UNIT 7: KOREAN CRISIS
1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE CRISIS AND KOREAN WAR
Korea was independent country since 14th century, ruled by Joseon dynasty until 1910 and
annexation by Japan in 1910.
Korea was under Japanese rule until the end of WWII, after Japan surrender. The whole Korean
peninsula was divided on two occupation zones by 38th parallel. Soviet occupation zone was on
the north and US zone was on the south.
The whole Korea was administered by US - USSR joint commission that was created at Moscow
conference in 1945. The aim of this commission was to secure Korean independence after a five
year trusteeship. Korean people didn't want this commission and immediately started uprising
with many deaths.
Since the joint commission was unable to keep peace, the USA decided to hold an election under
United Nations auspices. Soviets and Korean communists rejected to participate in the elections
because they claimed that the whole election process is unfair, some South Korean politicians
also refused to participate. Election was held on May 10 1948 in the South, and three months
later in the North. The new government declared constitution in July 1948 with Syngman Rhee
right-wing politician as a president. Soviet Union established a communist government on the
north led by Kim Il sung. The Soviet Union withdrew as agreed from Korea in 1948, and U.S.
troops withdrew in 1949.
In 1949 Kin II-sung wanted to attack south, but Stalin thought that it is still too early because
American troops were still on the south and the Chinese civil war still did not ended. But soon
situation changed communist won in the Chinese civil war, USA did not intervened, and Soviet
union launched their first nuclear test. Stalin thought that USA would not intervene in Korea
because it was less strategically important than China.
Soviets continued to supply North Korea with and in April 1950 Stalin gave permission to Kim
II-sung to invade the south.
After preparations, North Korean people's army (KPA) crossed the 38th parallel and attacked the
south, they claimed that army of the south attacked first, and that they are going to arrest and
execute "bandit traitor Syngman Rhee".
On 28th June 1950 Seoul fell, a day later Syngman Rhee was evacuated. KPA invaded almost
entire Korean peninsula except one small part near the city of Pusan were South Korean army
still managed to keep it.
The United States viewed the attack on the South as evidence that communism would actively
challenge the free world and revised its security perimeter to include maintaining a non-
communist South Korea. The UN sent forces composed of troops from 15 nations to the
peninsula to stop the communist advance.
The UN entry into the conflict led to a swift internationalization of what had been an internal
struggle. Though the United States sent the greatest number of troops, soldiers from Australia,
Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New
Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom also sent
troops. U.S. officials emphasized that this joint military action was imperative to prevent the
conflict from spreading outside Korea.
During September 1950 Un troops led by American commander Douglas MacArthur recaptured
entire territory o South Korea. Then they decided to continue north of the 38th parallel in order
to unite entire Korea under one non-communist government. China immediately stated that they
would sent their army if UN troops continue to advance on the north. MacArthur and other
members of the UN command did not believe that either the PRC or Soviet Union would attempt
to halt UN forces. With authorization from Washington, UN forces pressed north, and by
October 1950 had nearly reached the Yalu River, which marks the border between China and
North Korea. Chinese officials viewed the UN forces approaching the Chinese border as a
genuine threat to its security, and late in 1950 they sent Chinese forces into North Korea. The
U.S. and UN had also grossly underestimated the size, strength, and determination of the Chinese
forces. As a result, MacArthur’s troops were quickly forced to retreat behind the 38th parallel.
Since then territory around Seoul and central Korea changed hands several times with small scale
fighting.
On 27 July 1953 both sides signed the Armistice agreement to end the fighting in Panmunjom.
2. RELATIONS BETWEEN TWO KOREAS AFTER KOREAN WAR
Since the end of the Korean war (which formally never ended because peace agreement is not
signed) relations between two Koreas are still very tight and mostly full of tensions.
This was particular case in the period of the cold war, were both countries were sometimes on
the edge of the new conflict that could even threaten whole world.
First bigger incident was "Korean DMZ conflict" from 1966 to 1969 - it was a series of the
armed clashes between North Korean army and South Korean army as well USA army.
In 1968 North Korean agents tried to attack the Blue House - residence of the South Korean
president.
Rangoon bombing in 1983 again target was South Korean president.
In 1985 there was first family reunion on the border of two Koreas between members of the
families that were separated from each other after Korean war.
In 1991 both sides signed the Agreement on Reconciliation, Non aggression, Exchange and
Cooperation.
At the beginning of the new century South Korean president Kim Dae Jung presented a new
South Korean policy towards North called Sunshine policy. This policy resulted with greater
contact between two states, stronger cooperation getting closer to each other. Kin Dae Jung
become Nobel prize winner because of this policy. Result of this policy are two Inter-Korean
summits were two presidents met each other for the first time after Korean war.
