...From the end of the Korean war North Korea has been a thorn in the side of America’s Foreign affairs. North Korea is one of the few countries in the global community that openly displays very strong Anti-american rhetoric. Now with the capabilities of possessing a nuclear missile that can strike the Continental United States it has become quite apparent that North Korea is major threat. I believe there is a way to help solve this “North Korea” problem that will both stabilize the korean peninsula and maintain the power balance in the asia-pacific region. The whole “North Korea” problem started back in 1945 when after the unconditional surrender of Japan. The Soviet Union and the United States occupied the north and south of korea divided at the 38th parallel respectively. In 1948 after failed unification talks, two new governments were formed. South Korea having a Federal Presidential Republic (Democracy) and North Korea having an Unitary one-party Juche state (Communist). At this point the tension between the two koreas grew to the point of war. On June 25, 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea sparking what would be a war lasting more than three years. During this time period the Americans and the UN were the allies of South Korea and the Soviet and China were allies of North Korea. After three...
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...What is the Unification Church? Symbol of the Unification Church. Rev. and Mrs. Moon praying over an altar in Korea, 1997. Photo: TParents.org. Sun Myung Moon with Richard Nixon at the White House. Photo: US Gov. Reverend and Mrs. Moon conducting the 1992 Blessing Ceremony for 30,000 people in Korea. Photo: TParents.org. Sun Myung Moon with his granddaughter in 2006. Photo: TParents.org. The Unification Church (officially named the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity) is a new religious movement founded by Reverend Sun Myung Moon in Korea in 1954. The Unification Church is a unique interpretation of Christianity that regards Rev. Moon as the Messiah and believes world peace can be attained through the creation of "true families." It is especially known for its mass weddings and seeking of converts. Both the Unification Church and Moon himself have been the source of controversy in Asia and especially the USA. The movement's followers have been dubbed "Moonies" by critics. History Sun Myung Moon was born in 1920 in what is now North Korea. At the time, Korea was under Japanese rule. Moon was raised in thePresbyterian church, one of many faiths persecuted by the Japanese rulers. The political upheavals caused divisions and new movements inKorean Christianity, including a group known as "spiritualists" who received new revelations from God and looked for a Korean messiah. Moon says that on Easter morning at the age of 16, he had a vision in which...
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...Korean War Korean War began in June 1950, when North Korean army invaded South Korea in an attempt to reunite the county. As the Cold war began to develop, the American and Russian zones of occupation began to practice as two separate states. The USSR wanted Kim Ill Sung, the North Korean leader, to unify Korea and withdrew troops in 1948. The US wanted unification under the South Korean Leader Syngman Rhee and withdrew in 1949. The US and USSR withdrawal caused both local regimes to be more aggressive. The US and USSR weren’t too concerned about the immediate fate of Korea. Stalin was confident because Kim Ill Sung was in charge of the North, which bordered Russia. In January 1950, Acheson made his “Defensive Perimeter” speech which included all the countries the US would defend against communist aggression. South Korea wasn’t included. Kim told Stalin and Mao about his intention to invade. Mao refused to make any guarantees of military support to Korea because he was focused on the threat posed by Jiang Jieshi’s. Stalin refused at first, but then after Acheson’s speech, the Soviet leader approved. Stalin made it clear to Kim that, if the US became involved, the USSR wouldn’t intervene directly to help him. Stalin thought that since the US hadn’t intervened to prevent Mao’s victory in China, it was unlikely to aid South Korea. Questions 1) Korea lost its independence in 1910 when it was taken over by Japan and remained as a Japanese colony until August 1945...
