(2021) Previous discussion in 2024: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40937973">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40937973</a>
Most interesting observation:<p>> When serving in Iraq or Iran, my biggest fear in those places was always the threat of physical harm, be it ambushes on our person or vehicles, being kidnapped, rocket or mortar attacks on our embassy or accommodation. There were close shaves and the threat and the fear never left you in all of these places.
But as far as life in North Korea was concerned, there were none of these fears. Serving in North Korea gave you this strange feeling of being cut off, isolated and very insular and perversely at the same time “safe.”
"North Korea’s border with South Korea is a disputed border as both countries claim the entirety of the Korean Peninsula." - I did not know South Korea felt this way!
FWIW, this is no longer true for North Korea: a few years back they removed all references to reunification from the constitution and designated South Korea as an enemy state. They even refer to it by its South Korean name now (Hanguk/Daehanminguk), instead of the previous Namchoson.
Can't open the article, so maybe it was already mentioned. But not only does South Korea claim the entire Peninsula, they even consider North Koreans as South Korean citizens.
I was fascinated to learn while visiting they consider themselves ‘at war’ and generations from a unified time still strongly believe in the cause.<p>In tech specifically this leads to some surprising results such as transit planning being very ineffective or broken in google maps due to onshore data storage requirements. Subway alignments are regarded as sensitive info
>I was fascinated to learn while visiting they consider themselves ‘at war’<p>fun fact, Japan and Russia are technically in a state of war too. The World War II hasn't ended. They have never signed a treaty over the Kuril Islands, and they both claim them.
Indeed the fighting ended in an armistice so the war was never legally declared to be over. Visiting the DMZ between the countries is a surreal experience - part tense stand-off, part theme park.
<a href="https://archive.ph/RkSoY" rel="nofollow">https://archive.ph/RkSoY</a>
Why do we keep tolerating that regime which makes 26 mln people suffer? Why can't we do Operation a la Maduro there?
North Korean has won, once they had nukes and ICBMs they are no longer touchable.
It’s too close to China & Russia, whereas Venezuela had nobody in the vicinity that could help respond.
Nuclear ballistic ammo… they are insane enough that there non-zero probability they could use them against anybody.<p>Also comrades from other countries would probably support them.
I don't know who "we" is, but assassinating or kidnapping foreigners is illegal.<p>Also, it didn't work. Not in Iran and not even in Venezuela.
The general concerns are:<p>- An enormous amount of artillery pointed at South Korea. South Korea would likely suffer the worst outcome in any intervention into North Korea.<p>- A nuclear-armed power who is truly ideological. Unlike Maduro, merely killing the leader is unlikely to dissuade the North Koreans. (a lesson the Trump admin is currently learning in Iran)
Define "we"
Seems like every other post from this site is [dead]
Seems a problem with the site not loading
Playing golf in North Korea sounds crazy.
For another interesting perspective, folks should check out <i>Crossing the Line</i> - <a href="https://youtu.be/W3L1JemU8hA?is=3SQszuI5s45z7i2W" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/W3L1JemU8hA?is=3SQszuI5s45z7i2W</a><p>It’s about 3 (I think? Been a while since I watched) US soldiers that defected to NK during the Korean War. One dude stayed for decades and defended NK intensely in this doc, going so far as to star in propaganda movies against the US while he was there. Wild stuff