How a nuclear attack on North Korea would add to global cancer epidemic

With respect to the good doctor, I would think that he and his friends and family would be more worried about North Korea, both by their predicted nuclear weapons testing, and their ICBM launches. The latter - some analysts predict - could be carried out as soon as this month, and the former being an ongoing spectacle.

More on launches.

If the good doctor was looking up at the skys on March 16th, he may have noticed things falling from the sky. Some may have landed on his car. He was not mistaken.

A North Korean missile fired from its capital region exploded soon after liftoff in an apparent failed launch on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, amid speculation that the North is preparing to launch its longest-range weapon in the most significant provocation in years.

The missile blew up as it was flying at an altitude of less than 20 kilometers (12.4 miles), a South Korean military official said requesting anonymity because he wasn’t publicly authorized to speak to media on the issue. He said the cause of the explosion wasn’t known. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier said the launch came from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, the North’s capital, around 9:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) but gave no other details.

Lee Choon Geun . . . said the missile likely exploded less than a minute after its launch. He said if the missile’s toxic fuels fell on civilian residential areas in North Korea, they would likely cause a major health impact. There was no immediate outside report of such damage in North Korea. The Sunan area is where North Korea’s international airport is located. South Korean media reported that Wednesday’s launch occurred at the airport, but Seoul's Defense Ministry did not specify the exact site.

Chang Young-keun . . . said the missile explosion likely sent debris as far as 100-200 kilometers (62-124 miles) away, rather than causing it to fall straight down from the midair blast site, due to its flying speed. The missile likely flew about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) before it exploded

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/seoul-north-korean-launch-apparently-ends-failure-83469785

Toxic fuel? Could be an environmental hazard, at least in the good doctor's own mind.

But what about testing?

North Korea could hold nuclear test on coming anniversary: US envoy

Pyongyang is ignoring US overtures for talks and could be planning its first nuclear weapon test in nearly five years for its April 15 holiday, the State Department's top North Korea envoy said Wednesday.

Sung Kim, the Special Representative for North Korea Policy, said Washington thinks Pyongyang could be planning a big show of its growing nuclear weapons capacity on the annual holiday next week, which will celebrate the 110th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, who founded the modern Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2022/04/06/North-Korea-could-hold-nuclear-test-on-coming-anniversary-US-envoy-

Back in 2017, the risks of their testing programs was reported to the public:

North Korea nuclear test site could collapse and spread radiation across region, scientists say

A mountain used by North Korea for its latest underground nuclear test might be in danger of collapsing and spreading dangerous radiation across the region, according to a group of scientists in China.

A secondary seismic shock following the North's test of what is believed to be a powerful hydrogen bomb Saturday was initially interpreted as a likely collapse of a cavern in Mount Mantap at its Punggye-ri nuclear test site. But analysis of satellite imagery by the site 38 North on Tuesday found no evidence that there was a cave-in on the mountain. Satellite photos did, however, show that the test appears to have triggered landslides.

The scientists at a Chinese university, led by a geologist, who have monitored the North's activity believe all six of its nuclear tests were conducted at the same location, possibly making the mountain unstable and in danger of imploding, according to the South China Morning Post.

"We call it taking the roof off. If the mountain collapses and the hole is exposed, it will let out many bad things," a former China Nuclear Society chairman and researcher on the country's nuclear weapons program told the newspaper.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/north-korea-nuclear-test-site-could-collapse-and-spread-radiation-across-region-scientists-say

Of course it is up to the good doctor what he, his family, and fellows worry about, and if a U.S. strike against NorK is his choice, so be it. But personally, considering the above, I'd think that he, his colleagues, as well as his patients should be more concerned about the gross irresponsibility shown day after day by Rocket Man and his Merry Band of Misfits.

I think your writer to stick to physics, not geo-politics.

What an irresonpsible opening pargaraph.

A nuclear war or a 'strike' is unwinnable and must never be fought! that's what Reagan said at the 1984 State of the Union Address. Haven't we learned anything at all since those times?

I can't believe that anybody would believe this nonsense. Trump sassed off about nuking NK before he and KimmyBoy got so 'lovey-dovey' but look at the boorish chump who said that, it explains everything.

Even if one nuclear bomb drop didn't result in an atomic holocaust, the damage would be so devastating the whole world and all mankind would lose.

chotto_2Today  07:52 am JST

I think your writer to stick to physics, not geo-politics.

