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Korea | |||
The Big Dig - Korea Style | |||
2003-02-28 | |||
James Bond Alert Richard Spencer reports from Suwon where a scientist claims that a network of North Korean tunnels threatens the South. The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah... Yoon Yo-kil holds up a length of wire. Here, he says, is proof of a vast network of tunnels deep underneath South Korea. Out of them at any time 400,000 North Korean soldiers could pour and, in one swift move, take his country captive. The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah Next to him, Choi Min-yong walks along holding out two metal dowsing rods. Ummm... As they twitch and sway, Mr Yoon, an elderly research scientist, can hardly contain his excitement. "Here is a concrete wall," he says. The rods twitch again. Owfergawdsake "There is the railway track." And again. "The other wall - you see?"
The entrire 2nd ID has nap time at 1500 Zulu every day, just after milk and cookies. An American officer describes how intense the North's hatred still is. "When no one is looking, they shout insults at us," said Capt Brian Davis, under the watchful gaze of North Korean soldiers a few feet away. I'm not entirely sure about this. I wouldn't put any zany scheme past the N. Koreans, but how would they pay for it? A 60 mile tunnel? I'm no geologist, but Korea is fairly active in that regard. I wouldn't want to be in one of those tunnels during a quake. Thinking along those lines, I would hope that somebody thought to install micro-seismographs along the DMZ, and elsewhere, so they might watch for this sort of chicanery. Mr. Yoon's "while they slumber" analysis leaves a little bit to be desired, but that might be bad translation on his part or the Telegraph's. Some of the tunnels were (are?) huge, but one extending this far likely isn't as big. The NKors would use tunnels to create chaos in the rear, but not for the main invasion force. And then there's the problem of that invasion force Deserves further investigation, I'd say. | |||
Posted by:Pete Stanley |
#8 I was in Korea(74-75)A battery 1/44ADA,38th BDE.Finding tunnels was fairly common. Also had to deal with N.Kor fishing smacks loaded with comandos and explosives.My battery had 2 close calls with sappers. |
Posted by: raptor 2003-03-01 07:27:40 |
#7 I would suggest utilizing the tunnels to store water, or at least setting them up for rapid storage, heh heh |
Posted by: Frank G 2003-02-28 14:47:15 |
#6 Way back in 1980 I had a geological engineering undergrad student as a friend. He got to go to Korea for the Army (lucky dude ;-))and work on these very seismometers. Do we have a burrowing thermobaric bomb yet? Such a thing would make short work out of a tunnel full of Norks. Another down side to tunnels- that don't move! I have no doubt that we know the location of each and every one of the rat holes and if it takes 2 or 3 burrowing bombs to make the hole for cleansing the tunnel with a thermobaric, well that's not such a big deal either. |
Posted by: Anonymous 2003-02-28 11:03:33 |
#5 Wes Dabney used to have a site, but the real world intruded. He was stationed there, his wife is korean. He heard the tape. Geez, we've got tunnel(s) coming in from Mexico. |
Posted by: Anonymous 2003-02-28 10:53:34 |
#4 When I worked for USGS in 1970 to 72, I had a colleague who worked for Darpa who installed lots of seismometers in the DMZ area just to detect tunneling activities and movements underground. They are not happy unless they are burrowing, ya know..... |
Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-02-28 10:52:03 |
#3 From what I've read, this sort of tunneling activity has been going on for 50 years now, in an effort to try a "vertical envelopment" of the minefields, bunkers, etc. on the DMZ. I'm fairly certain both sides monitor for seismic activity. Would be nice to read a comment from someone who's been stationed there. I'm sure they would have some insight. |
Posted by: Dar Steckelberg 2003-02-28 09:18:11 |
#2 Haven't we proved tunnel bombs in the last year or so? Stuff it in one end and watch the smoke and bodies fly out the other. dorf |
Posted by: Anonymous 2003-02-28 07:53:18 |
#1 I was in Korea(74-75)A battery 1/44ADA,38th BDE.Finding tunnels was fairly common. Also had to deal with N.Kor fishing smacks loaded with comandos and explosives.My battery had 2 close calls with sappers. |
Posted by: raptor 3/1/2003 7:27:40 AM |