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Japan’s Military Superior Say Experts

Posted August. 14, 2006 03:07,   

한국어

The admiral (Dokgo Young-jae starred) in the film “The Korean Peninsula” featuring conflict with Japan says, “The military strength of our navy is 30 percent that of Japan’s,” when he receives a call from the president (Ahn Seong-ki starred) just before a battle with Japan. However, he expresses fighting spirit, saying, “We learned that numbers don’t always control a war. If we have to defend, we will.”

In August 2006, what if military conflict between Korea and Japan happens in reality, not in a film? Most professionals analyze that the difference between objective military strength will surely lead Korea to defeat.

First, in terms of naval strength according to military professionals, Japan’s Naval Self-Defense Force is rated second in size worldwide. Japan is forth or fifth in composite naval strength, one of the nations with the strongest naval forces in the world.

Japan owns four Aegis class ships, which are called “God’s Shield” after the armor Zeus buckled on, 50 destroyers, and 23 submarines of 2,500 to 3,600 tons.

Korea’s naval forces have only a total of 37 vessels, including three destroyers of the KD-2 class (975 Ship of Admiral Yi, 976 Ship of Munmu the Great, etc.), three light destroyers of the KD-1 class (971 Ship of Gwanggaeto the Great, 972 Ship of Euljimundeok, etc.), and 22 frigates

The air strength of Korea and Japan cannot be comparable if information and observation capability is the essential yardstick for air strength.

Japan has 17 airborne early warning aircrafts, including four E-767 Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) and 13 E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircrafts. Korea selected U.S. Boeing E-737s just last month, and so not until 2012 will four airborne early warning aircrafts (EX) be introduced. In a nutshell, our air fighters will highly likely be shot down in midair by Japan.

Korea leads Japan only in army strength. The number of infantrymen is 560 thousand versus 148 thousand, over three times; and the number of tanks is 25 hundred versus 11 hundred, over two times. However, high technology military strength, including naval and air forces, has critical influence on superiority in military power in modern wars.

“Self-Defense Network” official Shin In-gyun, who maintains that national defense expenditure should be increased for self-defense, said, “In modern wars, no one can win a victory by using Uldolmok, like Admiral Yi, nor can only courage defeat enemies. Differences between capabilities of high-tech weapons and equipments are directly linked to victory and defeat.”



taewon_ha@donga.com