Perceptions of Koreas Role in the Vietnam War - Essay Example

Perceptions of the Korea’s Role in the Vietnam War The Vietnam War was triggered by various factors. The war started from December 1956 to April 1975. The war was mainly fought between the Northern Vietnam and the South Vietnamese government. North Vietnam was greatly supported by China among other communist aliens such as Korea. Korea largely took part in this war further facilitating the resulting effects. This paper looks at the level of participation of by the Korean aliens and the resulting views or ethical implications for its participation. The participation of the Koreans was based on a decision by the Korean Workers’ party. Their participation is reflected to the period between late 1966 and early 1967. The main aim was to back up the North Vietnam fighters like China had done together with other communist nations. The Vietnam War is a war that can be a forgotten war by the Koreans but history still keeps the exact record of all events that prevailed. Essentially, Korea was determined to support the North Vietnam fighters against the South Vietnam government as seen in the number of troops that took off for the war zone. Korean troops comprised of the second largest forces from the foreign military side. The United States was the leader in this regard but more than 5,000 US lives had been lost in the war thereby putting more pressure for other supporters like Korea to invent (Baek, Pg.1). The lack of have great memories on Korea participation could be attributed to the fact that South Vietnam disappeared completely from the map after the victory of the communists’ participants. Conversely, South Vietnam was Korea’s sacrifice recipient. Again, previous state of historical researches about Vietnam War as well as the general disinterest among the mass media of today and popular culture could have made Korea’s contribution partially forgotten. A few scholars from Korea have written on the topic but their work tended to perpetuate any biasness in the leadership of the Korean leader, Park Chung Hee (Baek, Pg.1). The leaders’ participation and especially his decision to send Korean troop to fight in the war has been highly criticized. Korea’s participation is also seen to be initiated by the US imperial aggression. It has also been perceived that Park had send mercenaries to the war for profit benefits. These views have however faced a different side whereby some of the participants from Korea decided to keep records of what happened and the positive side of their participation. Despite any Korean effort to write about the war and their efforts contributing to its end, there seems to be little interest in such works especially by communities outside the veterans associations. Besides, the veterans are generally ignored even by the public. Their occasional protests organized by those affected by the war especially through chemical defoliants used by The United States militants are usually ignored by the government (Baek, Pg.1). Despite this forgotten heroism, Korea is ready to hold various occasions that commemorates its participation in the war. Next year, the year 2014, the country would mark its 50th anniversary in the war. Koreas 50th anniversary is well timed especially during a time when the true legacies of Vietnam itself are visible. It may not be a coincidence that the country’s GDP grew significant during and after the years of the deployment of it troop in Vietnam. This aspect also strengthens the ill ethical perception of Korea’s engagement in the war. Korean government is said to have taken advantage of the Americans during the Vietnam War to benefit in terms of initiating modernism within the Korean armed forces. Such advantage has pushed Korea to be among the top countries with high military powers. It is actually ranged eighth in the world as of today (Baek, Pg.2). Contrary to the ill claim about Korea taking advantage of the United States militants, their participations should not be perceived negatively since through interaction, military forces would definitely absorb the best technology from their foreign counterparts, especially if the two are working from the same side of the war. The same case happened to Korea, but the negative perception of the country’s economy and military power should not be reflect as wrongly having taken advantage of the war. Korea’s main idea was to help solve the conflict but not to gain in any way as perceived by many international communities. The Vietnam experience taught to the Koreans in terms managing its relationship with the US (Baek, Pg.2). Korea learned that despite the alliances joining Korea and the United States, each one of them is driven by self-interest. From such a perspective, Korea’s relationship with the US is done with great caution especially given the tendency of the US government to intervene the affairs of other countries. Lack of adequate historical data and information concerning Korea’s involvement does not imply that Korea has fully forgotten about its participation in the Vietnam War according to some claims and perceptions by the international communities. A recent survey, which was conducted to establish the country’s public opinion about the participations of Korea’s militaries provided evidence that majority of Koreans are very aware that their country was involved in Vietnam War. Respondents in the survey process seemed to maintain nuanced views about the war. About 80 per cent of Korean citizens fully understand the roles that their country’s military played in the Vietnam War (Baek, Pg.3). Moreover, more than half of Koreans hold and believe that the participation of their country’s military in the war was initiated out the right choice. In contrary, Park government seems to have had stated rationale in participating in the war. According to those opposing the participation of Korea’s military, Park government wanted to deter the aggression of the communists in Southeast Asia. About 54 percent of these people also have a thought that Korean forces (ROK forces by then) were mainly deployed benefit economically for their Country’s good. Yet, about 27 per cent of Koreans suggest that their country’s troops were sent in order to cover the United States for their earlier participation in saving their republic during