got me thinking.

The only language I'm really interested in learning is Japanese, but that really does seem too complex . I was OKish at high school level French but beyond that I'm definitely not a linguist.

My wife's first degree was French so she's fluent in that, functional in German and also has some Russian and Arabic. Some people just seem to pick it up so easily. It's not fair .

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

The only language I'm really interested in learning is Japanese, but that really does seem too complex . I was OKish at high school level French but beyond that I'm definitely not a linguist.

My wife's first degree was French so she's fluent in that, functional in German and also has some Russian and Arabic. Some people just seem to pick it up so easily. It's not fair .

I'ts not. I'd love to be fluent in several languages - but it's just not meant to be.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Russian isn't that bad apparently, it's a different alphabet so there's the issue of learning that, but the symbols aren't too elaborate (like Mandarin or Japanese) and the syntax and structure of the language itself aren't too bad.

I used to work with a Russian.He taught me quite abit.The pronunciation is'nt so hard.
Can't remember much now.The alphabet etc would take a fair bit of studying i reckon.

[Tom4784]

Unless there's a direct threat to the US then they need to keep out of it lest they start a potential World War.

NK is so deprived that starvation is common and there's rarely any electricity outside of Pyongyang. If the Kim dynasty does anything other than bark then they are suicidal because an NK conflict would end quickly, the problem would be whether or not China and Russia would come to their aid and that's where the danger of WW3 comes from.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Unless there's a direct threat to the US then they need to keep out of it lest they start a potential World War.

NK is so deprived that starvation is common and there's rarely any electricity outside of Pyongyang. If the Kim dynasty does anything other than bark then they are suicidal because an NK conflict would end quickly, the problem would be whether or not China and Russia would come to their aid and that's where the danger of WW3 comes from.

I don't think it would be that easy at all.
Yes they are deprived but one reason for that is they put a disproportionate amount of money and resources into their military.They have over a million troops active.Not to mention nearly 8 million reserves.
It would not be a good idea to go to war with NK for that reason alone.It would be long and bloody.
Not to mention as you say China would more than likely back them up.I think a war with China and NK would be unwinable.It would have to end either when both sides agree to end it,when they ran out of capability to fight or in nuclear destruction.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

I don't think it would be that easy at all.
Yes they are deprived but one reason for that is they put a disproportionate amount of money and resources into their military.They have over a million troops active.Not to mention nearly 8 million reserves.
It would not be a good idea to go to war with NK for that reason alone.It would be long and bloody.
Not to mention as you say China would more than likely back them up.I think a war with China and NK would be unwinable.It would have to end either when both sides agree to end it,when they ran out of capability to fight or in nuclear destruction.

Their large military is window dressing though. They pish themselves to the wire in order for it to exist but it wouldn't function for long if it had to become active... You can't just have a military and then send it off into the world autonomously. There has to be a constant stream of fuel, ammunition, food for the personnel... They can barely maintain a parked military, it's very unlikely that they have the resources and supply lines to mobilise it for more than a few months, if at all.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Their large military is window dressing though. They pish themselves to the wire in order for it to exist but it wouldn't function for long if it had to become active... You can't just have a military and then send it off into the world autonomously. There has to be a constant stream of fuel, ammunition, food for the personnel... They can barely maintain a parked military, it's very unlikely that they have the resources and supply lines to mobilise it for more than a few months, if at all.

It would more than likely be fought on Korean soil though.On the border between north and south with China supplying NK with supplies and weapons/missile systems/anti aircraft and eventually if NK were getting pushed back China would send in troops and the big guns.
Wars like that are'nt quick.Vietnam was twenty years,Afghan and Iraq took half that time.Yes they were all under different conditions but i could'nt see NK being quick and easy.

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

I don't think it would be that easy at all.
Yes they are deprived but one reason for that is they put a disproportionate amount of money and resources into their military.They have over a million troops active.Not to mention nearly 8 million reserves.
It would not be a good idea to go to war with NK for that reason alone.It would be long and bloody.
Not to mention as you say China would more than likely back them up.I think a war with China and NK would be unwinable.It would have to end either when both sides agree to end it,when they ran out of capability to fight or in nuclear destruction.

NK has a lot of soldiers but I doubt they have the resources to sustain a war effort for very long.

I'd say Russia's more of a threat for escalating any potential conflict than China. China's alliance with NK is a matter of convenience so unless there's no other option, I couldn't see them being drawn into it willingly. They're still a massive danger though obviously.