The Korean War is still the world's
longest-running conflict. Though the fighting ended through a ceasefire in the summer
of 1953, the warring nations never reached a true peace treaty. Because of that, North Korea still
officially remains at war. While many might assume that the South Korean government is the number
one enemy of North Korea, the North Koreans have a lot of beef with other countries as well.
The beef between North Korea and Japan goes back all the way to the Korean War. During
this time, though Japan did not send combat troops to the peninsula, the country did
serve as the main logistics base for the US and other allied forces. Understandably,
North Korea was not too happy about this. Straining relations even further with Japan
was the fact that North Korean agents would routinely go into the country to kidnap Japanese
citizens. Even worse than having its own citizens kidnapped from their homes is the constant
threat posed by North Korea’s ballistic missiles tests and nuclear weapons programs.
These two weapons programs put the safety of all of East Asia at risk. Japan simply seeks to
remain a peaceful nation especially since after the end of World War Two the Japanese vowed
to never go to war again. But the North Korean government does not care about sacred vows, state
sovereignty, or who cares about their provocative acts. All they care about is regime survival.
But in a situation where North Korea finally crosses the line with Japan, say threatening them
with nuclear weapons or kidnapping the President, and Japan was to go to war with them,
who would win in such a conflict? Let’s first take a look at what Japan would be
facing in an all-out conflict with North Korea. The North Korean military is quite a force
to be reckoned with despite coming from such a small nation with few natural resources. The
military is known as the Korean People’s Army and is made up of five branches: the
Ground Force, Air Force, Navy, Strategic Missile Force, and Special Operations Force.
Their Ground Force, or army, is one of the largest in the world coming in at over 950,000 active-duty
personnel. Military service is compulsory in North Korea meaning every able-bodied man must serve
for ten years and women for seven. Those that go to college have to serve less.
Because of this mandatory service, there are millions of trained soldiers in what
is called Worker-Peasant Red Guard units. These units are compulsory for teenagers before they
enter the military and for veterans once they are discharged. They take on a role much similar to
the US National Guard in that they receive annual training and assist the military when necessary.
The equipment that the army fields is vast and most of it was manufactured in the 1950s through
the 1970s as either Chinese or Soviet in origin, with some licenses being granted to produce
local copies of this equipment. For instance, most North Korean infantrymen are armed
with aging AK-47 rifles and while the North Korean government claims there has been
significant progress in creating a modern and wholly North Korean battle rifle there
have been little public indications of such. The army also possesses thousands of tanks but
most of these are outdated Soviet technology. One of their main tanks, the T-54/55 and the T-62, is
decades old and nowhere comparable to the designs of modern tanks. These same tanks were fielded
by the Iraqi government during both the Gulf War and 2003 invasion of Iraq and were totally
annihilated against modern tanks and artillery. The North Koreans have realized their tank
deficiency and have started a modernization program to create domestic tanks based on
the T-72 design known as the Ch'ŏnma-ho and P'okp'ung-ho. These modern revamps of
old designs include new features like reactive armor that explodes outwards when
hit and new turrets for grenade launchers as well as improved fire control systems.
The North Korean army also relies heavily on its vast array of artillery pieces. They possess
thousands of guns in various calibers and they love their big guns. That is because the smallest
caliber artillery piece is a 122mm gun with their biggest guns being the massive 170mm guns that
are said to reach almost a range of 40 miles. It is said that whenever the army engages
in combat the North Koreans want to lay down a “sea of fire” to support their infantry which
means employing them in a classic World War Two style artillery bombardment which defers from the
precision fires of most of today’s militaries. The North Korean air force operates almost 800
aircraft spread across various bases with most of the best fighter jets being concentrated in
the south towards the DMZ. Their aircraft fleet is primarily Soviet technology with their most
capable air-to-air fighters being the MiG-29 and MiG-30 fighter aircraft. They also possess
potent and combat-tested air-to-ground attack aircraft like Su-25. The Su-25 was first
designed in 1978 and has proven itself on multiple battlefields around the world including
the most recent Russian air campaign over Syria. Despite their vast fleet, the North Korean air
force does not compare at all to the modern equipment offered by other militaries around
the world. That is why if the country was ever attacked the main strategy for the
North is to use its vast array of RADARs and Surface to Air Missile sites to take down
opposing aircraft before they become a threat. The North Korean navy is the smallest of the five
branches coming in at less than 80,000 active-duty personnel. They operate in two main fleets,
the West coast fleet, and the East Coast fleet. The kind of vessels they operate are
primarily small patrol craft and frigates for their surface fleet. This is what is known as
a brown water navy meaning the ships are designed and operate best close to shore and cannot project
power beyond the relative safety of the shore. Where the North Korean navy really
stands out is in its fleet of submarines. Operating a force of around 72 submarines, it is
one of the largest submarine forces in the world. Though these submarines are aging, ex-Soviet
technology, they are deadly quiet since they operate diesel engines. Diesel engines are
quieter than nuclear-powered submarines though they do have to expose themselves
to the surface to recharge their batteries. Once underwater, they are virtually impossible
to detect meaning any surface ships are in great danger. Their ability to operate effectively
and secretly was demonstrated with deadly effect in 2010 when a North Korean submarine sunk
a South Korean warship with the loss of 46 lives. Of course, the most capable and threatening
part of the North Korean military would be its ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
These long-range weapons are the pride and joy of the North Korean government. They are meant
to project power abroad and Western military thinkers believe the North Koreans intend to
use these weapons as a last resort in case of the catastrophic defeat of the military
or potentially as a crippling first strike. Though Japan is out of range of most of the North
Korean medium-range ballistic missile threats, there are still over 50 missiles that
could be fired at them. In addition, North Korea is believed to now have
manufactured over 40 nuclear weapons, though the debate is still out there concerning
their ability to miniaturize them enough to place them on the warhead of one of these missiles.
