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18-05-2009, 02:47
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The Humanoid Typhoon
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North Korea
(I can't turn off that stupid video embedding. Help.)
Preface: An understanding of the North and South Korean split is the “glue” that will allow you to better understand the political landscape of the Pacific superpowers in the post-WWII era. North Korea is highly relevant in our time. While the limelight shines on the Middle East, Korea remains, “... the single biggest flashpoint ...” (Dennis Blair, 2000). Bill Clinton called the 38th parallel, “...the scariest place on earth.” (1994) The Pacific superpowers have mostly sought to contain and stabilize North Korea since the 1980. The region remains unstable, and it will be interesting to see how the new administration in Washington handles the ongoing tensions. (I wanted this post to be objective and political. If you want the more “human” side to the story of North Korea, please watch Welcome to North Korea which I linked to on youtube.) Hope you like it. Resources and References: (documentary) (documentary) (documentary) Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger (book) North Korea at a Crossroads by Suk Hi Kim (book) Eastern Philosophy by James Fieser (online book, thx to Paulus for suggestion) Korea in the Eye of the Tiger (online book) CIA Factbook – North Korea (website) Howstuffworks – Geography of North Korea (website) Howstuffworks – Korean War (website) Country Studies – North Korea (website) Country Studies – South Korea (website) Congressional Research Service – North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Program (website) Global Security - Obama and North Korea First 100 Days by Scott Snyder (website) CNN - Bush's axis of evil (website) National Security Strategy: Korean War (1950-1953) and Asymmetric Warfare (website) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Confucius (website) U.S. Policy in Asia: What role should America play in the post-Cold War era? by Patrick G. Marshall (periodical, CQ Press, 1992) North Korean Crisis by Mary H. Cooper (periodical, CQ Press, 2003) Various Wikipedia articles on Korea Table of Contents: I. INTRODUCTION II. KOREA IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER III. IMPERIAL JAPAN'S ANNEXATION OF KOREA (1910 – 1945) IV. CONTAINING COMMUNISM AND THE KOREAN WAR (1945 – 1953) V. THE AFTERMATH VI. JUCHE VII. NORTH KOREA'S ECONOMY VIII. NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM IX. THE FUTURE OF NORTH KOREA A. Chronology of Major Events (2333 B.C. - 1945 A.D.) B. North Korea at a Glance C. Various Pictures I. INTRODUCTION The Korean peninsula, once known as "The Land of Morning Calm" and "The Hermit Kingdom" due to its cultural and political isolation since the 1700s, has now become the focal point for contemporary Pacific superpowers: Russia, China, Japan, and The United States. Korea exists among giants, and the collision of these modern giants began with Imperial Japan (1868 - 1945) whose expansionist endeavors turned The Hermit Kingdom into a stage for eastern diplomacy. Although, Korea has historically never had an interest outside its own defined borders. This can be owed to traditional Korean legend which tells of divine beings who wished that they too could become human, so they could experience the beauty of Korea. The Korean people felt as if the whole world lied within their borders. North Korea defied expectations in the 1990s when it did not collapse with the rest of the European communist bloc. It was predicted that North Korea would dissolve within a few years, following the Soviet breakup in 1991. Since then, North Korea has remained resilient despite a massive famine, devastating floods in the mid-90s, capital withdrawal from China and Russia (demanding repayment of loans to North Korea), the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994 (ruled since 1948), the Asian financial crisis of 1997, and the disappearance of the socialist network that artificially propped up their economy. The survival of the North Korean state can be credited to a few things. Juche (joo-chay) ideology, the principle of self-reliance, introduced by Kim Il Sung in 1955, which has been used to justify economic isolation and stagnation. The influence of Confucianism on the Korean peninsula has also contributed to the survival of North Korea, which teaches about the loyalty of the inferior to the superior. North Korean leadership uses this to their advantage by glorifying North Korea as a kind of family. The current generation of North Korea has also never known freedom; the feudalistic society of the Yi Dynasty (1392 – 1910) where the wealthy Yangban ruled over serfs, the Japanese annexation in 1910, the Soviet occupation in 1945, and the creation of the DPRK in 1948. Totalitarianism is business as usual for the people of North Korea. However, that is not to say North Korea is a stable state, on the contrary, its stability hangs by a thread, and the gravity of the ongoing conflict in the region is often overshadowed by the media's focus on other parts of the world. Even the Korean War (1950 – 1953), one of the most important conflicts of the 20th century is relatively unknown. It has become known as The Forgotten War, because it was historically dwarfed by World War II and the conflict in Indochina during the 1960s. Despite that, had the Korean War never taken place, Northeast Asia may look very different today. If America had allowed Kim Il Sung to invade and take control of the south, the Korean peninsula would have posed a risk to Japan, one of America's key allies. This would have given the Communists more political and military leverage in the far east which was heavily hindered by the South Korean vanguard. North Korea continually vacillates in its nuclear weapons program. U.S. intelligence discovered a reactor under construction in Yongbyon in 1984 after it had obtained a smaller reactor from Russia, and later it was discovered that North Korea may have been pursuing nuclear weapons since the 1950s. Since 1984, North Korea has entered and withdrawn from a series of agreements and multi-party talks beginning with Washington's plea to Moscow to pressure North Korea into a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1985. The future of North Korea generally has 4 outcomes: 1. War 2. Status quo 3. Reform with regime change 4. Reform without regime change It is hard to say which of these are most likely, although the tensions on the Korean peninsula can generally be viewed as a struggle between China, Russia, and North Korea against The United States, Japan, and South Korea. However, nobody wants to see any abrupt changes for fear of a massive conflict that may arise. The turbulent changes beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the collapse of the communist bloc, efforts by Kim Dae Jung's and the Clinton administration, and North Korea's economic decline in the 90s has made them desperate and susceptible to more change. The tensions between the previously mentioned powers on the Korean peninsula have diminished significantly since the end of the Cold War. The split between the north and the south has essentially been a decades long stalemate. Not much has changed since then, despite some progress in disarming the north in nuclear capacity, and calming the nervous trigger finger of the regime that is being faced with globalization and internal difficulties. II. KOREA IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER Historians and archaeologists generally accept the Korean creation myth (for the dates and names). Of course, there were no talking animals back then, but it is likely that the first Korean state, Old Choson, was founded according to the legend as follows. I merely included this for a bit of cultural background to Korea. You may skip to the next section if you aren't interested. The western mind will quickly wave away such tales, but even today, Koreans are animated by the foundation myth. Stories such as these serve a socio-cultural function that binds Koreans together, and gives them something to hold onto as their nation is faced with globalization and the side-effects of political turmoil. After WWII, there have occasionally been grassroots nationalist movements in South Korea to revive the pride of Koreans and consequently to inspire movements for unification between the