I was randomly browsing Strategy Page today, and came across this:
it is increasingly doubtful if the North Korean combat forces could get very far during an invasion of South Korea. Despite all that a lot of North Korean troops are believed to be reliable enough to carry out orders to invade South Korea, for a while at least, and that could end up doing a lot of damage to Seoul (the southern capital where half the population and a quarter of the GDP are)
Well, I’ve got an idea for the South Koreans. Place HUGE depots of brand new cars, warehouses of tablets, smartphones, 75″ TVs, supermarkets filled with items never seen in the north on the way to Seoul. Make EVERY kilometer a temptation. How long would the discipline be maintained when the LOOT would be all over the troops? I bet they’d stop at the first supermarket, wonder about the microwave, fall in love to Hyuna or other kpop idols on the TVs. Political commissars would be unable to stop the troops from staring at girls taller and healthier than any Norks they could lay their eyes upon, all that food and gagdets they’d never seen before! And it would be over in half a day.
This is great idea but who could take lead on this?
Well, I guess buying brand new TVs and cars is chump change versus buying tanks and missiles. A TOW ATGM costs around 55K USD (if I remember correctly). The Korean equivalent to a M1 Abrams must cost around 1M$ each as well, and that’s not accounting for the crew training, salaries, all logistical costs associated…
But you know what? Maybe it’s not even worth it: just the regular malls and supermarkets may do the trick!