I do not normally run linkfests.  I usually just fold interesting links into my own reports.

However, there are a couple of good ones out there that are worth noting.

First, Yonhap has an interview with American Joseph Bermudez, one of the world’s top experts on the North Korean military.  His basic view of the Korean People’s Army?

Compared to any Western army, the KPA is essentially an obsolescing military, but its troops are amazingly well disciplined.

That fits with the comparatively limited research I have done on the subject.  My conversations with young South Korean men who had just completed their mandatory military service gives the opposite impression of South Korea’s army:  That it is technologically advanced but has poor moral and discipline compared to the North Koreans.

Interestingly, Bermudez is somewhat dismissive of the KPA arm that is held in the highest regard by most South Koreans, their special operations forces.

I’ve spoken to defectors from these units, and I’d take an American, South Korean, British or Australian special operations soldier over a North Korean any day.

Bermudez noted that the sheer size of North Korea’s special operations forces would make it difficult for South Korean and American forces to deal with them during the early days of a conflict.

The money quote deals with the chaos that a North Korean artillery and rocket attack would cause to South Korea’s transportation system as South Koreans flee the capital city.

Anywhere shells or rockets hit in Seoul will cause damage, panic and clog roads.  Can you imagine? It’d be Chuseok times five!

If you have experienced the transportation nightmare that is Chuseok (and Seollal for that matter), that statement would give you pause.

The whole interview is a must-read.

Once you finish with that, be sure to check out Bermudez’s journal articles on the KPA (in PDF form) at his blog.

While we are on the subject of well-researched blogs on North Korea, I highly recommend One Free Korea, which offers well-sourced and analyzed (if highly opinionated) posts on military, human rights and diplomatic issues related to North Korea.

I would also recommend North Korea Economy Watch, which is primarily an aggregator for news articles and other writings related to the North Korean economy.