[Michael Barnes]

Wars have been triggered for less critical reasons.

Nods

Agree with what you say. Desperation, if these accounts are true; could lead to a NORK troop crossing that is completely un-coordinated. It would be what sets it all off (starving NORK soldiers crossing the DMZ armed, SK lighting them up and the NORK's that are not aware of the crossing open up themselves. it's on.)

[AmericanInTokyo]

Crossing the world's most heavily mined stretch of land, the DMZ/MDL, 250 kilometers, Korean coast to coast, riddled with both DPRK and ROK land mines, will be no small feat by hungry deserters. 1.2mm landmines on the ROK control side alone, who knows how many on the DPRK side, maybe just as many, could be close to 2 million of these. Folks would have to navigate such terrain; the discouragements and impediments would be significant, IMHO. I just as soon think the Korean People would turn on Pyongyang instead and just raid that place en-masse, might even eat some of the plump Korean Central Television evening news announcers such as Pyongyang Patty, in a poshintang-like stew, half out of abject hunger and half out of unrestrained outrage.

[nuconvert]

Maybe the South should put up signs at the DMZ, telling the N.K. soldiers that they will be fed & they’re welcome to cross over & defect if they lay down their guns.

[Owl558]

“...starving NORK soldiers crossing the DMZ armed...”

Interesting theory. It could happen, but I am hard-pressed to think of any historical examples of such an event actually occuring. Do you know of any?