north and south. For example, some Koreans, even high academics, have wanted the Korean foundation myth placed into textbooks as historical fact to remind Koreans of who they are. Don't confuse Old Choson with Choson. The name is sometimes romanized as Gojoseon and Joseon, respectively. Choson [Dynasty] sometimes refers to the Yi Dynasty (1392 – 1910) which was also called the Choson Dynasty, but it is also (wrongly) used to refer to Old Choson. You'll know from the context which one is being talked about. Long, long ago, when earth and the heavens were one, the five beasts stood at the four corners of the world; the Blue Dragon in the East, the White Tiger in the West, the Red Phoenix in the South and the Tortoise (Black Warrior) and Snake in the North. In that ancient time, when animals could speak like humans, a divine god spirit called Hwan-in, king of the eastern heavens, ruled that part of the world where the morning is born each day. The king sent his son, Hwan-ung, to earth in the eastern land and instructed him to build a new country there. Hwan-in's son possessed great power, honor and wisdom and was very much loved and trusted by his father. Hwan-in had great confidence in his son and foresaw that one day his son would make a great ruler for the eastern land. Hwan-ung descended from heaven with three divine spirits: the Teacher, who creates the clouds; the General, who drives the winds; and the Governor, who brings the rains. The souls of 3,000 other spirits, an entire race of people, accompanied them to earth. Hwan-ung gathered his followers near the shade of an ancient birch tree on the slope of Taebaek-san, a rugged 9,100 foot peak in northern Korea. There they began a new nation. Hwan-ung, son of the king of the eastern heaven, ruled his new nation from Shinshi, the "divine city," where he governed some 360 important matters including harvest, life, and punishment. Treated kindly and justly, Hwan-ung's people lived happily and prospered in their new land. Not far from Shinshi, in a small cave near Taebaek-san, lived a bear and a great Siberian tiger, king of the beasts on the Korean peninsula. Lying together in the grass on the mountainside one morning, the bear and the tiger spoke enviously of the humans living so happily under Hwan-ung's benevolent rule. The legend continues on. The tiger and the bear begin talking, lamenting their status as wild animals. They contact Hwan-ung and ask if there is a way that they could become human. Hwan-ung responds that if they stay in their caves for 100 days without sunlight and pray earnestly, they will emerge as men. They accepted Hwan-ung's challenge and waited in their cave near Taebaek-san. It wasn't long until the tiger and the bear grew restless. The tiger gave up after 20 days and left the cave. From then on, the tiger was known as the greatest enemy of man. The bear remained. He became lonely without the tiger, so he prayed harder, and kept reminding himself of the reward for being patient. On the morning of the 100th day, a beautiful young woman emerged from the cave, into the light of the dawn. She thanked the gods for the blessing that had been given to her, and immediately went to Shinshi to thank Hwan-ung. Upon seeing the woman, Hwan-ung was stunned by her beauty and soon proposed to her. He gave her the name Ung-yo, meaning bear girl. Ung-yo gave birth to a child under a birch tree near Taebaek-san whom she named Tangun. After Hwan-ung's departure from Earth in the 25th year of the reign of Emperor Yao in China, 2333 BC, Tangun Wanggom, the first great ruler of Korea, united the scattered six tribes in the northern part of the peninsula and there set up the first acknowledged kingdom in Korea. Tangun called his land Choson, a name that means "Land of the Morning Calm," "Land of the Dawn," or "Land of the Morning Freshness," and he established his capital at Asadal (now Pyongyang). From there, Tangun Wanggom, the father of Korea, taught his simple-hearted people their first lessons in government, marriage, agriculture, cooking, housing, the worship of god, and all matters of right-living. Tangun ruled Choson at the time when, on the other side of the earth, Cheops of the Fourth Dynasty at Memphis had just completed construction of his Great Pyramid in Egypt and Hammurabi lived in Babylon working out his legal code. It was an age of great masters, a period to be remembered for all time. During the last year of his rule, Tangun met an old tiger that was wandering the slopes of Taebaek-san. "Before I leave this world, there is something I must ask you," said the old tiger. "It was my father who asked the blessing of Hwan-ung to become human, but because he could not wait, he remained a tiger. Must all tigers live forever in shame because of his impatience?" Tangun gave the tiger another chance to redeem his family, and to experience the pain and joy of being human. However, Tangun warned him what would happen if he chose to succumb to impatience as his father did. "But realize this old one; no dream comes without a price. You will also know the sorrows of being human; you will feel the pain and hunger of the poor and suffer all the brutality and terror that man can impose on his own kind; you will see ugliness, hear screams of pain and hopeless cries of desperation and come to know the smell of death; you will feel the utter despair of dreams lost and the frustration of ambitions denied; you will know the loneliness of an outcast and the solitude of a hermit. You my old friend, will live the long history of my people." Speaking in a soft, low voice, Tangun said that a time was soon coming when men and animals would no longer be able to communicate with each other as they once did. Gently stroking the big cat's neck, Tangun gave the tiger the power to become human, but only for short periods of time. "You shall not grow older and you will not die," said Tangun. "You shall see and experience and remember all that your father will never know. If you accept this task, there will be no turning back. If you let impatience get control of you as it did your father, your kind will forever be cursed as untrustworthy and no man or animal shall think of you as a friend. The powers I give you shall be yours until Choson becomes a sovereign kingdom and its people become masters of their own destiny. When they achieve their goal my old friend, you shall achieve yours. I cannot tell you how long that will take, that is up to them. Spreading his arms outward toward the valleys below, he added, "All they need is here." To this day, the Tiger of Shinshi has been fulfilling his promise. And so remains, Korea in the eye of the tiger... III. IMPERIAL JAPAN'S ANNEXATION OF KOREA (1910 – 1945) Korea and Japan have a less than friendly history together. Korea's most revered historical hero is Admiral Yi Sun-sin who lead the Korean navy against 133 Japanese ships and defeated them at the Battle of Myeongnyang in 1590. The latter half of the 1800s was a tumultuous period in Asian history. Many Asian countries were being influenced, opened up, and conquered by western powers. Korea was the last stronghold of Asian isolationism. They were able to achieve this during their two centuries of peace (1600s – 1800s) through careful diplomacy with the Chinese empire. They used the threat of Chinese power as a deterrent to invaders and colonizers. The Chinese accepted this state of affairs, because the Chinese have long regarded Korea as the “Country of Eastern Decorum” since Korea eagerly accepted Chinese scholars who brought Buddhism, Confucianism, and other Chinese thought with them. Historically, Koreans have looked down upon military development, and chose to emphasize scholarship, particularly in Confucianism. This philosophy caused Korea to be prolific in science and art, mainly in the early period of the Yi Dynasty (1392 – 1910). The Hangul alphabet of the Korean language was proclaimed as the official alphabet by the Choson king Sejong in 1446. It is known as one of the most efficient and simplest alphabets in the world. The period of peace in Korea came to an end as western powers were making headway in China, Japan, Vietnam, and other countries. In the 1860s and 1870s, Korea engaged in naval skirmishes with the Americans, French, and British. It was not the West that opened up Korea, however, it was Japan. In a series of one-sided trade treaties that benefited Japan, the stage was set for a struggle of power between various great empires.
