North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (front row, right) tours a newly operational nuclear material production facility on June 3, walking between rows of centrifuges during an inspection of the plant. The visit, reported by North Korean state media, underscored Pyongyang's continued efforts to expand its nuclear capabilities despite international sanctions.YONHAP
Cho Gab-je
The author is a journalist and the head of ChoGabje.com and Cho Gab-je TV.
There are countries that have chosen to fight to the death and survived or triumphed when nuclear-armed superpowers launched preemptive strikes against them. Examples include South Korea, Vietnam, Ukraine, Iran and Afghanistan. This phenomenon cannot be explained by conventional nuclear strategy.
When North Korea launched a surprise invasion backed by a nuclear-armed Soviet Union, South Koreans refused to surrender and protected the free world. Vietnam, Iran and Afghanistan resisted the United States, while Ukraine is holding out against Russia. This shows that the decisive factor in warfare is the will to fight rather than weapons.
When a population is united by patriotism, ideology or religious fervor, even overwhelming military force fails. Korea is one such nation, having fought five major duels against the world’s most powerful militaries.
From 598 to 645, Goguryeo (37 BCE–668 CE) successfully repelled massive invasions by the Sui and Tang dynasties, which had unified the Chinese continent for the first time in nearly 370 years. The Sui Dynasty eventually collapsed from the aftermath of its defeat. Had Goguryeo lost, the barrier protecting the Korean Peninsula would have crumbled, leading to the assimilation of Baekje (18 BCE–660 CE) and Silla (57 BCE–935 CE).
From 670 to 676, after Silla allied with the Tang to destroy Baekje and Goguryeo, the Tang Dynasty attempted to swallow Silla as well. Silla leaders King Munmu and Kim Yu-sin decided to fight. Silla fought the elite forces of the Tang Empire on land and at sea for seven years and won. This secured the Korean Peninsula as a living space for the nation, ushering in a 300-year golden age in East Asia. The Korean people and language are products of this victory.
From 1231 to 1270, Goryeo (918–1392 CE) resisted the Mongols. The world’s strongest Mongol cavalry invaded nine times, but the Goryeo military regime retreated to Ganghwa Island and held out for 38 years. The Mongols respected this fighting spirit and treated the surrendered Goryeo Dynasty with respect, making it part of the Mongol world.
From 1592 to 1598, Joseon (1392–1910 CE) faced the world's most formidable Japanese army, which was armed with advanced matchlock muskets. While Joseon’s navy and civilian righteous armies held the line, Joseon secured military intervention from the Ming Dynasty to drive out the invaders. This was the largest conflict of the 16th century, involving 400,000 Japanese and 200,000 Ming troops.
From 1950 to 1953, communist forces invaded the South with backing from the Soviet Union and China. South Korea held out alone for 10 days against a three-nation coalition. As the military, government and public united under President Syngman Rhee, a UN force centered on the U.S. military deployed 2 million troops to halt communist expansion.
These five desperate resistances were total wars where the entire population united. Fortunately, because the front lines were set on the peninsula, Koreans could crush invaders using familiar terrain and short supply lines. Silla’s preemptive strike against Tang forces was the only time leadership initiated a war. King Munmu described the hardships endured under Tang occupation in his famous letter "Reply to Xue Renqi" from the historical text "Samguk Sagi" (1145).
Recent local elections completely ignored security issues like North Korea's nuclear capabilities. Kim Jong-un is advancing his nuclear missile capabilities and aligning closely with Russia through troop deployments to Ukraine, drawing China into a triangular nuclear alliance. One American expert noted that Kim has risen from an international pariah to a global power player.
If North Korea launches a strategic provocation in the West Sea and threatens nuclear retaliation against a South Korean response, how will the government react? Risking nuclear war or choosing submission are both devil's choices. This era demands a grand strategy to deter nuclear threats without possessing nuclear weapons by mobilizing our historical will to resist. Fifty million lives cannot rely on the mere stroke of luck that Kim Jong-un has not yet pressed the nuclear button. Can 50 million lives really continue to rely on such a stroke of luck?
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