Facing the North Korean military would be mighty forces of the Japanese Defense Forces
as their military is known. Ranked as the fifth most powerful military in the world, this
small yet technologically superior military is composed of an Army, Air Force, and Navy.
The Japanese Army is a feared and much-respected force around the world. Coming in
at a little over 150,000 personnel, it is the largest branch of the Japanese military.
The Army fields some of Asia's most modern and best equipment like their next-generation Type 10
main battle tank that is equipped with state of the art armor and gives the crew a full panoramic
view of their surroundings. This tank will eventually replace the older but still capable
Type 90 tank used in service since the 1990s. The Japanese also have a robust, home-grown
defense industry that is constantly creating new and improved weapons for its forces such as the
Type 89 assault rifle which is the standard issue rifle for its ground troops. The Japanese also
produce a variety of potent anti-aircraft guns and armored troop transports all modeled off the
US and NATO-style designs to better work together. The Japanese Navy is incredibly deadly
as well. They operate a fleet of over 250 ships making their navy the fourth largest in
the world by tonnage. These ships encompass a wide variety of platforms to include coastal
patrol craft and minesweepers for homeland defense as well as 26 destroyers and several
helicopter carriers to project power abroad. The Japanese navy is also a great asset in
defeating the North Korean missile threat. Their destroyers are based on the US
Aegis system. Aegis is the world's leading ballistic missile defense system, combining a
series of high-powered RADARs, illuminators, and computer programs to accurately detect missile
threats early and defeat them well before they hit their intended targets. The fact that the
Japanese can deploy over two dozen of these ships in such a small area like the Sea of Japan
helps nullify the threat to the Japanese homeland. The Air Force also works hand-in-hand with
the Navy to defeat North Korean missiles. The Air Force operates a robust network of RADAR
sites and manned observation posts all throughout the archipelago. These sites are crucial in
detecting missiles as soon as they launch and then forwarding that information to deployed
ships and missile batteries stationed at home. In addition to their anti-air capabilities, the
Japanese operate one of the most technologically advanced air fleets in the world. They
boast almost 800 aircraft of which over 300 are fourth and fifth-generation
fighter aircraft like the F-15 and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. They also operate several
electronic warfare platforms such as the E-767, which give the air force an early warning for
airborne threats and can help pass information more quickly and securely than the North
Koreans who do not possess such a capability. In determining who would win in an
all-out war between North Korea and Japan, it would depend on where it was fought. The most
likely scenario would be an invasion of North Korea by Japan since the North Korean navy simply
cannot conduct large scale amphibious operations on foreign shores. The Japanese do have such a
capability in their newly created marine brigade, designed as a quick reaction force to defend its
far-flung islands, but this of course would have to be scaled up if they wanted to invade an
entire country and not just a small island. But suppose the Japanese were able to scale their
amphibious operations and get their entire army ashore. Once there, they would be facing an army
almost ten times their size! Not to mention the millions in reserves that can be brought up. The
only advantage here would be that North Korea deploys much of its forces in fixed positions
along the DMZ with South Korea. A well-planned amphibious assault behind all of these defenses
might just give Japan the edge it needs to negate the obvious advantage in North Korean numbers.
Of course, Japan also has the advantage as the technologically superior force. Their anti-missile
systems would surely protect the homeland and invasion force from North Korean fire. Their
tanks, planes, and even infantry weapons are also superior. However, as seen on battlefields of
the past like the Eastern Front in World War Two even small numbers of vastly superior equipment
will eventually be overcome by sheer numbers. The last factor to consider is the individual
soldiers themselves. In Japan, the military is a 100 percent volunteer force while in North Korea
the military is forced onto everybody. Once in, service in North Korea is marked by brutality from
superiors and a chronic lack of food and supplies. In fact, it is not uncommon for completely
healthy young men to be left so weak and hungry after basic training that their
parents have to pick them up and nurse them back to health before rejoining the army.
The North Korean military also hands out brutal punishments to its soldiers. Beatings
and rape are common in their formations with fear being the primary motivating
factor getting soldiers through the day. Compare that to the professional Japanese
military that treats all its soldiers with respect and one can reasonably expect that once North
Koreans see just how better their lives might be, many would simply give up
and switch to the other side. All things considered, a war between North Korea
and Japan would be brutal and a close call. North Korea simply has a massive amount of people
and equipment to overcome while fighting on their home territory. The Japanese face the difficulty
of fighting a campaign away from their shores and in replacing losses of people and material
quickly as casualties mount. If Japan could conduct a swift and lightning-fast campaign
that bypasses most of the fixed North Korean positions they could win a stunning victory. But
if the Japanese lose the element of surprise the favor is pointed towards the North Koreans who
can mobilize an entire nation prepared for war.