Originally Posted by ”Korean saying”
Briefly, the Chinese did not appreciate Japan's actions toward Korea, and the two fought the Sino-Japanese War (1894 – 1895). Ten years later, a rivalry over Korea between Japan and Russia produced the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). Japan won both wars which were big advances in their national security and military interests because they wished to become rivals to western imperialists who swiftly dominated other Asian countries. In 1910, Japan annexed Korea with the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty.
Originally Posted by ”Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty”
The occupation of Japan was harsh, and is the main source of anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea today. During Japan's occupation, citizens had many freedom of expression rights curtailed. Japan sought to replace Korean culture by forcing Korean citizens to speak and write in Japanese, adopt Japanese names, and they destroyed Korean history textbooks. Other actions included defacing Korean monuments and buildings, and altering songs, poems, and stories.
The most famous demonstration was the March 1st Independence Movement in 1919 which sparked further demonstrations. On the afternoon of March 1st 1919, 33 Korean nationalists gathered at a restaurant and read the following Korean Declaration of Independence written by historian Choe Nam-seori and Buddhist monk Han Yongun:
The March 1st demonstration was originally met with sympathy by Japanese Governor General Hasegawa Yoshimichi who reversed restrictions that the Koreans found most objectionable. However, the Japanese occupation became harsh once again after he was succeeded by Saito Makoto, and especially during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937 – 1945). The demonstration also inspired the creation of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea on April 13, 1919. Throughout Japanese rule, this organization would generally represent the views of the Korean people, although it was not officially recognized internationally and so the members would not be able to participate in signing treaties in the 1940s. When the Japanese annexed Korea, there was very little resistance from the poorly armed and poorly trained Korean army. Volunteers and soldiers fled to China and formed the Liberation Army, that would periodically cross the China-Korea border and use guerrilla warfare tactics to fight the Japanese soldiers. Some of them fled further to Russia for communist support after the Japanese invaded China in 1932 to attack the Liberation Army's bases. Two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Provisional Government of Korea organized guerrilla fighters and declared war on Japan and Germany. Guerrilla fighters and Korean deserters from the Imperial Japanese Army who did not join the Provisional Government were located in Yenan, China and these people would eventually become the Korean People's Army of the DPRK, lead by Kim Il Sung. They fought alongside Chinese forces during WWII. In 1948, just before the Korean War, Joseph Stalin equipped the KPA with tanks, trucks, artillery, and small arms in exchange for gold from the North Koreans. This was trade, not aid. You'll see why this is important in the next section. Following the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Japan surrendered, and the famous 38th parallel is drawn by the Americans. IV. CONTAINING COMMUNISM AND THE KOREAN WAR (1945 – 1953)
Originally Posted by ”Kim Dae Jung”
In the Cairo Conference of 1943, China, Great Britain, and the United States agreed that Korea would become an independent nation liberated from Japanese annexation. The Soviet Union entered the picture in 1945 at the Yalta Conference when they agreed to go to war with Japan. When the Japanese surrendered, the Soviets and Americans agreed they would occupy different parts of the peninsula.
After WWII, the United States adhered to a political strategy of containment which appeared to work. The Atlantic Alliance, Marshall Plan, NATO, and the Greek-Turkish aid program kept the Red Army from advancing into Western Europe and the Mediterranean. The problem with the containment strategy during the Cold War was three-fold: (1) The United States assumed that communists would wait passively for their own collapse. (2) The Cold War challenges would be similar to WWII challenges. (3) There was no incentive against future aggression, if there is no penalty for aggression. Ever since the Harry Truman, the geopolitical philosophy of the United States has been largely characterized by intervention as a means of upholding principle over law, power, and interests. The communists misunderstood Truman's geopolitics and expected nothing more than verbal protest if they crossed the 38th parallel and took southern Korea. Truman's attitude was motivated by the communist success between 1945 and 1949; a Czechoslovakian coup, the Red Army's occupation of Eastern Europe, and the Chinese civil war. The southern tip of the Korean peninsula paled in comparison to these victories. Why would the United States risk its national security by becoming involved in even a limited war with the communists in this insignificant region? In March 1949, General Douglas MacArthur who would eventually lead UN forces in the Korean War, placed the Korean peninsula outside the United States' security umbrella.
Originally Posted by ”MacArthur”
Secretary of State Dean Acheson made it even clearer.
Originally Posted by ”Dean Acheson”
In the early post-war years, the United States did not even consider the possibility of an invasion of southern Korea. There was no political or military policy formulated for this scenario because Washington's eyes were fixed on Europe and the Mediterranean. This had disastrous consequences when we intervened. Military aims and political aims vacillated during the duration of the Korean War. Without a clear goal, and without definite strategies, the Korean conflict was a perilous impromptu navigation. This was the other battlefront during the Korean War: MacArthur vs. Washington. MacArthur was a military strategist, not a political analyst. Washington had no doctrine for a limited war in Korea, so they had to worry about doing too much thus causing a general war with the Soviet Union, and doing too little thus losing control over the peninsula.
