Combined U.S.-ROK Joint Forces Amphibious Crossing Exercise in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province in 2024. [Photo=Yonhap News]

The title itself may touch upon Korean pride, but this is merely the perspective of someone who has lived in both the North and the South, so please read it without letting emotions come first. 

I attended a meeting a few days ago. Looking at the business cards, the past careers were quite impressive. It seemed to be a gathering of patriots, so the conversations were all about national concerns. However, the discussion eventually turned to the field of military weaponry. 

Can superior weapons alone win wars?

One individual, who identified as a former military officer, began discussing the export of Korean-made aircraft and tanks. When he mentioned the imminent deployment of the Hyumoo-5, a formidable weapon, into active service, the reaction was enthusiastic. Everyone expressed high pride in the high-performance Korean-made weaponry.

He then went on excitedly, "North Korea has threatened South Korea with nuclear weapons until now, but we have nothing to worry about because we have the Hyumoo-5, which can penetrate hundreds of meters underground. South Korea can win a war against North Korea even on its own." 

Among the countless war experiences and lessons learned throughout history, there is the lesson that one must know the enemy well, as well as know oneself. However, some people in Korea still believe that superiority in military weapons determines victory in war. 

They don't even try to understand why the U.S. and South Korean forces, with their strongest armaments, retreated from the Vietnam War, or why South Vietnam, which boasted military superiority, was defeated by the impoverished North Vietnam.

On December 24, 1991, Kim Jong-il was elected Supreme Commander at the 19th plenary meeting of the 6th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of North Korea. 

Statues of Kim Il-sung (left) and Kim Jong-il displayed at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in North Korea. [KCNA=Yonhap News] 

At the inauguration ceremony for the Supreme Commander, attended by military generals and Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il vowed to unify the homeland within three years and present it as a gift to Kim Il-sung and the people. The military generals excitedly shouted cheers for Kim Jong-il.

Kim Il-sung, observing this, called out, "Comrade Generals!" All the generals responded, "Yes!" 

Kim Il-sung quietly asked them, "The Supreme Commander comrade has stated that he will liberate the South within three years. Are you confident you can win the war?" Then, a thunderous response erupted, "We are confident!" 

Kim Il-sung asked again, "What if you lose?" Everyone confidently shouted, "We are confident we will win." Kim Il-sung asked again, "No! What if, by any chance, you truly lose?" No one could answer any further. 

Kim Il-sung calmly explained to the generals. 

"Of course, we have long finished preparations to liberate the South. The Supreme Commander comrade said he would liberate the South within three years, but in fact, it won't even take three months. We have already prepared sufficient indigenous revolutionary forces in the South to liberate it in three days. However, the U.S. military is behind South Korea. If the U.S. intervenes in the war, it will become a protracted conflict. We cannot endure a protracted war. Do not forget the lessons of the Fatherland Liberation War (Korean War), where we retreated after reaching the Nakdong River. For us to win, we must first get the U.S. military out." 

The reason North Korea cannot attack is because the U.S. military is holding its ground. 

Hearing this in North Korea, I couldn't understand what preparations had been made for Kim Il-sung to be so confident. 

Of course, at every lecture, I saw loyalty pledges sent by South Korean youths and students to Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, and loyalty posters plastered on university walls.

Still, the South's economy was more developed than the North's, and its population was more than twice as large. No matter how many spies were planted in the South, I couldn't fathom how an entire nation could be overthrown in three days. 

However, after coming down to South Korea and experiencing the reality here, I finally understood Kim Il-sung's boast. In my opinion, it wouldn't even take three days for North Korea or China to completely take over South Korea. 

South Korea's government, economy, and military have long been controlled by the North and China. Not only that, but no one knows how many underground organizations like Lee Seok-ki's unit within the East European Federation exist. 

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions alone has 1.08 million members, twice the size of the South Korean military. The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union has over 50,000 members. The pro-North Democratic Party has over 6 million members, including pledged members. 

The number of registered Chinese residents in South Korea is 2.45 million, more than twice the size of the North Korean People's Army. The number of illegal immigrants is unknown to anyone. All the aforementioned figures represent anti-democratic capabilities sufficient to overthrow the Republic of Korea on their own if only the U.S. military were to withdraw. 

Those who would deny my words should look at how 45 years ago in Gwangju, 42 national armories were looted in two hours, and regular army units, munitions factories, and state institutions were attacked and occupied. 

Currently, the land and the name of South Korea exist because the U.S. military protects it, but in reality, neither the country nor its government belongs to Koreans. The fact that Chinese people and pro-China/pro-North elements are dominating Korea, receiving greater benefits than national merit recipients who defended the Republic of Korea, is proof of this. 

In a country whose core is rotten and only the shell remains, people who couldn't even protect their own government are boasting about being able to win a war against North Korea without the U.S. military, simply because they export a few airplanes and tanks and make good missiles. Those people are truly the biggest fools. 

Some people pretend to know by saying that North Korea's economy is weaker than just one province in South Korea, so they can't start a war. North Korea cannot wage war not because its economy is underdeveloped, but solely because of the U.S. military. 

If the U.S. military leaves, North Korea will achieve its goals with ease, as South Korea is already completely controlled by pro-North and pro-China elements. 

In a country where South Korean regular army units are disbanded at a single word from North Korea's Kim Yo-jong and patriots are pressured, those who still boast about winning a war against North Korea are fools who need to wake up!

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◆ Advisor Kim Tae-san

Advisor at Hankookilbo Daily, former representative of a North Korean trading company in the Czech Republic. In South Korea, he has served as Vice President of the North Korean Society Research Institute, providing in-depth insights and experience on inter-Korean relations and North Korean issues.