Should the world fear a North Korean EMP attack?

[Free Vulcan]

Most present talk concerning North Korea is focused on fears that the Hermit Kingdom could strike the U.S. or one of its allies with a city-leveling nuclear weapon. But some observers say the threat of an EMP attack from the country’s regime is a more credible, and just as devastating, threat to world order.

Writing for The Hill, Dr. Peter Vincent Pry, chief of staff of the Congressional EMP Commission, warned Thursday that North Korea could launch a grid destroying attack on Tokyo or South Korea with relative ease.

The ensuing chaos would render the U.S. impotent to leverage assets in the region to defend against further North Korean aggression.

Read more at: https://personalliberty.com/world-fear-north-korean-emp-attack/

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This worries me far more than anything else they could do.

[Victoria33]

N. Korea could do it to us.

[Free Vulcan]

N. Korea could do it to us.

A few detonated over CA would take down a big chunk of our economy in one swoop.

[EC]

This worries me far more than anything else they could do.

Least worry, for me.

Lil Kim, and his generals, work with what they know in their gut (same as everyone, really).

An EMP attack on North Korea would do almost exactly nothing. Therefore an EMP attack is not effective in showing the might of the dear Leader. Effing big bangs, on the other hand .....

[The_Reader_David]

Least worry, for me.

Lil Kim, and his generals, work with what they know in their gut (same as everyone, really).

An EMP attack on North Korea would do almost exactly nothing. Therefore an EMP attack is not effective in showing the might of the dear Leader. Effing big bangs, on the other hand .....

I hope you're right.  Taking out a city requires getting a nuke fairly close, an EMP attack just requires detonation at more-or-less the right altitude in the general vicinity of the country being attacked.  The invulnerability of the DPRK to EMP attack due to their basically non-existent civilian infrastructure would be an ace-in-the-hole to a rational strategist in their position.

[the_doc]

Taking out a city requires getting a nuke fairly close, an EMP attack just requires detonation at more-or-less the right altitude in the general vicinity of the country being attacked. 

Some authorities have said that a single nuke detonated about 300 miles above the middle of the U.S. could kill 90% of Americans over a period of one to two years.  I suspect that their estimate is too high, but the EMP scenario is still a monumentally serious one.

[Wingnut]

Some authorities have said that a single nuke detonated about 300 miles above the middle of the U.S. could kill 90% of Americans over a period of one to two years.  I suspect that their estimate is too high, but the EMP scenario is still a monumentally serious one.

The whole EMP scare is just manufactured fake science designed to panic the public.   Much like the Y2k scam and Man made climate change.

[the_doc]

The whole EMP scare is just manufactured fake science designed to panic the public.   Much like the Y2k scam and Man made climate change.

I would certainly hope you are correct, but I don't know why the Global Puppetmasters would want to scare us about EMPs.

Besides, there is a scientific mechanism that apparently does explain the EMP effect that was noticed in the early days of aboveground nuke testing.

[Oceander]

The EMP effect from a nuclear detonation is real.  However, I don't know if the NK could pull off a big one that would affect most of the US at this point.

They would, however, guarantee that they would not be around to see whether or not it worked, so I doubt they'll try an EMP attack without provocation. 

[Oceander]

It seems to me that the real point of NKs efforts to have nukes that can reach US territory is to give them enough time when they launch an invasion of South Korea for it to be fait accompli - fact on the ground - before the US intervenes. 

In other words, up until now, if NK forces crossed the DMZ, the US immediately starts massacring those forces with conventional weapons.  However, if NK has a few icbms with nukes that can reach US territory - even just Guam - the US will hesitate until it knows those missiles have been neutralized.  Thus, the US would spend the first part looking for the missile launching sites to take them out.  Only after the US has satisfied itself that the icbm threat is neutralized will the US be willing to start attacking NK's invasion force with conventional weapons. 

My guess is that the NK plan is for that to take sufficiently long that it will be firmly in control of Seoul and enough of SK that the US will simply have to accept the invasion as accomplished, because - I'm sure the NK also believes this - the US is not going to be willing to launch an open-ended campaign of attrition to extirpate NK invasion forces once they're dug in over a significant portion of the South. 

I think that's really what NK wants its nukes and icbms for.  They aren't first and foremost interested in actually attacking the US.

[driftdiver]

It seems to me that the real point of NKs efforts to have nukes that can reach US territory is to give them enough time when they launch an invasion of South Korea for it to be fait accompli - fact on the ground - before the US intervenes. 