Joseph Stalin grudgingly allowed Kim Il Sung to invade South Korea. Stalin went along with the invasion because Kim Il Sung convinced him there would be no intervention. MacArthur's and Acheson's words were green lights. In fact, Stalin supported the idea of a trusteeship with the U.S. over Korea. Let's be absolutely clear here, Stalin and the Korean Communist Party disagreed with each other. Many of the Korean communists supporters had historical backing during the Japanese occupation from the Siberian Korean community and guerrilla fighters organized in China. Stalin had no expansionist endeavors on the peninsula, because the Soviets occupied the northern part of the peninsula in 1945 which was rich in minerals. This was Stalin's only interest. On the other hand, the Korean Communist Party was split along the 38th parallel, and were outraged over Stalin's strong support of this divided Korea. The nationalist aspirations from the Korean Communist Party created friction with Stalin, and in April 1950, the KCP drew up a plan for unification by invading the South. With enough pressure and reassurance that there would be no confrontation with the U.S., Stalin went along with the plan. Stalin was so worried over provoking the United States that he violated a mutual defense security treaty with Mao by not providing military support when the war turned in the favor of UN forces and North Korea was pushed backed to the Yalu River on the border of Korea and China. The reason China became involved because it wanted to use Kim's regime was a way to extend their security umbrella to the Korean peninsula. China also didn't want the United States to have any more political or military advantage through the Korean peninsula since both were vying for control of Taiwan. In short, the Korean War was precipitated mainly by the conflict between the two opposing governments on the Korean peninsula. The United Nations held elections for a democratic government of the Republic of Korea in Seoul which was lead by Syngman Rhee. The communists set up a government for the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea in Pyongyang which was lead by Kim Il Sung. The invasion from the North was motivated by the DPRK, not the Soviet Union. China became involved because of its own security interests and through its ally, the Soviet Union. The United States intervened because of Harry Truman's geopolitical philosophy that was principle-motivated, rather than realpolitik-motivated. Let's briefly go over the events of the Korean War.  On June 25, 1950, North Korea crossed the 38th parallel, captured Seoul within four days, and overran 2/3 of South Korea within a month. In just five days after the North Korean invasion, Truman sent American air and naval forces to assist South Korea and took a last stand at Pusan. South Korea was in danger of losing, so Truman requested the help of the UN Security Council. Troops from 15 other countries assisted in the fight.  On September 15, 1950, UN forces made an amphibious assault an Inchon in order to attack the North Korean flank and sever supply lines to the battlefront far to the south. Seoul was recaptured on September 28. UN forces successfully began pushing North Korean forces back to the North, and Pyongyang was subsequently captured on October 19. They were pushed back as far as the Yalu River which brought China into the war.  To prevent North Korea from being defeated, 150,000 Chinese soldiers poured in across the border and pushed UN forces all the way back to Seoul which was abandoned to Chinese forces on January 4, 1951.  Inconclusive fighting continued for several months. In June 1951, communists proposed an armistice so Washington ordered an end to offensive operations hoping that the Chinese will believe America was not aiming for a victory. However, the Chinese exploited this chance to regroup leading to a war of attrition for over 2 years that produced a stalemate. Joseph Stalin died early in 1953 which made the communists eager to end the war. Finally, an Armistice agreement was signed on July 27, 1953 creating a four-mile wide DMZ across the 38th parallel. They also created the truce village, Panmunjom. To this day, the North and South have rare meetings in that area. The Military Armistice Commission and the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission supervise each nation's commitment to the truce. V. THE AFTERMATH The Korean War was devastating, to say the least. With 1.6 million combat casualties (not counting many more civilian deaths), and most of Seoul destroyed after changing hands three times during the war, survivors were left to rebuild a torn society. After 56 years, the south fears military actions by the DPRK. North Korea suffered the most damage to its infrastructure. The Chinese and North Koreans had the most combat casualties. After the Korean War ended, Washington used military containment, and economic sanctions as a general policy toward North Korea. The diplomatic and economic relationship between North Korea and the United States is virtually nonexistent. Three days after the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel, the United States banned all exports to North Korea. Today, almost a dozen laws place restrictions on trade with the north. A Cold War axis developed between two parties: (1) Security treaties between the U.S., South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and New Zealand (2) North Korea, the Soviet Union, and China A 30-year Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance signed in 1950 was an agreement between China and the Soviet Union to use necessary means to prevent Japanese imperialism. Subsequently, North Korea signed defense treaties with the Soviet Union and China in 1961. These agreements solidified the opposing forces of the Pacific powers. The Korean divide strikes deeply within many citizens which has caused them to develop a lingering bitter attitude toward Japan, Russia, and the United States, who they see as the main causes for the 38th parallel. They also see them as hindrances toward unification. VI. JUCHE
Originally Posted by ”Korean proverb”
Some have compared the division of Korea to the division of Germany during the Cold War. The two are very similar politically, but the cultural differences are massive. The introduction of a totalitarian regime in North Korea was not as alien as it was in East Germany. The Yi Dynasty (1392 – 1910) was a feudalistic regime where Koreans worked for the wealthy Yangban landlords. Then the peninsula was occupied by the Japanese in 1910. Soon after Japan's surrender, the DPRK was created. And today, North Koreans do not have access to outside information because they lack the internet, foreign television, telephone communication with the outside, and their books are carefully screened for information that may hurt the regime. In North Korea, the current guiding model for the socio-political structure is a mixture of Confucianism, Marxist-Leninism, and the personality cult that arose more prominently after Kim Il Sung's death in 1994.
