- North Korea has 1.2million troops ready to fight compared to 28,000 US soldiers in the region and South Korea's 490,000 service personnel
- If war broke out it could take months for reinforcements to arrive and leave American forces badly outnumbered, potentially leading to defeat
- Warning issued by former US commander in Korea in a letter to politicians
- Comes as three US carrier groups conduct drills in the region
By
Chris Pleasance for MailOnline
Published: 10:59 GMT, 13 November 2017 | Updated: 15:16 GMT, 13 November 2017
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...isk-LOSING-war-North-Korea.html#ixzz4yKlkaiG3
Jouas cautioned that it would take days or months for reinforcements to reach the region, leaving 28,000 American troops and 490,000
South Korean soldiers to fend off 1.2million North Korean fighters.
American and South Korean forces would be badly outnumbered in the event of sudden war on the Korean peninsula, and it could take months to reinforce them the former deputy commander of US forces in the region has warned
+8
As well as fending off a numerically superior enemy, American and South Korean troops would have to deal with artillery and rocket bombardments and should 'expect' chemical and nuclear attacks as well, Lieutenant General Jan-Marc Jouas said (file image)
+8
While America possesses far superior air power, it would still take days to eliminate North Korea's artillery and rocket batteries, leading to thousands of people being killed (pictured, three American aircraft carriers complete drills in the region)
The soldiers would have to contend with artillery and rocket bombardments and should 'expect' attacks with chemical and nuclear weapons as well, he wrote in a letter seen by
Newsweek.
One distinct advantage held by American forces is a vastly superior air force which could be used to take out artillery and rocket batteries - but this task would likely take 'days', Jouas said, during which 'a lot of people will die'.
And if North Korean troops advance quickly into major cities in the South much America's air power would be negated for fear of killing civilians with strikes, he said.
Seoul, home to almost 10million, is located just 35 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone which forms the current border between North and South Korea.
In a letter sent to Democrats on November 7, Jouas wrote: 'The 28,500 U.S. Armed Forces personnel in South Korea are vastly outnumbered by North Korean forces, as well as [South Korean] forces that will conduct the overwhelming majority of the fighting.
'Unlike every conflict since the last Korean War, we will not be able to build up our forces prior to the start of hostilities' because Kim will preempt any attempt to do so with an attack of his own, Jouas wrote.
+8
Jouas, who was heavily involved in two years of planning for a North Korean attack on the South, issued the stark warning in a letter to Democrats. It comes amid heightened regional tensions (pictured, Japanese and American ships drill in the Pacific)
+8
If North Korean troops advanced quickly south and entered major cities, it would negate much of America's air power for fear of bombing civilians, Jouas warned
+8
President Trump has threatened to 'totally destroy' North Korea if America or any of its regional allies are threatened by Kim Jong Un
On top of dealing with a vastly larger North Korean army, chemical and possible nuclear attacks, American and South Korean forces will also have a humanitarian crisis to manage.
'This will include over a hundred thousand non-combatant Americans, many of who will turn to US forces to get them off the peninsula,' Jouas wrote.
From January 2012 to December 2014, Jouas was deeply involved in drawing up plans to counter a North Korean attack on South Korea, calling it the biggest challenge he had dealt with in his 35-year career.
While the Pentagon has not released official estimates of how costly a war with the North would be, retired general Rob Givens said current calculations suggest 20,000 people could die per day at the start of the conflict.
Meanwhile the Congressional Research Service estimated 300,000 dead within the first few days, with 25million affected on either side of the border.