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...international stage. Many Canadians feel that “peacekeeping has a place of pride in the Canadian national identity,” (Canadian peacekeeping: a proud tradition, p.16). When Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent came to power, Canadian foreign policy shifted from isolationism to internationalism. While the Suez crisis and the Korean War are examples of Canada’s primary involvement in peacekeeping, Lester B. Pearson’s decision in 1964 to deploy Canadian troops to the United Nations peace-keeping mission in Cyprus. Canada’s involvement in Cyprus has shaped Canada’s foreign policy standards in a positive way because … Following the collapse of the Ottoman empire, the ownership of Cyprus was put into question. While many support the policy, enosis, Cyprus should be unified with Greece, habitants of the island were split, with 80 per cent of the population identifying themselves as Greek Cypriot and 18 per cent identifying as Turkish Cypriots. However, those who identified as Turkish did not support enosis. Following the First World War, it became apparent to Greek Cypriots that unification would not occur, as Greece rejected Britain’s offer of the island for support in the war. While unification with Greece was never achieved tensions between...
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...United States, China, South Korea, Japan, and Russia, the isolationist regime was not deterred from joining the elite nuclear club.1 Now faced with the prospect of North Korean nuclear proliferation, the world is undoubtedly a more dangerous place to live in. Over the last 50 years, virtually all the instruments of national power have been brought to bear in an effort to solve the security dilemma presented by the North Korean regime. The detonation on October 8th suggests these previous strategies were not nearly effective enough. A nuclear armed North Korea presents a grave danger that should force us to reexamine our policy. This paper focuses on the economic instrument, examines how it has been utilized over the last 15 years in both the Clinton and Bush administrations, and offers some thoughts on a desired endstate of North Korean economic integration. The Context--the Fall of Communism The fall of the Berlin wall was a watershed event in man’s political, social, and economic evolution. For almost five decades, two superpowers squared off in relative peace under the frightening specter of mutually assured destruction. The policy of the United States was containment. If the US could only hold the Soviet Union at bay long enough, the Soviets would crumble from within. The Cold War was David E. Sanger, “North Koreans Say They Tested Nuclear Device,” New York...
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...Modern History Assignment- BY: Kwaku Marfo 'To what extent did the Geneva conference solve the problems of indochina to 1954?' After decades of struggle under the practice of imperialism Indochinese nations would propse their problems to the the international community at the Geneva conference. The 1954 Geneva Conference, held in Geneva Switerland occured on the 8th of May, following the historical defeat of French forces in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu to the Vietminh (DRV). The Geneva Conference is essentially the proposal of international treaties binding of all nations which have accepted them. The primary objective of the Geneva Conference was to discuss and solve international issues concerning the Korean and Indochinese war. Nearly a decade after the Potsdam conference and still in the midst of the Cold War, the Geneva conference witnessed the meeting of the USSR, US and UK with intentions of reaching agreements for the future of Indochina. The conference involed delegates from the United Kingdom, United States, France, Soviet Union, People Republic of China, Democratic replublic of Vietnam (DRV) and the Nationalist Government of Vietnam. Issues proposed by Ho Chi Minh (DRV) concerning the future of vietnam included, the removal of foreign control, the unification of Vietnam, the development of a defence force for secuirty and the establishment of a communist nation. Resulting agreements of the Geneva Conference led to 'peaceful co-existence' with foreigners in Vietnam...
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...Cultural Awareness of North Korea By SGT Anderson, Alvin, D. ALC Class 718-12 SSG Rockhold North Korean Cultural Awareness Outline Understanding and respecting cultural differences is critical to our success in the world forum. We cannot hope to be a successful, diplomatic military without cultural awareness. 1. What Is Culture? a. The Definition of Culture b. Characteristics of a Culture 2. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea c. About North Korea d. The Korean War 3. Juche e. Kim Il-sung f. The Effects of Kim Il-sung and Juche 4. Diplomacy With North Korea g. The Threat North Korea Poses h. Hope For the Future A diplomatic relationship with North Korea may not be possible at this time, But taking the time to get know and understand their culture and their angst against the US may help us further our relationship with them in the future. Alvin Anderson SSG Rockhold ALC 718-12 May 19, 2012 North Korean Culture What is culture? Culture is many things. Culture is almost everything. The word culture is very broad and encompassing. There is no simple, universally accepted definition for the word culture. It is by definition: the behavior and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic or age group. It is characterized a group of peoples’ traditions, religion, food, customs and language. Culture is dynamic. Culture is static. It both changes with the times and...