A famous sage in China named Confucius was born in 550 B.C. He lived during a turbulent period during the Zhou Dynasty (1100 - 256 BCE). Inspired by the social chaos, he argued for reform and developed his ethical philosophy that governed social and political life. He was not the only one, but he was most prominent figure during what is known as The Period of 100 Philosophers. Although Confucius considered himself a failure toward the end of his life, his doctrines swept the Far East thanks to his 3,000 followers. Confucius was only a small part of early Chinese philosophy. He drew upon earlier writing that dated up to 1000 years before his life. The Five Classics were the most influential of early Chinese writing on Confucius. These texts were not philosophical in nature, in that they did not address metaphysical questions, but were mostly records of normative beliefs dealing with the socio-political structure and practices of Chinese society. Of the Five Classics was a book called The Book of Rites (Li Chi) which addressed rules concerning music, dancing, burial, relationships (within the family and government), and ancestral worship. The five relationships in The Book of Rites teaches dominance on one side, and submission on the other. (1) father and son (2) older sibling and younger sibling (3) husband and wife (4) elder friend and younger friendship (5) ruler and subject When Chinese scholars brought their work to Korea in the 300s A.D., its influence was immediate on Korean society. In particular were the five relationships that taught a strict hierarchy. These ideas fit in nicely with the Yi Dynasty that replaced the Koryo Dynasty in 1392 which was characterized by a feudalistic hierarchy where the wealthy Yangban landlords dictated the lower serfs. Confucianism was proclaimed as the official state religion when the Yi Dynasty took over. Chinese philosophy was studied intensely by Korean scholars, and it's already been noted before that Korea looked down upon military pursuits and foreign diplomacy. Instead, Koreans chose to develop their domestic affairs and pursue knowledge and art. If you would recall, the Korean People's Army was backed by communist support from the Soviets and the Chinese lead by Kim Il Sung. When the DPRK was created, its driving principles were rooted in Marxism and the original Communist Party of Korea which was banned during Japanese occupation. On June 30, 1949, a meeting in Pyongyang produced the Korean Workers' Party which officially merged the North and South Korean communist party supporters. During the Cold War, the Soviets relied on domestic communist parties to slowly transform states into socialist regimes. In Korea, most of the communist supporters were in the southern part of Korea pre-Korean War, particularly in Seoul. After the Korean War, there was political turmoil as the South Koreans battled opposition from the Korean Workers' Party. Stalin relied on organizing the Korean community in the USSR and the few communist supporters in North Korea. After the Japanese surrendered, the Soviets in North Korea were searching for a leader, Kim Il Sung. He was a guerrilla fighter during Japanese occupation, became a captain of the Red Army, and was a diligent follower of Marxist principles. Thus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was born, under Kim Il Sung's leadership. (Note that Kim Il Sung's background would inspire the unique North Korean principle of Songun, which glorifies the Korean People's Army.) So far we've established the Confucian influence, and the Marxist-Leninist influence on the socio-political structure of the DPRK. But what is Juche? Juche is a unique guiding principle devised by Kim Il Sung which is often simply described as The Principle of Self-Reliance. He introduced it in a speech to the Korean Workers' Party in 1955 as he was trying to suppress the presence of rival politicians. It's hard to say what Juche is exactly, it's a vague term that the North Korean government often uses as an excuse for things such as the economic downturn in the 1990s. Ju means fundamental, while che means body, self, or foundation. Juche economics is refraining from trade with other countries. Juche farming is collectivization of farmland. Juche is the nationalist idea of self-reliance and pride in North Korea in the face of difficulty. If there is a problem somewhere in North Korea, the government reminds its citizens of Juche. When Kim Il Sung died in 1994, his son Kim Jong Il took power, and transformed Juche into a cult ideology. The way this was done was by using metaphors that altered the perception of the North Korean people by characterizing Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as fathers of the Korean people. This was readily adapted since it touched the Korean psychology and philosophy that respected the hierarchy of society, from family to government. Understand that the guiding model of North Korea is dynamic and unique. North Korea has never accepted any one principle wholesale, but the government adapts certain aspects from Korean culture, religion, and other ideologies to suit their needs. The North Korean government often edits texts to change ideologies and history. VII. NORTH KOREA'S ECONOMY
Originally Posted by ”Korean Proverb”
Following the Korean War, the north grew more rapidly than the south, despite the north receiving the most damage during the war. The reasons include:
- Ideology that strongly motivated North Korean citizens - Massive aid from China and the Soviet Union in the form of physical supplies and loans - Large mineral deposits in the north that did not exist in the south - Infrastructure was built up in the north during Japanese occupation in order to extract minerals. North Korea possessed a lot of heavy industry, while South Korea was geared toward light industry and rice. The factors that made North Korea strong immediately after the Korean War made them weak in the latter part of the century. The capitalists to the south sprinted past North Korea in the 1970s since the ROK spent the early years following the war modernizing its infrastructure and emphasizing the industrial sector to prepare themselves for an export-driven economy. South Korea also received $800 million USD from Japan as reparations for the damage done during Imperial Japan's occupation. According to the Korean Institute for International Economic Policy, South Korea was most efficient in their spending of Japan's reparation money between South Korea, Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. The result was that in the 1970s, South Korea had a highly trained young workforce from its new school system, and superb communications networks and transportation. When they entered the international markets, they had competitive prices which attracted massive foreign capital into an untapped market. Today, South Korea is known as the Miracle on the Han River, owing to their reputation as having one of the most skilled workforces in Asia, and a leading exporter that dominates information technologies and the auto industry* (See note at the bottom of this section). North Korea's economy, has gone in the opposite direction. The reasons for its decline can be attributed to the following: - Breakup of the socialist bloc beginning in 1990 - Flooding in 1995 and 1996, then a drought in 1997 destroyed large amounts of farmland. 30% of North Korea's economy is agricultural. - China and the Soviet Union stopped providing loans to North Korea in the 1980s. Those loans have been in default since then. - An inefficient rationing system caused some North Koreans to enjoy significant wealth, while others starved. - Systemic problems associated with centrally planned economies. North Korea enjoyed much assistance from the Soviet Union and China in the early years following the Korean War, which is now gone. - North Korea spends 30% of its GNP maintaining its 1.1 million man standing army, and modernizing its military infrastructure. - A depreciated non-military infrastructure The end of the Cold War, and subsequent natural disasters was a stroke of bad luck that hit the North Korean economy hard. They relied heavily on the Soviet Union and China to artificially prop up its economy. The cooperative system of socialist states allowed for “socialist-friendly” prices which ranged from one-fourth to one-third normal market prices. These socialist states also had a kind of barter system, and their collapse forced North Korea to use hard currency for trade; a very weak currency with no international market. Between 1990 and 1998, the GNP of North Korea went from 23.1 billion USD to 12.6 billion USD; a 55% fall in just 9 years. These conditions created the North Korean famine between 1995-1999. We know what caused the famine, but who failed to stop it? In a country with just 23 million people, between 1 million to 3 million died of starvation. This