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N Korean missile fears in Japan: 'Whatever will be, will be'

43 Comments
By MARI YAMAGUCHI

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43 Comments
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The US garrisons on Japanese soil possess far higher danger than any incoming rockets from North Korea! This is what those residents should acknowledged and they have no where to run to hide if an intruding US military servicemen has entered your residency.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Shikata ga nai.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Reagan, now Trump,

everyone concerned at the time,

Reagan would push the red button.

Trumps lack of diplomacy, itchy fingers, inflated ego a concern.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

6 minutes is enough for me, too. I have a basement under my house. With 6 minutes, my family and I have a lot better chance of surviving.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

6 minutes is usually enough for me.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

5-6 minutes is not enough time, and there is nothing you can do about. just except fate and don't worry, enjoy life now.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

When Trump is convinced that he cannot stop NK's nuclear development by diplomatic means, he will and should strike NK. For NK, nuclear weapon is not a deterrent to secure peace, because NK itself is much safer without it. The reason NK risks itself by developing nuclear weapon is that NK wants to use it as a leverage to gain territorial and economic interests. What would the international community do, if, after acquiring the ability to hit US east coast, NK demands South Korean territory? Would the US risk itself in order to protect SK? I do not think so.

In addition, NK is likely to sell its nuclear weapons to terrorists.

These are the differences between NK and Soviet Union.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

U.S. should pull all soldiers out of S. Korea, close all bases in Japan, and let Japan, S. Korea either find a way to defend their own nations--or let those nations play extortionist Kim Jong-Un's game by supplying N. Korea enough food and technology to stay safe for another year or two.

Eventually, Japan, S. Korea will have to surrender to Kim under threat of nuclear annihilation or fight Kim on their own. Why should U.S. fight Japan/S. Korea's war?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

zichi May. 1 07:43 pm JST

I don't fear NK nuclear missiles and for that the panic button isn't on Defcon 5 but dear leader Ping Pong You is unpredictable and could react if he feels like a rat trapped in the corner

We are on DEFCON 5 right now.

http://www.defconlevel.com/

http://www.wikihow.com/Understand-the-Defcon-Scale

2 ( +3 / -1 )

zichi

you old enough to remember what North Korea did to the US in the 50, tell Trump to attack and let's see if those ICBM and Rocket are fake, lol

0 ( +0 / -0 )

North Korea had all these years of saber rattling and they never attacked since the start of the Korean War. The Kims know that'll be the end of them if they do. But if they're the ones who get attacked, then obviously it leaves them no choice but to release whatever they've got and bring others down with them. So, it's safe to say, just don't attack NK. In fact, don't even give them any attention. But can Trump do that? Can Abe do that?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

So this "Dispute" is with "America"? JUST "America", and NOT the whole World ? Oh...o.k.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

JT is again in the business of fear mongering, along with the rest of the media and press in Japan, they are WILLING accomplices in making people afraid....they should be ashamed, JT too, but they wont...it makes money for them.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

The idea that North Korean could hit a very very well defended American Base anywhere with anything is quite ludicrous!! I think @ best they can lob missiles in the general vicinity of a Japanese City. It is Seoul, that I would worry about. I am a bit afraid that between Trump and Abe, they are trying to provoke some sort of a North Korean move, that would give them the excuse to take out their nuclear capabilities, which would only take a couple of hours. But what would North Korea do to Seoul???

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The US missile defense system is mostly useless. It has a hit rate of about 30%. If they want to do it right, they need hundreds of these Patriot missiles on the Japanese coast and they need them on ships out to sea too.

If NK get to launch 100 missiles towards Japan, most will land in the sea, some will get shot down, and the few that reach Japan will probably land in the mountains. Two or three may get through though. Statistically speaking. If they have chemicals or nukes on them, then the deaths could be many.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I Trump launches missiles like he did in Syria, I think Kim will hunker down and absorb the bombardment.

