Quote:You look at it from a different prospective.  To say that the U.S. would not support South Korea is simply wrong.  We not only have a military base in South Korea, but we also "practice" going to war with North Korea.

 

Another thing to consider.  Sure North Korea would probably be annihilated if an all out war broke out, but look at how close Seoul is to the border.  It's a very dangerous situation.

 

Would China or Russia get involved in the conflict?  That's a question.  China has been slowly distancing itself from North Korea, but they are still major trading partners.  The same could be said about Russia, but look at what Putin is doing right now.

 

Japan is caught in the "crossfire" and could possibly be in danger.

 

You are right about one thing though.  A war which would most likely end up with the South Koreans winning it would be devastating to them economically, and that has implications globally.

They don't practice going to war with North Korea, they practice going to war with China. South Korea is more than capable of handling the North on their own. Russia won't get involved, they have virtually no interest in North Korea, their worries lie with Europe.

 

As for China; they don't care for North Korea except for one crucial point: Buffer zone. If Korea was united under the government of what is now South Korea then China would have US military bases sitting within miles of their border with the Korean peninsula. They want to avoid that at almost all costs, hence their support of the North's current regime.

 

The situation is much the same as the Cold War and MAD; the only winning move is not to play. 

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