Both Koreas for the Peninsula

Both Koreas for the Peninsula

The KoreanPeninsula has been an area of great controversy and a source of conflict for many countries. The KoreanPeninsula was possessed by Japan between the years 1910-1945. The Second World War ended in the year 1945, and the USSR (United Soviet States of Russia) facilitated the surrendering of the Japanese forces while the United States facilitated the surrendering in the South. The two allies worked together in the establishment of a joint commission in a bid to form a Korean provisional government. The Americans and Soviets later fell out, concerning the issue of legitimizing of the existing competing political groups that had an intention of governing Korea, this later led to the emergent of mutual suspicion. In the year 1947, a through directive from the United States attempted to unify the two halves of the country: the Northern and the Southern Korea.

The Korean DMZ (Korean Demilitarized Zone) conflict was among the low-level clashes that included the usage of arms between the South Korea forces and the North Korea forces, which also included the United States. These clashes existed for three years, between 1966 and 1969. Other incidences occurred between the two Koreas. The existence of war in Korea was extremely devastating for both South and North Korea. This resulted to both countries renouncing the war with claims of trying to reunify Korea. The problem with this claim was that neither of these sides was able to make reunification a reality. The removal of People’s Liberation Army in North Korea in 1958, gave room for Kim 2-Sung to put his power base together and continue with the Chollima Movement, of improving industries and agriculture in developing a base for reunification of Korea forcefully.

North Korea was dependent on USSR for technological supplies and China for their assistance in agriculture. The Split of Sino-Soviet made the Soviet to suspend its aid to North Korea in the year 1962, claiming that DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) was in support of China. On the other hand, the economic aid that South Korea was receiving from United States and numerous western nations enabled a rapid development of South Korea. This helped South Korea to achieve an annual growth of 5.5% in the 1950s.in the year 1962, the economy and population of South Korea had nearly doubled that of North Korea. Kim2-Sung became conversant with the fact that, the raising economic ability evidenced in South Korea would eventually increase with time, enabling the South to force reunification through dictating their own terms. Again, the economic advantage and the existing autocratic form of the administration of the Park had resulted to widespread dissent.

In the absence of Soviet, support attacking South Korea through conventional means was not a possibility; therefore, Kim saw an opportunity of achieving reunification by means of unconventional warfare. He later came up with a new military strategy in regards to the Workers’ Party of Korea’s Central Committee. He enhanced this through placing emphasis on agitation, irregular warfare, and propaganda, which had to be accomplished in a span of seven years by the year 1967. In June 1965 a treaty, normalizing its relationship with Japan was signed by PresidentPark. The treaty involved reparations payment and securing of loans given by Japan.

In the year 1966, the United States and South Korea signed an agreement of Status of Force that gave room for an even relationship amongst the two countries. Hostilities emerged in 1966, from a speech delivered by Kim 2-Sung at a conference of Workers’ Party of Korea where he challenged the Armistice Agreement’s status quo. They argued that the existing effort division by the forces of South Korea and the U.S, role in Vietnam resulted to creation of an environment where conventional warfare would not succeed, as would the irregular warfare. He did all this in bid to split the U.S for South Korea, which would give room for incitement from North Korea aimed at toppling the administration of Park.

Beginning from the year 1964, North Koreans amplified the access of spies and propagandists into the South. North Korea had ill motives for doing this since in October 1966, they had killed at least 10 civilians and over 30 soldiers from South Korea. The infiltrators from North Korea were executing these attacks. In the year 1966, South Korea felt obligated to retaliate, but they did so without General Bonesteel’s approval. This move brought tension between the South Koreans who had occurred massive losses from the attack and the U.S command who advocated for avoidance of armistice violation.

The borders that were set were responsible for splitting the peninsula both economically and politically into a primarily agricultural South and the Communist industrial Northern Korea, which highly depended on U.S aid. In the year 1949, both the United States the USSR withdrew a bigger percentage of their troops, but left a small group that had the responsibility of advising the government. The increase of hostility between the two halves contributed to clashes at the border between South and Northern Korea between the year 1949 and 1950.

Since the withdrawal of USSR and 1990, there has been a declination of North Korean economy. The case is not the same with South Korea where the economy has been self-sufficiency.the main tool of North Korea’s strength in maintaining the regime of communism is in the usage of weapons, which has been developed to gain aid, concession acquire favorable treaties against their possible enemies. The behaviors of North Korea suggestive of the fact that they are making threats in their bid to intimidate and disrupt their relationship with the United States, South Korea and the surrounding neighbors. North Korea’s threats have always worked to their advantage since through these threats North Korea is gaining possible concession and attention from the negotiating partners.

The tension between North and southern Korea continues to heat up to date. Russia has already commented of a possible escalating aggression. Recently, the clashes between South and North Korea were aggravated by the claims that both countries raised accusing finger on claims that there was firing of artillery on the maritime border that has always been the cause of disagreement. South Korea has admitted to the fact that they were the first in firing the shells. They went further in explaining that their firing had nothing to do with attacking the North Koreas, but rather it was part of their military drill.

Seoul had their share of pass blame by retorting that the North was shelling their island. The Pyongyang stated that the South were in violation of conducting their military drills in their maritime border.

In conclusion, the existing conflict between South and North Korea is not a conflict of class but rather that of power struggle amongst states, which have been characterized by the Northern resistance and the existing efforts of peace making from the South. Although these two countries are constantly embroiled in conflicts, they depend on each other. For instance, South Korea has more resources than North Korea, and the latter is the most undeveloped compared to two. South Korea befits from North Korea’s through accessing of natural resources, normally in the agricultural sector. South Korea intends to gain from North Korea as far as accessibility of trade routes is concerned. Once this route is open, South Korea will access Asian countries and China. North Korea is a beneficiary of annual food rations direct from the national budget of South Korea.