If Kim thinks Trump is aiming for a regime change in NKorea, Kim will unleash everything he can and go out in a blaze of glory. We will be in for one long drawn out, nasty guerilla war on the ground.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

But now we got weapons

Of chemical dust

If fire them, we're forced to

Then fire, them we must

One push of the button

And a shot the world wide

And you never ask questions

When God's on your side

NK are a convenient bogeyman at the present time. They aren't the first. Think Saddam Hussein, et al.

Kim is a coward. He will not fight

I'm not so sure about this. He seems an optimistic, plucky little tubster to me. I mean, his rhetoric is pretty direct and he has been trying hard to fire missiles (those darned things!!!) right in the face of the most direct and threatening US discourse and action for a long time. He does not appear to be backing down to me, and I reckon he has the US administration balking a bit right now. They have to be asking themselves how far they really want to press him, because despite all of their arrogance and posturing, do they really want this? What are the US really going to visit upon the people living in the immediately neighbourhood if they push ahead with this? A lot of innocent people from their allied nations (South Korea and Japan) could potentially die.

That's a lot of gristle to be chewing on.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Whoever is opposed to Trump's and Abe's doing are foolish. With that fatty kid playing with missiles you think you will be safe. To engage in a war it will require lots of resources and monies. Do you think the leaders from US and Japan are playing with that fatty kid? In order to prosper and be peaceful as a country I'm sure their own(North Koreans) people, be it the citizens or the military personnel, they are happy if this fatty kid is killed in the war. ... Citizens are getting skinny to their bones and he's getting fatter and fatter each time I see him in the internet.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Kim knows he wont win, however rather than simply disappear into History, I think he will use what he has to target the Enemies of the State - namely Japan. Suicide missions invovling a Nuclear bomb within one or more of his many Submarines would certainly have a devastating impact, and his brain-washed minions are probably willing to go ahead with such attacks without a second thought. The missiles as many have commented, are probably a diversionary tactic from what we really should be concerned about - namely the location of those many 70+ submarines. Just imagine detonating a Bomb within Tokyo or Yokohama bay, or even within the vicinity of Trump's Armada. I doubt we will have any warning. It'll just happen. So the attitude expressed by the people inverviewed for this article is probably the best to adopt - stop fretting over it, and get on with your Life as normal.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

His name is Kim Jong-un, "zichi". Try to show just some respect, at least over the internet.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

The transition went well in Czech Republic, "theFu". Except it was not under constant pressure from all directions.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The responses in the article are the same that I had during the cold war. Fatalism, fear, just live your life.

I don't see any bombing or ground attack coming from the USA, but I'm not prone to using cruise missiles either.

I lived on US military bases and within a few miles of primary ICBM targets for the USSR most of my life. Still do. In 1982, I was positive there would be war and I'd be vaporized. 9 yrs later, the Iron Curtain was dropping and people all over eastern Europe were taking control of their governments. I truly hope the same works out for the NK people, but in a shorter time with no internal deaths. Increasing pressure to make things uncomfortable for the NK leadership is the playbook.

I wish I heard more offers of re-unification from SK towards NK. The advertising should be world-wide, and beamed into NK so anyone with a radio knows about it. Reunification of Korean families should be stressed.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Never afraid. Japan is preparing to await for North Korean's missile.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

What and wait another 8 years of nothing? Time to roll! And in the mean time, take out Saudi Arabia and Israel too. All three are evil.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

It's a mere 100 days and we're finding ourselves in different reality, a reality created by a person famous for having a rather arbitrary relation with reality. I don't want to scare people, but who knows were we will be after another 1360 or so days of this? And it could well be that Kim won't remain the most scary part of the story.

Anyway, more then ever reason for the Okinawan people to get rid of as many of the US bases as fast as possible. With nearly 20% of Okinawas main island being occupied by US bases there hardly is a better place to target, if one aims at hurting the US.