What an irresonpsible opening pargaraph.

Times have changed exponentially, along with technology. Wars are increasingly being fought with computers and cyberwar. Note that Russia hacked Ukrainian defenses before physically invading. And has anyone noticed that Ukrainian jet fighters have apparently not been able to get off the ground? Just like the Kosovo War of 1999 and the Libya War of 2011. Trojan horses cause tremendous foul-ups, then the enemy can come in more easily whether by land, sea, sky.

I find this post difficult to accept and believe

I agree!

This article is completely nonsense!

U.S. would launch a “tactical” nuclear strike in the Korean peninsula, you mean war crime from US!!

for US war is a business

MontyToday  08:37 am JST

I find this post difficult to accept and believe

I agree!

This article is completely nonsense!

A big batch of bullcrap. I thought this idea of 'surviving' a nuclear war and then everything's hunky-dory went out the window with that awful TV movie 'The Other Day' which was aired in 1983. Total complete bullcrap.

I find it hard to imagine the North ever invading the South. Once over the border, most North Korean soldiers would defect. Thats Kim's biggest fear. So...I doubt nukes would solve anything.

Sick phantasies…That’s just not going to happen, because the odds for that hazard gamble are too low. No one with clear mind would risk the whole US economy and population just only to slap the Kim dynasty in the face a little bit and to damage their little rocket man’s playground.

This is full of conjecture. North Korea is digging up its old nuclear test site and has just threatened South Korea with its nuclear arsenal. They are taking a page out of Putin's playbook. There will never be a tactical nuclear strike as the policy is clear as day, "No World War Three". Look at how the Ukrainian response was neatly measured out. The only response is in measurements of time...

Up ３３% in a decade!? Does anybody else think that's crazy? It can't just be the usual scapegoats of tobacco and alcohol because the consumption of those is down

The text clearly mentions aging, people are defeating now infections or chronic diseases and living enough to get cancer. Crazy would be an increase that was together with a decrease of the life expectancy, but that is not the case.

This article is completely nonsense!

Not being able to believe or understand something do not make it nonsense, it only make it difficult for you to understand. What would make it nonsense would be if you have arguments that can disprove what is being said, do you have them?]

An absurd article. Written with the approval of Kim?

NK will NEVER get a chance to get their nukes off, trust me eyes about the sky with advanced technologies will detect any kind of premature launch that is not planned. That the tactical launch the US would perform to prevent. If North Korea like Russia has already shown the world what they do Bark talk about their armies and promote fear to neighboring countries when they can't get their way. The little fat Kim should sit down and be able ruling his stable because if he makes the same mistake Russia is doing they will lose badly. They already know about sanction and the screws could get tightened more. Like Russia they shoot off missiles and Russia still has not taken Ukraine, urban warfare would not be good for their million man army invading would be their last option and bombing once that is taken out of the equation the little fat guy will see exactly what Putin is seeing his close guys bailing on him! Both are just one arms length from being taken out by their inner circle.

And just the other day, the US EPA reported that 2/3rds of American municipal water systems are contaminated with uranium, arsenic, barium, chromium and selenium.

The water stored in Fukushima is better than American tap water.

Forget the theoretical NK thing and look in your own back yard.

Not one of the better pieces; a bit of a strange focus.

33% increase? How do they calculate that? It means each country's statistics are trusted?

virusrexApr. 8  05:23 pm JST

The text clearly mentions aging, people are defeating now infections or chronic diseases and living enough to get cancer. Crazy would be an increase that was together with a decrease of the life expectancy, but that is not the case.

You misunderstood the word crazy.

Not being able to believe or understand something do not make it nonsense, it only make it difficult for you to understand. What would make it nonsense would be if you have arguments that can disprove what is being said, do you have them?]

Saying something is nonsense is not the same as not understanding something that.

You misunderstood the word crazy.

Apparently that would be you, that give absolutely no argument for this to be the case.

Saying something is nonsense is not the same as not understanding something that.

That is exactly the point, not being able to even argue why something is nonsense is precisely what indicates the problem was lack of understanding of something that makes perfect sense. If that was actually understood it would be easy to say why, with reasons and arguments.

A nuclear attack most obvious consequence would be nuclear war, I think that increase of cancer cases would be a very secondary worry compared with the death and desolation resulting from it. No real reason to make it a priority if civilization as we know it could be destroyed because of it first.