famine became highly controversial, since it appeared that North Korea's neighbors all hesitated to take any action. The excuse from Washington was that Kim Jong Il was bluffing in 1995 when he asked for assistance. Even North Korea could not hide the famine of the 1990s, and looking back at the cultural, political, and historical background of the country, it is obvious North Korea would not lie about something like this, simply to get other countries to fork over extra supplies that it can then use to fund its military. Any admission of vulnerability from North Korea is rare, and should be taken seriously. International aid finally arrived in the late 1990s, and the North Korean economy has been kept alive by massive contributions from its neighbors, and greater inter-Korean cooperation. North Korea stopped shipments of humanitarian assistance in December 2005, and restricted aid to developmental assistance for its economy only. The U.S. shipped 500,000 metric tons of food to North Korea via the World Food Program in May 2008. Inter-Korean cooperation is an economic and political benefit to the north and south, and subsequently the Pacific powers. The North can benefit from more economic activity by healing its broken economy that is all but inoperable due to depreciated industrial capital that is beyond repair, lack of replacement parts, lack of a modernized communications and transportation network, and lack of trading partners. The pressures of the 1990s has caused North Korea to re-evaluate its Juche ideology and remain more open to economic reform. It will come as a surprise that North Korea is a great place for foreign investment. There are many reasons to do business with North Korea: Political Benefits: Kim Dae Jung's Sunshine Policy separated economic and humanitarian efforts from political ones. Under this policy, individuals and organizations would be able to legally provide aid to North Korea despite any political climate. This helped ease tensions between the north and south, helped the hungry citizens of North Korea, and benefited both countries' economies. Famines such as the one that occurred in the mid-1990s are highly destabilizing. Even though North Koreans are very loyal to its government, another famine may not stop massive defection to China and South Korea, or a revolt from the citizenry. Untapped Natural Resources: When the Japanese occupied North Korea, there was a reason why they developed much industrial infrastructure in the north, and developed light industry in the south. North Korea is abundant in mineral deposits owing to its mountainous geography. Sedentary Labor Force: Many North Koreans are simply out of work, and there is a huge labor market waiting to be employed. Foreign investment to develop industrial manufacturing will be a boom to both foreigners and North Korea. The 1990s crisis caused the North Korean government to pass laws for experimental free zones, and easing restrictions on foreign economic relations. Logistical Considerations: The north and south are currently re-constructing a highway that links South Korea to Kaesong City just north of the DMZ. This will greatly reduce transportation costs from the Far East to Europe. The biggest investor in South Korea has been the Hyundai-Kia group, who have given much aid to North Koreans, and also started the Mt. Kumgang tourism project. Other projects include Samsung's electronics complex, and Pyung Hwa Motors' auto repair and assembly factory. --- *Side Note: It is likely that the Far East is going to rise significantly in economic prowess in the early part of this century. Despite being highly dependent on oil imports to run their economies (such as South Korea), countries like China and Japan finance western debt (especially the U.S. and most of western Europe and the UK). Japan and China have already expressed concerns about the supposed AAA credit rating of the U.S. government and the value of the U.S. dollar. If they lost faith in the U.S. government's ability to pay back the bonds it issues, we may be forced to finance our debt in yuan and yen etc. instead of U.S. dollars. Long story short, this is very bad for a deficit country as it makes us vulnerable to hyperinflation. Surplus countries are affected by the economic downturns in the west because they rely on exports to drive their economies. If they lost customers (importing countries), their economies would merely deflate, which happens to be the least of the two evils: deflation vs. inflation. Economic prowess is the key to military and political power in the industrial and post-industrial age. Before the Cold War, military, political, and economic power moved symmetrically. In this age, military and political power is more sensitive to economic conditions. As cheap energy declines, the world is going to witness a massive shift in power toward those countries who can afford their lifestyle, rather than those countries that live beyond their means. VIII. NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons has been in defense of its sovereignty. The government knows that nuclear weapons is something the United States fears, and it will use the threat of nuclear war as a means of protecting itself against what it views as aggression from the United States. The DPRK has used this strategy since its nuclear capabilities was brought to the attention of the international community in the late 1980s. The facade that the DPRK often shows is misleading; North Korea is desperate and scared. When the Bush Administration came into power, North Korea became even more defensive, but their concerns were warranted due to George Bush's unilateral hard-line diplomacy. In 1989, the CIA confirmed the existence of a reprocessing facility at Yongbyon that could reprocess spent fuel rods. Two years later, North and South Korea became members of the UN. The U.S. and North Korea negotiated to have the IAEA inspect its nuclear facilities beginning in 1992. North Korea acceded after the U.S. withdrew tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea. Between 1992 and 1993, the IAEA conducted 6 different inspections, however in 1993, South Korea and the U.S. conducted Team Sprit war exercises. North Korea viewed this as harassment and in early 1994, they expelled IAEA inspectors and announced their withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In June 1994, Bill Clinton wanted military action against North Korea, however Jimmy Carter intervened by traveling to Pyongyang and negotiating for a peaceful resolution. His diplomatic trip was successful and in October 1994, the U.S. and North Korea produced the Agreed Framework. Under this agreement, North Korea would abandon its nuclear ambitions and remain an adherent to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In exchange for North Korea's cooperation, the U.S. would provide 2 light-water reactors and 500,000 tons of fuel oil per year while the reactors were being built. In 1998, North Korea launches a 3-stage rocket which they claim was carrying a satellite. The range of the rocket worried the U.S. because of its range that could reach locations on the west coast of the U.S. North Korea agrees to a moratorium on future missile tests, and in exchange the U.S. lifts some economic sanctions. In 1999, the U.S. began construction of a multi-billion dollar missile defense system to guard against ICBMs. When the Bush Administration succeeded the Clinton Administration, diplomacy with North Korea was put on hold while a policy review was conducted. In a January 2002 State of the Union address, Bush labeled Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as the axis of evil, and stated his pre-emptive strike doctrine.
Originally Posted by ”George Bush”
In September 2002, Bush stated his pre-emptive strike doctrine in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York as part of his updated “National Security Strategy”.
Originally Posted by ”George Bush”
Pyongyang's response was hostile, and these aggressive, unilateral actions by the Bush Administration worsened our relations with North Korea. When James Kelly, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, visited Pyongyang in October 2002, North Korea charged that James Kelly's visit was meant to force the following actions:
- Suspension of their nuclear weapons program - Reduction of forces along the DMZ - Human rights improvements To the surprise of Washington, they also admitted they restarted their nuclear weapons program. Pyongyang offered bilateral negotiations with the U.S. and a non-aggression pact with the United States, but this was rejected. In December 2002, IAEA inspectors were evicted from North Korea. South Korea and Japan wanted oil shipments to continue because they viewed it as the best option to create a more friendly diplomatic atmosphere between Washington and Pyongyang, but the oil shipments stopped.
