The Reasons behind the Continued Conflict between South Korea and North Korea - Case Study Example

Name: Course: Instructor: Date: Conflict between North Korea and South Korea Introduction The regional instability between the South Korea and North Korean region can be attributed to factors such as memory, identity and nationalism. The occurrence of the military tensions in the region can be largely linked to the history and territorial disputes which have long been unresolved. The rise of the Pan Korean nationalism in the South Korea is formidably problematic. The large population of the young South Koreans is seeking for reconciliation rather than confrontation in the whole façade. This has since lead to a strained relationship especially with USA who had supported them earlier after they were invaded by the North Korean nation in 1950 (Cho, p.89) The paper will examine the reasons behind the continued conflict between South Korea and North Korean and the effects of nationalism in the war and Korea as a whole. The paper will also discuss the relationship of the western countries in the increased tensions between the two nations and the efforts put across to stop the war. Historical background The Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945 was under the possession of the Japanese until the end of the Second World War. The surrender of the Japanese forces was administered north of the 38th parallel by USSR. The United States was in charge of supervising the south. A joint commission was established by the two governments that witnessed the establishment of a Korean government that was provisional. The disagreement of the legitimacy of the competing political groups saw the exit of USSR and the USA. The efforts to have the two nations unified was fruitless as it two states, Syngman Rhee’s Republic of the south and the democratic people’s republic of Korea under the leadership of Kim II Sung in the north, were established (Harrison, p,90). The two countries were both politically and economically split where the northern part was an industrial communist and the south becoming primarily agricultural. The withdrawal of the USSR and the USA troops lead to the increased tension and border wars between the two nations between 1949 and 1950. The increased tension has however been viewed as not a class conflict but as a result of the power struggles between the two nations that is highly characterized by the two nations with a resistant north and the peacemaking efforts of the south nation (Kim, p. 62). The causes of the conflict Nationalism and political identity has played a vital role in the conflict between the North Korea and South Korea which dates back to 1950 after North Korea took advantage of the exit of the USA army in the south and invaded South Korea. The invasion under the support of the USSR army aimed at the unification of the two nations into one. This resulted into the UN resolution that passed a police action that aimed at protecting South Korea. The resolution saw the entry of the USA army troops into the war which captured most of the Korean peninsula until the intervention of the Chinese army. The war saw the killing of over 2 to 4 million Koreans. A cease fire line was drawn near the borders of the 38th parallel. Further negotiations to bring lasting peace among the nations failed and the states have since remained at a technical war state since. The fact that the two nations who share identities fought each other has resulted to a sense of mistrust among the nations and its people. The political, social and economical differences between the two countries have since exacerbated the two nations (Kim, p. 74). The identity politics are not new in the Korean peninsula. The oppressive rule of the Japanese colonialism intensified the quest for a national identity in 1910. The Koreans opposed the assimilation processes which aimed at imposing the Japanese culture on them. This witnessed the urgency to have the uniqueness and purity of the Korean race and nation to be stressed by all means. The end justified their efforts as the Japanese culture was not imposed on the people but rather an emergence of a national identity that was based on a shared bloodline (Harrison, p,85). The forces of the national identity have since stood to be a significant force in the peninsula. Both the nations have claimed the responsibility to represent the Korean ethnic community which later framed the struggle between those perceived to be traitors and those perceived to be the true patriots of the Korean community. Despite the differences in the ideologies that emerged after the exit of the USSR and the USA forces, the two nations have expressed the desire to be unified as a nation. The collapse of the communism in South Korea motivated the nationalism ideology to grow after the South Korean president, Kim, extended an olive leave to the North Korean president aimed at ensuring peace in the peninsula. The Sunshine policies clearly signified the beginning of a politics of identity and its reemergence in South Korea (Harrison, p,86). Korean nationalism has existed from the past in the quest to have the identity of the Korean people maintained. Historically the movement aimed to consolidate and preserve the ancient culture of the Korean people from the influence of the foreign nations and culture. The movements have been traced back from the Donghak Peasant Revolution which was succeeded by the Righteous Army movement which initiated a series of movements that led to the split and the current status of the two Korean nations. The nationalism movements were the cause of the establishment of exile governments and armies as well as secret groups that fought against what they thought to be the foreign influence against their common identity and culture. The armies and exile governments were to fight any sympathizers to the foreign cultures (Sung, p. 436). The division of the Korean peninsula at the 38th parallel was viewed as part of the disarmament of the imperial Japanese perpetuated the emergence of the rivalry regimes in the region. The difference in regimes gave rise to differences in ideologies and global politics. The separation deepened further the perceived sense of the national identity that had been derived from the distinctive polities, gender roles, class systems and histories. The two sides of the split nations have since advocated for their own distinctive nationalism forms which are different from each side as a result with changes in regimes with differing