by Grace Hyeonju Lee‘Reunion of dispersed families in Korea’
Some readers might not be interested in this article or the current political issues regarding North Korea and neighbouring countries. However, some experts think a war could soon break out – a war of ideology with nuclear weapons that could lead to World War III. And Taiwan would not be excluded. 1. History of Korea before the Korean War Korea was often caught in a conflict between China, Russia, and Japan as each sought to make it a colony. Japanese colonial rule lasted from 1910 to 1945, and it was an ambivalent experience for Koreans. The Japanese used forced labor on Koreans and treated them like slaves. Speaking Korean or using it in any form was prohibited. But the Japanese government left Korea after they were defeated in World War II. Many people, even including Koreans, do not realize that Korea was occupied by the United States and the Soviet Union at the end of World War II. The United States proposed temporarily dividing the country along the 38th Parallel as a way to maintain its influence on the peninsula, which bordered Russia. ‘UN forces’ transport vehicles recrossing the 38th Parallel as they withdraw from Pyongyang in 1950′, Time Life Pictures—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty 2. History of the Korean War In 1948, the anti-communist southern administration declared itself the Republic of Korea led by Syngman Rhee, who was installed as the South Korean leader by the Office of Strategic Services. In the North, the Soviets backed a Stalinist regime under their client Kim Il-sung, who fought alongside communist forces during the Chinese civil war and was the grandfather of North Korea’s current dictator, Kim Jong-un. He created the North Korean Peoples’ Army, equipped with Russian tanks and artillery. Soon after, the communist northern administration, based in Pyongyang, declared itself the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. ‘Phases of the Korean War’, by Mcdougal Littell 3. Aftermath of the Korean War A civil war ensued that devastated Korea. Estimates vary, but at least two million Korean civilians, up to 1.5 million communist forces, and around 30,000 US, 400,000 South Korean and 1,000 UK troops are believed to have died. ‘Soldiers take care for two lost infants’ Technically, the Korean War has still not ended. The fighting stopped when North Korea, China, and the United States reached an armistice in 1953. But South Korea did not agree to the armistice, and no formal peace treaty was ever signed. 4. Current situation of North Korea North Korea has been actively carrying out missile tests until the United Nations Security Council placed new sanctions on the country. Those sanctions significantly choke off fuel supplies and order North Koreans working overseas to return home, in what may prove the last test of whether any amount of economic pressure can force the isolated country to reverse course on its nuclear weapons program. We all must have come across videos, photos, or stories of how one defector successfully escaped from North Korea. The starvation, and disease in North Korea is unreal to us, however, since it is carefully concealed by the government. ‘Parasites found in the body of North Korean soldier defector’ Access to more pictures of concentration camps in North Korea: Click here 5. What can we do as students? The public should be more aware of this oppressed nation and this dangerous situation. Nowadays, we spend almost one sixth of our entire day on social networking sites such as Instagram™ and Facebook™. We are all concerned about global issues regarding human rights, LGBTQ rights, and feminism. We strive to voice our support for the activists and voluntarily advocate ourselves for them. However, have we ever thought of the human rights of North Koreans? What is the role of the United Nations? Many students must have wondered why we are powerless and that there is nothing we can do about it. Hence, we tend to be indifferent. But there are ways we can at least be a part of letting them be free – to know about it, and to speak about it. Tools we use online can be turned into powerful weapons to allow North Koreans to communicate with the outside world. Encountering outside information might make them realize that they have been brainwashed and indoctrinated by their government. As the English philosopher Francis Bacon put it, knowledge is power. a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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