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...autarkic state ideology of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 1972.1 Although foreign scholars often describe juche as “self-reliance,” the true meaning of the term is much more nuanced. Kim Il Sung explained: Establishing juche means, in a nutshell, being the master of revolution and reconstruction in one’s own country. This means holding fast to an independent position, rejecting dependence on others, using one’s own brains, believing in one’s own strength, displaying the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance, and thus solving one’s own problems for oneself on one’s own responsibility under all circumstances. The DPRK claims that juche is Kim Il Sung’s creative application of Marxist-Leninist principles to the modern political realities in North Korea.2 Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il have successfully wielded the juche idea as a political shibboleth to evoke a fiercely nationalistic drive for North Korean independence and to justify policies of self-reliance and self-denial in the face of famine and economic stagnation in North Korea. Kim Il Sung envisioned three specific applications of juche philosophy: political and ideological independence, especially from the Soviet Union and China; economic self-reliance and self-sufficiency; and a viable national defense system.3 This paper begins with a discussion of the three key components of the juche ideology – political, economic and military independence – as promulgated by the DPRK. The second section is a...
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...Less than 5,000 people visit North Korea every year. The tourist money is some North Korean citizens only source of income. When someone visits, the entire look and feel of the country changes. People are moved off the streets, some are told to paint their houses, and everyone gets electricity back for the time being. All of this is because of Kim Jong-un, the country’s current leader. (The Ethics of Taking a Trip to North Korea as a Tourist) Kim Jong-un assumed power when his father, Kim Jong-il, passed away in 2011, and has been in power ever since. (Kim Jong-un Biography) Kim Jong-un has not yet been overthrown. The people of North Korea treat him like a god more than a leader. They worship and acknowledge him in every way. They give all...
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...motives of South Korea. Political The Republic of Korea has a liberal democratic political system. South Koreas political foundation resides in the sovereignty of the people and the responsibility to maintain every citizen’s welfare. Currently the president of South Korea is Park Geun-hye. The 11th and first female president was elected on February 25th, 2013. With Korea’s limited 5 year presidency she has until 2018 to implement her current goals. President Park’s main goals are to maintain the prosperity and safety of her country. She believes that one day tensions will cease with North Korea and continually pushes for a peaceful unification despite the constant threats and military provocations of North Korea. As long as the United States and South Korea maintain their strong relationship, Park said, "You may rest assured, no North Koreans provocation can succeed."(1) North Korea is a shared enemy of the US and the Republic of Korea. The ROK relies on the US for protection against a possible invasion of North Korea and in return the US maintains a strategic hold in Southeast Asia. Military The ROC currently has the 7th strongest military power index in the world. With 624,000 active military members and 2,900,000 active reserve members the ROK military consists of roughly 3.5 million soldiers. South Korea has a very technically advanced military and spends 7.5 billion dollars annually on defense. Like many counties oil is the life blood of the country and military...
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...A Study on Violence Against Buddhism by Korean Protestantism: Centering on the Wonmyeong Temple and Bongeun Temple Incidents Introduction: Violent Attacks on Buddhism by Protestants In the past, there have been numerous incidents where extremist Korean Protestants have damaged statues of the Buddha or Buddhist temples. Such incidents pose serious risks to society as these examples of destruction do not only disregard a certain religion, but are also highly violent in nature. Many high-profile cases have been reported: Arson of the Daejeokgwangjeon of Geumsansa Temple in 1986; the destruction of a stone pagoda and lantern of Okcheonam Temple in Hongeun-dong in 1989; the damaging of the Tangible Cultural Asset No. 17 stone-carved Buddha Statue in 1989; the enclosing of a shrine and burning of a Buddha statue by an army officer in Siheung, Gyeonggi-do in 1993; the arrest of a pastor and his fellows by local police officers for destroying a Buddha statue in Thailand in 1994; a Buddhist accidently killed while he was trying to prevent a Christian from intruding into a Buddhist monastery to distribute Christian missionary materials in 1996; the destruction, damage of 750 Buddha statues in Jeju by a Christian (named Kim) in his attempt to transform Wonmyeong Temple into a church in 1998; the damaging of the Buddha statue at Dongguk University in 2000; and the frenzy over a video clip about missionary students doing a performance involving stepping on the Bongeun Temple site...