ideologies. Both sides boost to be the true representatives of the Korean community and culture (Ahn, p. 28). The nationalist ideas in the northern state advocate for the juche ideologies where the people are thought to be the masters of everything they decide and that the Korean people are the masters of the Korean revolution. The juche is a constituent of the political system in the country and advocates for self reliance. The systematic ideology emerged in the 1960s under the rule of Kim II-sung and outlined 3 principles that were fundamental. These include the political independence, self reliant and sustenance economy, and self defense. This is different from that fosters the allegiance to the nation (Morgan, p. 132). The differences in ideologies have since given rise to the other disputes among them the Liancourt rocks row which has been in dispute since the Second World War. The USA did not give out the sovereignty of the islands and both countries have since declared their possession of the islands as being part of their territory. In addition, ethnic nationalism has contributed to the conflict as the two parts sought to align themselves as brothers despite their differences in ideologies and nationalism. In the present, the nuclear nationalism as well as the Cheonan has since impacted negatively to the conflict in the states as they compete to outshine the other. It is surprising that the southern Korean nation proposes for the nations to have a peaceful resolution rather than a confrontation an idea that the Northern side disagrees as it prefers war (Song, p. 134). The North claims to be the true and legitimate representatives of the community bearing the fact that the South embraced the communist ideology which was against the Korean culture. The North has been linked to various atrocities which include the bombing of the water vessel in the Yellow sea a judgment that they oppose even after the provision of sufficient evidence given for it. The North has also been accused of its attempt to assassinate the President of South Korea a ploy that was since not been successful though it had several officials of the South Korean republic killed (Niksch, p. 32). The North Korean republic has declared the ownership of weapons of mass destruction and the fact that the country has been developing nuclear weapons since 1980. The country has also declared that it is to use the weapons for defense against the South in case it was attacked. The leader has since on some occasions warned its army to be prepared for war with the south. This has continue to be a threat and a cause of conflict as the two state have different opinions and ideologies that are since meant to unite them(Sung, p. 445). Effects of nationalism on the Korean The 20th century is a noticeable period in which the era of nationalism in the Korean peninsula flourished. This was the most effective mode through which the forces of the independence movement were mobilized and resulted in the formation of a new country. The period witnessed the pursuance of the economic development despite the challenges that the population had to undergo during the colonial and the separation period. The people of the two nations drew their strengths from nationalism as they believed the two nations will finally unite as that was the main aim of the movements that were created on the basis of nationalism (Kim, p. 72). The nationalism process contains both the Korean and universal aspects. The onset of nationalism was as a result of the pressure that was posed to the nations by the foreign powers and the need for the two nations to unite. The ideology behind the formation of the nationalism was independence by driving all the foreign forces out of the nation. The nationalism was also characterized by the pride in their culture, tradition and the history constituents that they shared. The nationalism process in the nations made the neighboring states to be wary of the progress that would have resulted if it would have led to unification of the states. The nations have to create a hidden potential that are aimed at creating peace amongst themselves in order for them to maintain the historical sovereignty (Kim, p. 97). Nationalism has since become an important and highly useful political resource in the South and North Korea. All the nations are using nationalism to appeal to the nationalist ethos that has so far witness the disregard to the trusteeship that had been introduced by the USSR, USA and the Britain. The North Korean intentionally avoided the use of the term as they perceived it to be associated with the bourgeoisie. The state preferred to use patriotism in as much as the state was nationalistic in its policies and rhetoric (Sung, p. 447). The state saw president Kim II Sung pursue a nationalist program as opposed to a communist one. This is quite similar to the South Korean leaders as they also extensively utilized national rhetoric. Nationalism became the basis upon which the nations claimed to be a representative of the ethnic community under the unification theory. This was highly witnessed in the South Korea during the leadership of Syngman Rhee and Park Chung Hee who were opposed to the use of military interventions in solving the issues between the two nations. Emphasis of nationalism during this era stressed on modernization through driving attention on the unity of the Korean race (Malkasian, p. 16). The two nations had a shared commitment in relation to the Korean nation’s ethnic base. This is perceived to have originated from the historical homogeneity as well as the greatness that is reinforced by the populous demand for a unified Korean Nation. The political and territorial partitions did not wither the quest for ethnic unity as both sides considered the separations as temporary. The lack of this was perceived to lead to a loss in political legitimacy. This has not transpired as the region has since experienced differences in the political base with diverging ideologies and approaches to nationalism and unification (Niksch, p. 34). Despite the efforts to have the countries unified, the differences in ideologies have since resulted in the nations to quest for the political classifications of the nations in their respective regimes. In as much as the Koreans belonged to one ethnic nation, not all had a guaranteed qualification to the novel political community. This was because that some leaders had betrayed the Korean ethnic group by selling its ethnicity to other foreign powers. The anti-colonialism became the novel