Any Koreans here, what are your thoughts on reunification?

[Brutuskend]

I watched a program on Discovery last night about Korea. Although it dealt mostly with North Korea and the man running the country, it did delve into Korean history. Now I knew a bit about Korea and its history, mostly just learned in the last few months from reading a novel, but I did learn quite a bit more from this program. The more recent history and how the North Koreans view their leader was new to me. During the Clinton administration KIM Il-song who was then the leader of the North was working on a nuclear program. The US was worried about this program and considered attacking the North to end it. Ex President Carter (I believe that?s who it was anyway) went to North Korea and worked out a deal with then leader KIM Il-song to normalize relations with the North if they ended their nuclear testing. Shortly afterwards KIM Il-song died and his son KIM Chong-il took over. Since that time we (The US) have pretty much ignored the deal we made with the North regarding their nuclear program. So now they admit to having nuclear weapons and we are once again thinking about going to war with them over this.

(Why we can't live up to the agreements we make with others is beyond me!!??) True, North Korea has a bad reputation were human rights are concerned, but if we make a deal with another country, we should stick by that deal! And if we don't, we shouldn't be surprised when they don't fulfill their end of the bargain!

As I see it, the one and only thing North Korea wants is reunification of the country. For those unfamiliar with Korean history, in 1910 Japan invaded Korea and annexed Korea and made it part of the Japanese empire. At the end of WWII Russia entered Korea and planned to take it over as part of its "reparations". Though a plan for Europe had been devised, none had been drawn up for Korea. The US wasn't about to turn over Korea to the Soviets so it drew a line along the 38th parallel dividing Korea roughly in half, giving Russia control over the North and retaining the South as it's "stepchild", setting up a democratic government.

Now my question to those Koreans out there. How do you feel about this whole mess? Should the US and others bow out and allow the reunification of Korea? This whole mess reminds me of Vietnam. Why does the US feel it is responsible for, or has the right to dictate how other countries live? We all know how Vietnam turned out, and my guess is that if we try the same think in Korea (again) it will turn out about the same!


A bit of Korean History

 

[KGB1]

Kinda like what happened after WW1 when the allies helped beat the Turks and promised Arabs their land back. Instead the superpowers held the land to themselves and caused a century of warfare that is rampant today....

 

[Dudd]

Not Korean, but a reunification of Korea under the North would be a disaster. The South is fairly affluant and modern, while the North has zero industry and half its people are starving to death. I'm sure South Korea would want reunification too, but as a democracy, not as Kim Jong Il's Korean empire.

 

[Brutuskend]

I'm sure South Korea would want reunification too, but as a democracy, not as Kim Jong Il's Korean empire.

I agree. So what's the answer?

Most thought reunification of Nam would be bad too, but it really hasn't turned out that bad.

 

[Brutuskend]

Nobody gives a sh!t huh?

You will when Bubya starts calling up the troops to go over there....

 

[nater]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
Nobody gives a sh!t huh?

You will when Bubya starts calling up the troops to go over there....

I know close to nothing about Korea. Your joke threads are more on my level.

 

[Chubbz]

I'm Korean, but reunification or not, Kim Jong Il will never touch my unmentionables.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend

I'm sure South Korea would want reunification too, but as a democracy, not as Kim Jong Il's Korean empire.

I agree. So what's the answer?

Most thought reunification of Nam would be bad too, but it really hasn't turned out that bad.

ugh, vietnams leaders were rational, they were only communist because they had to be to gain support from russia mostly. kim thinks hes a god.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend

I'm sure South Korea would want reunification too, but as a democracy, not as Kim Jong Il's Korean empire.

I agree. So what's the answer?

Most thought reunification of Nam would be bad too, but it really hasn't turned out that bad.

and vietnam was a peasant culture, not much has really changed over there. if korea is reunited under the north you'll have all the south koreans fleeing and then blaming us for letting the north take over (though how it could possible take over as south korea's army is bigger than the northern population i don't know). its not going to reunite as long as kim is in power in the north, thats for damn sure.

 

[Parrotheader]

I took a course on Korean history just to fill some elective hours one time and ended up taking two more classes on the subject. It's a very fascinating history IMO. The whole country (at times just sections of it) has pretty much always been under the influence of one power or another over the course of its history (predominately the Chinese, but also the Mongols, Manchus and Japanese.) This was long before the western countries came into the picture. From what little I remember now, there were always some fundamental differences in a lot of people in the northern and southern part of the countries even before the 20th century. A lot of it was the usual economic and political differences that vary from region to region based on an areas geography and history. I need to watch the History channel more. I miss studying this stuff.

China is the big X factor in that whole equation from what I've seen. Our relationship with them is a bigger factor in determining our position in Korea than anything else.

 

[UNCjigga]

I think we should reunify India and Pakistan too, while we're at it...

 

[Brutuskend]

In hindsight, if we hadn?t meddled in their affairs in the first place, if we had let Russia take the whole country at the end of the war, we wouldn't be in this mess now. Russia folded, and all the countries in their sphere of influence are now self-governing. I can't blame them for wanting their country whole again. Though their present leadership leaves a lot to be desired.