their civil war (the Korean War). About 58 per cent of people with the perception that Korea troops were deployed to benefit economically believe that Korea actually achieved this goal. Most of the Koreans however strongly that their country’s participation resulted to significant benefits especially in regards to the experiences that ROK forces gained from the US military (Baek, Pg.4). Studies have also suggested that most of Koreans today have a strong feeling that Koreans do not have strong feeling towards veterans. A number of Koreans only think that men within the ROK forces were only there by order while others hold their perception that the soldiers participated as mercenaries (Baek, Pg.3). The society’s stance towards the war is very clear. About a third of Koreans do not have any particular views towards the veterans. Even under the conflicting views of the Koreans towards their country’s participation in the Vietnam War, almost 91 per cent of Koreans believe that their government has a big role to take care of the veterans. They strongly believe that the government needs to provide special aid to the veterans facing problems such effects of war related injuries such as Agent Orange (Baek, Pg.4). According to Baek (pg.4), the involvement of Korea in the Vietnam War is seen to be more than what many people may perceive today. The participation of Korean troops in the war contradicts the country’s domestic instability and impoverishment at that time as well as the issue of Cold War confrontations during the early 1960s. From this case, the decision by ROK government to dispatch several hundred thousands of military me to the war, a foreign war, was completely an improbable actions. This decision was made during a time when the country was experiencing political problems and instability. By the time of its participation, Korea ranked among the poorest nations globally with a gross national income (GNI) of US$93i by 1961. The more than 600,000 Korean military men solely depended on the US military in order to stay afloat (Baek, Pg.3). This condition provides a proof that Korea participated in the war despite being less qualified given the prevailing situation. However, the country’s troops proved effectiveness within their operational areas. They helped greatly in providing protection to Southern Vietnamese by preventing the Northern Vietnamese as well as Viet Cong to dominate in their territory. Even more to this aspect, American war planners seemed to lean heavily on ROK troops. This was based on their ability to perform their tasks in carrying out successful missions. The Koreans at some point seemed to outperform other allied troops in the warzone. They were more lethal; more organized, and showed more professionalism than their peer counterparts in all their processes. The war did not find success to the Koreans always either. This happens especially when the US militaries perceived ROK military men as being difficult and highly inflexible. They would prefer to remain within their bases’ safety to pass time and avoid increased chances of deaths of their men. It was even worse on their ethical side of view when it was later claimed that ROK troops massacred many innocent civilians. This claim further destroys its good name in having taken part in the Vietnam War. Typically ROK participation was possible because the US had the willingness to underwriter the entire country’s military operations as well as civil operations within the country. The ROK government saw that it could only be compensated in full by deploying its troops in the war. For its contribution to the Vietnam War, the ROK government filled well compensated. In fact, Korea is said to have earned up to 5 billion USD during the deployment period of eight years. This money was earned from different sources, which included increased US military assistance in modernizing ROK armed forces, the special allowances that were paid to ROK forces during their participation in the war, the multi-million dollar civilian contracts, as well as the expansion of trade with Vietnam. These gains further portray the ill intentions from the Korean government to send its troops despite the country’s difficulties in many aspects during that time (Baek, pg.4). It is also claimed that immediately after two years of deployment in the war, revenues from the Vietnam War comprised of about 40 per cent of the country’s earnings from foreign exchange. Korea earned about one billion USD in hard currency within the period between 1965 and 1972. There is hardly any precise established correlation between the massive economic growth in Korea and the Vietnam War there are many reasons to support the conclusion that Korea participated in the Vietnam War to benefit in various ways. The country’s contribution to the war is a contributing factor to its fast economic development. It is even asserted that the financial gains of Korea from the Vietnam War accounted for between 7 and 8 per cent of its GDP between 1966 and 1969 (Baek, pg.4). The country’s GDP even increased up to fourfold since 1963 to 1973. The period is marked by the year before Vietnam deployment and the year after it withdrew from the war. Such cases of frequent benefits have given rise to many ethical concerns about the Koreans participation in the Vietnam War. Korean government at that time is seen to have tried all it could to rip back from the US government as a compensation for its destruction during the Korean War. Other than the perceived financial gains, people strongly believe that Korean troops did not act professionally as they were first thought. This view is brought about by the claims that the Korean troops killed thousands of innocent civilians. Korea’s intentions could have been good but the results of the way made its participation to be faced with many critics. The government is even neglecting its own people suffering from various war injuries based on their participation in the war. Korea largely participated in bringing peace in Vietnam, but fate has not been in the country’s side due to the prevailing unethical perceptions on its participation. Works Cited Baek, Glenn. "A Perspective on Korea’s Participation in the Vietnam War." The Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Issue Brief, No. 53 (2013): 01-09. Print. Read More