North Korea may decide to invade South Korea if America gets involved in anymore military conflicts or weakens economically. There was fear when the United States went to war in Iraq that North Korea would take advantage of the distraction. This didn't happen, but Pyongyang became wary that the United States could try the same thing in the North Korea in the future. Between 2003 and 2008, Washington pushed for 6-party talks between Russia, China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. Pyongyang did not want this because they viewed the multilateral approach of the United States as unilateral aggression in disguise. Their view was that the U.S. would simply use the multilateral discussions as a way to pressure North Korea to conform to their demands. At the end of the Cold War, the alliance between North Korea, China, and Russia diminished. Post-Cold War, China was concerned with North Korea's stability because they did not want millions of refugees flooding into the Chinese mainland. Russia is only somewhat concerned because of their presence in Northeast Asia (Siberia). Both China and Russia want to remain the only nuclear powers in the region as well. Japan has a diplomatic stake for a number of reasons. A couple of examples are issues concerning Japanese abductees and the illegal methamphetamine trade between North Korea and Japan. South Korea's main goal is unification and national security. The U.S. realizes that instability in Northeast Asia would be a major blow to its security umbrella, and its trading and military partner, South Korea. It is unlikely that North Korea will completely dismantle its nuclear weapons program, however, they show some propensity to do away with certain aspects in exchange for economic assistance and possibly security agreements, especially with the U.S. In 2005, six-party talks in Beijing produced an agreement that North Korea would halt its production of weapons grade nuclear fuel in exchange for light water reactors. This almost the same as the previous 1994 Agreed Framework which the Bush Administration withdrew from in 2002 after Pyongyang became more defensive. However, there was disagreement over the specifics such as what “freezing” implied for their nuclear weapons program, so the agreement eventually collapsed. In October 2006, North Korea announced it had successfully completed an underground nuclear test. In response, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions against North Korea by stopping luxury goods, technology transfers, and WMD-related parts from entering the country. A bilateral meeting was held in Berlin between North Korea and the United States in January 2007. The next month, 6-party talks resumed and a successful agreement on “Initial Actions for the Implementation of the Joint Statement” was reached. North Korea would shutdown its Yongbyon complex and allow IAEA inspectors back into the country. In exchange, North Korea would receive energy assistance in the form of monthly shipments of heavy fuel oil. After a number of facilities were dismantled and the Yongbyon processing facility was imploded in June 2008, President Bush announced that it would lift the Trading with the Enemy Act against North Korea. He also removed North Korea's label as a state sponsor of terrorism. IX. THE FUTURE OF NORTH KOREA
Originally Posted by Kim Dae Jung
Now that we've looked at the history of North Korea, what is the future? The primary source of friction on the Korean peninsula is between the north and south, and between North Korea and the U.S. North Korea wants unification, but on their own terms. South Korea wants unification, but on their own terms. Actions by the United States are involuntarily destabilizing the region. Washington needs to adopt a consistent policy toward North Korea and stick with it.
Key points to remember as diplomats formulate a strategy toward North Korea: - Our goal should be eventual Korean unification through inter-Korean cooperation - Reconciling with North Korea to prevent them from lashing out with military action - Ensuring the safety of South Korean citizens - Containing nuclear development The North Korean regime has shown openness to change since the economic difficulties in the mid 1990s. They are willing to accede to foreign demands if they are certain they will not face economic difficulty or threats to their national security. Pyongyang is mostly concerned with the U.S. forcing a collapse or replacing the regime, and the Bush Administration wanted this. Operation Iraqi Freedom only corroborated their fear that Washington will eventually target North Korea. However, toward the end of George Bush's term, Washington became somewhat more friendly which eased their relations somewhat. Their next concern is their economic and diplomatic openness with South Korea. They witnessed what happened to East Germany; once you open the floodgate, the torrent cannot be stopped. A social collapse of North Korea isn't out of the question if North Korea does not repair its broken economy. Famines are destructive and unpredictable. Neither China nor South Korea want millions of refugees defecting across the borders. Both countries are already overpopulated, and defectors into China often get exploited such as woman who get forced into sex trades. North Korea has stated that if they go down, they will take the South with them, and the United States would be wise to heed those words. They are threats, but they aren't empty threats. The North and South are still at war. The Pentagon has something called Operation Plan 5027 which is an outline of the military tactics that will be used in response to an unannounced attack by the North against the South. In this plan, it is predicted that at least 1 million South Koreans in Seoul would be killed in the initial attack before South Korea and the United States would be able to drive North Korea back across the 38th parallel. Seoul lies just 30 miles from the DMZ, and for humanity's sake, Washington should not downplay North Korean threats of war. We know North Korea has nuclear weapons, and the less talked about chemical weapons production plants. North Korea has sold missile technology to Egypt, Iran, Libya, Pakistan, Syria, and Yemen. In 1998, North Korea helped Pakistan build a version of its Nodong ballistic missile which Pakistan test-fired in 1998. There is no evidence that they have exported WMDs, so we should continue to contain the export of WMDs as much as possible. One way we can do this is by helping North Korea with its ailing economy. They make money exporting these weapons, which they desperately need. The Pacific powers should help North Korea develop its infrastructure to tap into their rich mineral deposits, and give them supplies of energy fuel. This will reduce the incentive to export weapons technologies and make them more apt to accede to slow reform and increased inter-Korean cooperation. In April 2009, Korea test fired a rocket that it claimed was carrying a satellite. This was merely a test to see how the new Obama Administration would respond. Obama seems to have followed in step with Bush's entrance to office in 2001. While in Prague, Obama stated,
Originally Posted by ”Barack Obama”
North Korea responded to what they saw as more aggression from Washington, and stated that they “will never again return to 6-party talks”.