In other words, up until now, if NK forces crossed the DMZ, the US immediately starts massacring those forces with conventional weapons.  However, if NK has a few icbms with nukes that can reach US territory - even just Guam - the US will hesitate until it knows those missiles have been neutralized.  Thus, the US would spend the first part looking for the missile launching sites to take them out.  Only after the US has satisfied itself that the icbm threat is neutralized will the US be willing to start attacking NK's invasion force with conventional weapons. 

My guess is that the NK plan is for that to take sufficiently long that it will be firmly in control of Seoul and enough of SK that the US will simply have to accept the invasion as accomplished, because - I'm sure the NK also believes this - the US is not going to be willing to launch an open-ended campaign of attrition to extirpate NK invasion forces once they're dug in over a significant portion of the South. 

I think that's really what NK wants its nukes and icbms for.  They aren't first and foremost interested in actually attacking the US.

Well according to my wife who grew up in south Korea he's using America as an enemy to galvanize his country.  Same as the Arabs.  There's also lingering anger over the korean war which they blame us for starting. 

[Oceander]

Well according to my wife who grew up in south Korea he's using America as an enemy to galvanize his country.  Same as the Arabs.  There's also lingering anger over the korean war which they blame us for starting. 

Of course.  And that helps, but nukes aren't really needed to demonize the US, just ask Cuba. 

[driftdiver]

Keep in mind that Russia was in North Korea before the korean war.  They are there now.  We always think of China as the primary instigator but it was Russia.  China became involved when our troops went too far north and they saw an opportunity.

[Oceander]

Keep in mind that Russia was in North Korea before the korean war.  They are there now.  We always think of China as the primary instigator but it was Russia.  China became involved when our troops went too far north and they saw an opportunity.

Most likely the Russians are still there.  The NK will play with whatever bad actors they can find, I think.  The question still remains what do they really want the nukes for.

[driftdiver]

Of course.  And that helps, but nukes aren't really needed to demonize the US, just ask Cuba.

They are needed for the status.  They don't just want to demonize us.  Yes they are doing that to unify their people.  He wants to beat us.  They aren't good losers.

[driftdiver]

Most likely the Russians are still there.  The NK will play with whatever bad actors they can find, I think.  The question still remains what do they really want the nukes for.

To kill Americans in a spectacular fashion.  He will use them if he thinks he's going to be removed.

[Oceander]

They are needed for the status.  They don't just want to demonize us.  Yes they are doing that to unify their people.  He wants to beat us.  They aren't good losers.

The Cubans didn't need them and look what they managed to accomplish, without having a next door neighbor like China to cover for them. 

I think they have a much more specific goal in mind with the nukes and I think that it has to do with the traditional goal of uniting the two Koreas - under NKs flag - and the nukes are needed to hold off the US from intervening right at the very beginning of the invasion, at the one point where it could be stopped by the US without the US having to commit to a multiyear campaign with ground troops. 

[driftdiver]

The Cubans didn't need them and look what they managed to accomplish, without having a next door neighbor like China to cover for them. 

I think they have a much more specific goal in mind with the nukes and I think that it has to do with the traditional goal of uniting the two Koreas - under NKs flag - and the nukes are needed to hold off the US from intervening right at the very beginning of the invasion, at the one point where it could be stopped by the US without the US having to commit to a multiyear campaign with ground troops.

An attack on south Korea would not unify them.  The north can kill a lot of people but they can't take it by force.

If they attack it would really piss off every south korean.  The south korean military isn't as big as the north but they are pretty bad ass.

[Oceander]

An attack on south Korea would not unify them.  The north can kill a lot of people but they can't take it by force.

If they attack it would really piss off every south korean.  The south korean military isn't as big as the north but they are pretty bad ass.

Obviously, I disagree.  And since neither of us is privy to the inner counsels of NK and neither of us is a military expert, that's where it will simply have to stand.

Good night. 

[Free Vulcan]

The wildcard is that Jong Un may not be rational. He well may be the guy who would light the match to watch it burn.

[bigheadfred]

Be nice if our tech wizards could interfere with the telemetry and land those nukes on Iran and/or f ghanistan.

[jmyrlefuller]

If EMP were so devastating, I'm pretty sure someone would have tried it by now.

[Oceander]

If EMP were so devastating, I'm pretty sure someone would have tried it by now.

It was tested as part of the nuclear weapons testing done by the U.S. and the Soviet Union.  It is a measurable effect.  Read up on it:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_electromagnetic_pulse

[bigheadfred]

If EMP were so devastating, I'm pretty sure someone would have tried it by now.

I think it is a risk/reward thing. Only do it if you are REALLY ready to back it up.

[Gefn]

Then why is the government participating in "Earth EX" on August 23?.


http://www.eiscouncil.com/EarthEx

It sounds like they are worried.