But still relations are full of tensions and conflict on the border can escalate quickly. Currently
the main problem is North Korean nuclear programme.
3. NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM
North Korean nuclear program is currently one off the biggest problems in the world; it is seen
as a potential threat not only for the South Korea but for USA as well.
It is believed that North Korean regime started to develop of the nuclear program in 1950s. At
the beginning it was supplied by the Soviet Union and North Korea made expansion of the
program from 1960s to 1990s.
US become very disturbed by this, so in 1994 US and North Korea signed US-North Korea
agreed framework in which North Korea promised denuclearization.
But after 2003, 2006 and 2013 nuclear tests it was cleared that North Korean regime would not
stop its nuclear development.
The Six-Party Talks between North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, Russia, and the United
States began in 2003 with the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. However, these talks
have been suspended since April 2009. Initial uncertainties about North Korea's nuclear program
after the death of Kim Jong Il were tempered when Pyongyang agreed to suspend nuclear tests,
uranium enrichment, and long-range missile tests in exchange for food aid from the U.S. on 29
February 2012. After a dispute with the United States over the launch of a rocket in April 2012,
North Korea declared the agreement void, and later conducted a nuclear test in February 2013.
It still remains a source of deep concern for international community. According to latest surveys
North Korea technically got the nuclear bomb but still they cannot deliver it via a missile.
Only way how United Nations are responding on these nuclear tests are through sanctions, but it
doesn’t have enough influence on regime, as they continuing with development of the nuclear
programme.
4. MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TWO KOREAS
There are many differences between those two countries and we will mention only significant
ones. The North is a communist/authoritarian state. the South is a capitalist democracy.
The North is one of the poorest and least economically developed countries mostly because of its
self-isolation, whereas the South is high developed country and it is a member of the OECD and
ranks in the Top 15.
There are no civil rights in North Korea. There is no freedom of press, religions or speech.
There is no internet or cell phone infrastructure in North Korea. South Korea is one of the most
wired (if not the most wired) nations in the world.
There are some linguistic/language differences. North Korea has banned use of Hanja (Chinese
characters) and has not adopted any English or other foreign loanwords in the past 60 years,
whereas the South has adopted many words from the English language (such as email, coffee,
etc.).
North Korea is known as one of the closest and most isolated nations in the world. South Korea
has an open society.
North Koreans are NOT allowed to travel in and out of their country. To do so without
permission can be punishable by death. South Koreans have no such restrictions.
North Korean regime have a special and unique ideology called "Juche". This term is usually
translated as self reliance which explains North Korean self-isolation. This ideology is some
combination of Marxism-communism and Korean nationalism. It puts army on the central place
of state and plays revolutionary role.
North Korea also have one of the biggest armies in the world (currently ranked no.4 by some
experts).
5. KOREAN REUNIFICATION
Korean reunification is concept which is about the potential future reunification of The Koreas
under the same government. Democratic People's Republic of Korea – known as North Korea,
the Republic of Korea – known as South Korea and the Korean Demilitarized Zone are affected
by that concept. This process of reunification met many difficulties for realizing because of
tensions between Koreas. Since separation in 1940's, North and South Korea became very
different in politics and economy.
In 1972, North-South Joint Statement is issued. The statement announced the Three Principles of
Reunification: first, reunification must be solved independently without interference from or
reliance on foreign powers; second, reunification must be realized in a peaceful way without use
of armed forces against each other; finally, reunification transcend the differences of ideologies
and institutions to promote the ethnic unification of Korea as one ethnic group.
North and South joint declaration represents one important document adopted by North and
South leaders in 2000 after series of diplomatic meetings. In this document North and South are
considering only a peaceful reunification.
For Koreans, reunification has a mythic quality. ''The Huffington post'' describes it like ''the
Promised Land'' or ''the Holy Grail''. South Koreans think that reunification is lovely idea, but no
one knows exactly how to achieve it. In 2015, interest for reunification is very high (over 80
percent), but younger people are less interested in reunification, and so they are less interested in
paying additional tax for supporting reunification. Like Southern, Northern Koreans showed a lot
of interest for reunification. Even 95 percent of them wants reunification, mostly because of
economic reasons. 8 percent Koreans think that if reunification becomes reality, the North Korea
will control whole process, but 7 of them thinks that reunification is possible only when North
Korean regime collapses.
LIST OF MATERIALS USED FOR PRESENTATION
AND HANDOUT
- Korean war Facts and Summary- History.com
- Korean war- Office of the Historian
- Korean war- Britannica.com
- unikorea.go.kr – History of Inter-Korean relations
- www.theguardian.com
- www.huffingtonpost.com
- thediplomat.com
- nationalinterest.org
- www.bbc.com
- nytimes.com