As we move forward in this upcoming new decade, Washington must return to historical diplomatic tactics that have worked, and realize that the North Korean situation is unique. We must act rationally, rather than using empty emotional words to antagonize the North. Rules must be binding, sure, but North Korea will not go to war unless it sees no way out. The missile test was merely a way for North Korea to test the new waters, and this is something that Obama, and the previous Bush Administration did not understand. A. Chronology of Major Events (2333 B.C. - 1945 A.D.) (Source: North Korea at a Crossroads by Suk Hi Kim. I modified his timeline slightly.) 2333 B.C. - Choson, the first Korean state, is founded at present day Pyongyang by Tangul who united divided Korean nations in the north. This is based on legend, however archaeologists and historians believe it to be true. 300s A.D. - Three kingdoms emerge on the peninsula. Buddhism and Confucianism are introduced from China. 688 A.D. - Shilla kingdom defeats the other kingdoms and unites the peninsula as a single sovereign state. 935-1392 A.D. - Koryo dynasty rules Korea. 1200s A.D. - Mongolians invade, and are later expelled during the mid 1300s. 1392 – 1910 A.D. - The Yi Dynasty (sometimes called the Choson Dynasty) rules Korea. Confucianism replaces Buddhism as the official state ideology. 1592 A.D. - Japan attacks Korea and is defeated. 1600s A.D. - Christian missionaries enter Korea. Korea responds by excluding all foreigners. 1630s A.D. - Manchurian forces invade Korea and force them to pledge loyalty to China. The Yi dynasty continues ruling over Korea, while paying tribute to China 1700s A.D. - Korea becomes known as The Hermit Kingdom because of their isolation from outside states other than Japan and China. 1876 A.D. - Imperial Japan forces Korea to open its ports for trade. The Hermit Kingdom is forced to deal with foreign states. 1880s A.D. - Korea signs commercial treaties with Russia, the United States, and some European states. 1894 – 1905 A.D. - Japan's has military victories over China and Russia. Japan turns its eye toward Korea. 1910 – 1945 A.D. - Japan annexes Korea and rules it as a colony until Japan is defeated in WWII. 1945 A.D. - Japan surrenders to the Allies. Americans propose that forces north of the 38th parallel surrender to the Soviet Union, and forces south of the 38th parallel go to the Americans. B. North Korea at a Glance  C. Various Pictures Some of the pictures get resized to a smaller version. Click for a better view. The Far East.  Political map of the Korean peninsula.  Physical map of the Korean peninsula. Note the extremely mountainous terrain.  Korea is 85% mountainous. Many people and farmland reside in valleys making both North and South Korea sensitive to flooding rains. Korea has incredible natural beauty.  Heaven Lake atop Baekdu Mountain. It lies on the border between China and North Korea.  Kim Il Sung – Eternal president of the DPRK as stated in the Constitution adapted in 1998. Viewed by the North Koreans as father and ideological genius of the DPRK.  Kim Jong Il – Currently the Chairman of the National Defense Commission and de facto leader of the DRPK. Son of Kim Il Sung.  One of North Korea's impressive marches.  Satellite imagery comparing North and South Korea.   Pyongyang at night.  Seoul at night. South Korea is one of the Four Asian Tigers (Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea). The Asian tigers have had incredible economic growth comparable to Japan's industrialization during the Meiji Restoration. They serve as role models for emerging economies in the Pacific Rim.  Nuclear sites.  A different image.  Balance of forces.  Imagery of the Yongbyon nuclear site.  A cooling tower demolished in June 2008 at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.  Panmunjom, a famous location at the 38th parallel. Rare meetings and negotiations are held between the north and south here. Two guards face each other at the border, in case one of them decides to defect. The third guard faces toward North Korea, watching for anyone that tries to run across the border.  A concentration camp known as Camp 22 in Hoeryong. What little information we know about concentration camps in North Korea has come from former defected prisoners and camp guards. There are believed to be 100,000s of prisoners in these camps today. North Korea denies their existence. These camps are located in the center of North Korea, hidden in mountains and therefore, hard to access. 
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Before all else, be armed. - Machiavelli Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance. - Sun Tzu Last edited by Michio; 18-05-2009 at 03:15.. |
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26-01-2010, 02:33
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The Humanoid Typhoon
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Re: North Korea
Bump.
Holy god. 7500 views and 0 replies? Well, it's likely at least one person read this and found it informative or interesting so I'm glad. Looks like my photobucket pictures disappeared.  Anyway, some small thoughts on N. Korea: The extradition of some North Koreas escapees to China has been getting some media attention. The story goes that a family attempted to flee to China, and their plan was to go to Mongolia then escape to South Korea. They were caught, extradited by the Chinese government, the father and mother were detained in a prison camp then executed. An individual that assisted them was also caught and executed, the other family members were placed in prison camps, alive. I don't think these are good moves for China, as far as 6-party talks are concerned. I know China has consistently extradited North Korean escapees, but North Korea has been getting tougher recently. They have started some sort of 50-day battle to crack down on social disturbances (like people escaping the country), China is basically responsible for executions in this case, at least that is how it would be interpreted by S. Korea and the U.S. Japan is low on North Korea's radar, even though the Japan-U.S. relationship seems strong in these matters. North Korea believes they don't really gain any leverage over the U.S. (the primary focus) since Japan has hardly ever expressed any disagreement with the U.S. in North Korean relations, and they're probably right in thinking Japan will go with anything the U.S. decides even with the new DPJ. There is no way the U.S. is going to convince China to do anything to assist the U.S. in forcing North Korea to meet U.S. demands. The relationship between China and N. Korea is positive, China believes the development of WMDs don't affect them, and China believes if the U.S. is ever successful, there will be a flood of North Korea refugees into China that they have already expressed, they do not want. And China has consistently sent North Korea large shipments of oil, unlike the U.S. which has been fickle and far too nasty in their diplomatic strategies. The U.S. is delusional in thinking it is actually possible to punish a country into submission which has nothing left to lose, and South Korea is delusional in believing unification is any kind of answer. I don't like the six party talks, because North Korea doesn't like them. In other words, I think the U.S.' goal should be: (1) appeasing North Korea (2) and developing N. Korea economically If the Obama administration believes emulating the Bush administration is going to help, well, we're going to need new leadership. Unfortunately I think the only real solution at this point is one that would be far too politically controversial and radical, so I don't see the Korean peninsula coming to peace any time soon. Rather than trying to take away everything from an already naked man, it would be better to aggressively develop North Korea's economy which would eventually cause a cultural flood leading to more dissent toward the North Korean state. One of the biggest reasons the totalitarian administration has remained in power despite all the hardship the population experiences is simple ignorance. North Korea has basically perfected totalitarianism by taking political ideas, and presenting them in a religious, cult-like fashion which causes people to both fear and worship the government simultaneously the same way religious prophets are worshipped. If the international community wanted to overthrow the North Korean government, they should allow the forces of globalization to cause a culture infusion. But to do that, we need to begin aggressively developing North Korea's economy, which contains a large untapped labor base, plenty of untapped resources. And I wish the U.S. would stop agreeing to do something and appearing friendly, then completely changing their demeanor a few months later just because North Korea decided to fire a few missiles. We're never going to get anywhere like this. I think we constantly forget that North Korea holds the trump card here: Seoul. We're forgetting that it's a very real possibility that North Korea would suddenly invade Seoul, and our defenses wouldn't act fast enough before nearly a million South Koreans are killed. North Korea has nothing to lose, and its leader has been diagnosed with a terminal disease, so who says he won't pull the trigger?
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