basis of the North and South Korean nations and the national legitimacy in the peninsula was granted to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Song, p. 142). The nationalism has since had an effect in the lives of the people as they dream to be united. This had been witnessed after the presidents of the two nations, Kin Jong II and Kim Dae Jung, met for the first time since the onset of the Korean War 50 years ago. The move has since witnessed the disagreement of South Korea in regards to the measures to be taken against North Korea. This is in view of preventing the emergence of war between the two nations that jeopardizes the regional peace and the possible reunification. There is also a belief that the divisions between the two nations have outlived the peninsula cold war which started it (Morgan, p. 137). The nationalism has shaped the South and North Korea particularly in relation to the ethnic and the unity and the national pride history. The nationalism of North Korea is founded on the hate for the foreign powers with particular focus on the United States and Japan. The Jiche is a self reliance entity formed purposefully to fight the imperial forces and attempt to unite the Korean nations that have so far been perceived to be split by the foreign forces. South Korea has been seen as having a liking on the imperialists especially the Unites States. The resentment of the North towards USA is witnessed as the country prefers bilateral negotiations and relations which to it to the state signify equality in status and national pride. The country stressed the need to have racial and ethnic nationalism in the wake of accusations that it was building weapons of mass destruction (Edwards, p. 353). The rise of the ideological variations was initiated by the fall of the USSR. The North has judged the south of being supportive of the world capitalist systems. The North has also been keen in the promotion of the national traditions and heritage in the 1990s. Most of the nationalist ideas are as a result of the contributions from the Buddhism and Confucianism and their significant role in the opposing of the westernization of the Korean peninsula. The Korean nationalism is perceived to be as strong as the conservative drive of the present era. It has been viewed as a mask for the other religious and intellectual movements in the region that have been experienced since the 1860s (Ahn, p. 32). The ethnic national individuality and identity has and is still a crucial source of the Korean people’s inspiration and pride. This was evident in the young people during the turbulent times as the Korean nations were in the modern transition. The blood based national identity based on the ethnicity of the people became a political, cultural and societal force. The force surpassed other competing sources of identity which lead to the modern thought of poverty. The society has since witnessed the hindrance of social and cultural diversity as well as tolerance. The ethnic nationalism is expected to be a vital organizing principle in the Korean society. It is further projected to be a fordable force in the political shaping of the nations. Nationalism has since made it possible for the Korean nations to form political systems that are receptive to democracy. The formation of policies that are receptive to the democracy are a factor that promotes the containment of repressive and essentialism nationalism elements (Harrison, p,96). Conclusion The cold war and separation of South and North Korea has been largely contributed by differences in ideologies as a result of nationalism and political identities. The forces of the national identity have since stood to be a significant force in the peninsula. Both the nations have claimed the responsibility to represent the Korean ethnic community which later framed the struggle between those perceived to be traitors and those perceived to be the true patriots of the Korean community. Despite the differences in the ideologies that emerged after the exit of the USSR and the USA forces, the two nations have expressed the desire to be unified as a nation. The collapse of the communism in South Korea motivated the nationalism ideology to grow after the South Korean president, Kim, extended an olive leave to the North Korean president aimed at ensuring peace in the peninsula. It is vital to note that the nationalism as aimed by the revolutionists had a positive aim of uniting the nations and attaining global growth and productivity. This has not been realized as the nations have the lack of trust for each other as the North perceives the South to be sympathetic to the foreign policies and ideologies. It is the projection of the people especially the young who have been in the forefront for the two nations to find a peaceful solution to their conflicts and not to have it solved through violence. The dream will only be realized if the leaders have a common goal and set clear policies that will attain unity and prosperity for the citizens of the two nations. Work cited Kim, Christine. “Politics and pageantry in protectorate Korea (1905-10): the imperial progresses of Sunjong” Journal of Asian Studies ,2009, 68(3),pp. 835-85. Sung, Minkyu.
“The "truth politics" of anti-North Koreanism: the post-ideological cultural representation of North Korea and the cultural criticisms of Korean nationalism.”
Inter-Asia Cultural Studies 2009, 10 (3), 439-459. Malkasian, Carter. The Korean War: Essential Histories. New York: Osprey Publishing. 2001, p. 16. Niksch, Larry. North Korea's nuclear weapons program. In: Connor, E. V.: Korea Current Issues and Historical Background. New York : Diane publishing, 2002, pp.19-35. Song, C. (2001). Nationalism and the Construction of Korean Identity (review) sKorean Studies - Volume 25, Number 1, 2001, pp. 143-147. Morgan, Patrick., “Deterrence and System Management: The Case of North Korea,” Conflict Management and Peace Science; 2006, 23; 121-138. Edwards, Paul . The Korean War: a Historical Dictionary. The Scarecrow Press, 2003. 367 pp. Ahn, Moon-suk. “An Analysis on South Korea's Decision Making Process against North Korean Nuclear Test.” Korean Political Science Review, 2008, 42(1) no. 3. Harrison, Selig. Korean Endgame: A Strategy for Reunification and U.S. Disengagement, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003, p. 83. Cho, Younghan. The national crisis and de/reconstructing nationalism in South Korea during the IMF intervention” Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 2008, 9 (1), pp. 82-9. Read More