More on Japan Plan to Evacuate S. Korea (UPI Hears...)

UPI via Washington Times ^ | 1/24/03

[Heartlander2]

Either Tokyo is being ultra-cautious or its leaders really know something. The Japanese government is reviewing plans to evacuate its citizens, even the tourists, from South Korea. Japan's top-selling daily Yomiuri Shimbun reports that Tokyo "will ask the United States and South Korea to hold talks with Japan about the plan as cooperation from both countries will be essential" for the evacuation of the approximately 30,000 Japanese in the country. The plan says: "If North Korea attacks South Korea, a full evacuation must be completed within 70 hours. Japanese in Seoul, the city that is expected to be the main target of an attack by the North, need to be transported by train, bus or other means to southern parts of South Korea, where it is relatively safe. Japanese standing by in the south of the country will be transported by helicopter to Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels waiting in international waters. The government will ask the U.S. government to use U.S. military planes to help evacuate Japanese who could not move to the south." American cooperation is confidently expected, since most U.S. evacuees would have nowhere to go but Japan.

[cynicom]

Seventy hours would be much to long.

[jerseygirl]

bump....

[Centurion2000]

"If North Korea attacks South Korea, a full evacuation must be completed within 70 hours

It needs to be done in 2 or it won't matter much to anyone in Seoul.

More ominousness on that situation.

[Nick Danger]

Either Tokyo is being ultra-cautious or its leaders really know something.

Or this is how you say "We are making war plans" in the rarely-used dialect of Japanese used for diplomatic messages to North Koreans.

[Alpha One]

This whole situation does not bode well.

[cynicom]

The Chinese and Koreans hate the Japanese, therefore we can rely on them as an ally. Japan knows full well that if we ever withdraw from Asia, they are dead meat.

[blam]

"Seventy hours would be much to long."

That was exactly my first thought...70 hours?

[blam]

"The government will ask the U.S. government to use U.S. military planes to help evacuate Japanese who could not move to the south." American cooperation is confidently expected, since most U.S. evacuees would have nowhere to go but Japan."

I'm not so sure of that.

[cynicom]

WWII was a classical textbook example of political and military maneuvering that took place many years before the opening act with all the actors on stage.

This is what we are seeing now, former foes are friends and friends are enemies. Regardless of all the rhetoric floating around, serious minds are considering all the aspects of this new world.

[Amelia]

Japan imposed economic sanctions on N. Korea today, according to the Fox News crawler...N. Korea has already said it would consider the imposition of sanctions a declaration of war.

[JackelopeBreeder]

The Japanese Minister of Defense said today that any evidence of North Korea fueling up a missile would be grounds for a pre-emptive strike.

[JackelopeBreeder]

There are approximately 33,000 US non-combatants in South Korea. Logistics alone would suggest Japan as the initial evac destination.

It will still be a nightmare, though, moving that many people out of the way.

[Jumper]

Sounds accurate. American NonCombatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) in Korea will see 1/2 of all possible airlift capacity lost in the first 96-hours of a conflict. Given the flow of aircraft into Korea for resupply and evacuation on return trips, it would take from day 3 to 10 just to get the majority of the 125,000 foreigners out. It is nice to Tokoyo planning to handle their own folks. Having working Theater Level NEO in Korea this is very nice to see. Seems that Japan is becoming an Ally that America can count on to the bitter end, if necessary.