We don't know how the situation will develop, but we know that we want to be as far away from any US military installation as possible if diplomatic channels start failing.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

My worry is that DT will force/start it.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Kim is a coward. He will not fight

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

IMO lil' Kim + DT = WAR.

Waiting for it to start while praying it won't.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Taking out Kim Jong-un would lead to millions of other people being taken out in the meantime as well as vast radioactive discharges that would have deleterious effects all over Asia

And to quote the taxi driver,

"All we can do is run into a department store perhaps,"

Well, at least those caught in the annihilation wouldn't have to worry....,

5 ( +6 / -1 )

The difference they are able to make is that North Korea warns to use the Nuclear Weapon to strike down it's enemies. Enemies, in their turn, keep saying "We'll smash Kim and his little Korea", which is... a detterent I guess? Only hypocrits and blatant rednecks can not see the parallels.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

So North Korea has nuclear weapons and the US has a nuclear deterrent.

Or is it the other way round?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

umm. Does nobody remember this thing that we called the Cold War?

This is nothing, people. North Korea is a little country run by someone who, even at his craziest, might be able to lob one working warhead on one working missile. You can say that is all it takes, but notice I did not say that the targeting works. And it won't.

Knowing how this game works, I can say with confidence that once North Korea becomes a credible threat to Japan, it will be a credible threat to at least three other power players on the world scene. When that time comes, somebody is going to take care of the threat, and others will either wink or turn away. Don't be distracted. This situation is being watched very closely, and, as far as I know, all the appropriate signals have been sent.

When you grow up 10 minutes away from nuclear annihilation, you get a feel for this stuff. North Korea is in a diplomatic mine field and it is running out of options. If they are not sweating now, they should be. The USSR was never in this kind of hot seat because, like em or hate em, they knew the rules and never painted themselves into a corner.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Ha! Dear leaders government is not losing a beat. The crescendo is literally about to completely drown out the racist school scandal. The abes were involved? What are you mopping on about? I need call my local bunker dealership!!

Their neighborhoods are on the frontline of North Korea's dispute with America and if Pyongyang were to attack they would have just minutes to shelter from incoming missiles.

The cold war era rang. It needs the useless overreaction back!!

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Residents living near U.S. military bases in Japan are facing a fresh reality: Their neighborhoods are on the frontline of North Korea's dispute with America and if Pyongyang were to attack they would have just minutes to shelter from incoming missiles.

Don't think NK would/could specifically target US bases in Japan tbh. In any case, Tokyo, Osaka and all other highly populated areas have to be prime targets before military bases.

Plus it's unlikely NK currently have the ability to accurately target a city, let alone a base, hundreds if not thousands (Okinawa) km away. Reckon Seoul would be under fire pretty much straight away then basically anything "East".

4 ( +5 / -1 )

So should have the "international community" taken out Hitler, or Napolean, or Mao, or Ghengis Khan, or Pol Pot, or some other mass killer ruling people under his thumb? At least Qaddafi gave up. A lot of good it did with the Clinton cartel after him.

-10 ( +2 / -12 )

I get all heating when I hear people advocating political assassination by an international consensus in the name of "doing the right thing". I am a walking kettle pot during such mischiefs.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

TumbleDry: "Fear mongering to push political agenda and look tough. Nothing more."

Normally, yes, but with Stupidity (Trump) behind the wheel, it's actually become a serious threat.

-3 ( +11 / -14 )

Fear mongering to push political agenda and look tough. Nothing more.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

People watch too much tv.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Non of this daily paranoia was the reality of things before Abe and Trump. None of it. Now it's the "shouganai" attitude again as Abe pounces on the chance to put Japan's neck even further on the line by interpreting the Constitution to not only allow a military, but for that military to join drills and escort the US just outside NK's door. Maybe these people ought to stop voting LDP instead of shrugging and hoping for the best.

1 ( +17 / -16 )

I blame Abe for "trumping" up this situation

-10 ( +6 / -16 )

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