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...PART 1: INTRODUCTION The Korean peninsula is located at the eastern end of Asia, between China, Siberia (now part of the Russian Federation), and the islands of Japan. Because of the complex, shifting, and historic relations between these areas, as well as relations with other places such at the United Sates in more recent times, the history of Korea has been told in many ways and is still the subject of hot debate both inside and outside the Koreas. North and South Korea have different versions of the peninsula’s history, both of which differ in detail and perspective from histories written in China, Japan, Russia, and the USA. The following sections, which attempt to outline the history in a balanced way, are based on a variety of materials, including lectures attended in a special workshop on Korean culture at Korea University in the summer of 1997. Map of Korea The overall pattern of development in the history of the Korean peninsula is a process that begins with an unknown number of early tribal groups that populate the peninsula in prehistoric times, wandering out of Siberia and areas to the west. Over time, some of these groups form more complex societies that eventually result in early kingdoms that grow up on the peninsula; in some cases extending westwards into what is now Chinese territory. As time and events unfolded, these kingdoms were unified, though the borders and degree of unity have continued to change over time—down to today. Besides the obvious split between...
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...aborigine people and no sign of any structure of the Chinese Imperial Government, so this meant that Taiwan was not part of China at that time. The slaves that where brought over were Chinese and when they were made to wed the aborigine women a new race was born: the Taiwanese. Taiwan then endured close to two hundred years of loose freedom with the immigration of coastal people from China increasing. These people that fled China were fleeing wars and famine on the communist coastal area. The freedom that Taiwan possessed was taken to the limit when, in 1870, the Taiwanese pirates captured American, Japanese, and French ships passing the island (Taiwan's History 3). After the pirates raided these countries for the last time, they took their problems to the Chinese government but Manchu stated that: "Taiwan is beyond our territory. Disgusted with China's disregard to their claims, France sent a fleet to the island and seized control of the northern part of Taiwan for nine months (1884-1885). It was not until 1887 that China finally realized that Taiwan...
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...to business professionals about the Republic of Korea, the Korean culture, and the peculiarities of conducting business in this country. The topics discussed include a brief historical background about the nation, its dimensions of culture, how these elements are integrated by Koreans, and a comparison between these characteristics and American culture and business practices. The paper examines the implications for US firms wishing to do business in Korea using Hofstede’s Dimensions of culture, a SWOT analysis, and FDI analysis. Keywords: culture, religion, Confucianism, innovation, export, KORUS FTA Historical Background of Korea The Republic of Korea (ROK) is commonly known as South Korea. For the remainder of this paper, the ROK will be synonymous with "Korea". Korea is located in northeast Asia on the Korean peninsula between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan. It borders the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), also called North Korea (nK), immediately to the north, across the 38th parallel. Korea's total land area is nearly 62,000 miles, slightly larger than Indiana (www.cia.gov). It has an ethnically homogeneous population of over 49 million people, 83% of which live in urban areas (www.cia.gov). According to legend, Korea's birth as a nation was in 2333 BC with its early inhabitants coming from and heavily influenced by China (Kim, 2012). Mark Peterson, associate professor of Korean Studies at Brigham Young University summarizes Korea's early...
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...writing to varying extents; the language of all manifestations of culture that are expressed in words. The concept of a “developed form” is historically variable (in different ages and with different peoples). In the age of feudalism many peoples of the world used foreign languages as their written literary languages. The Iranian and Turkish peoples used classical Arabic, the Japanese and Koreans used classical Chinese, the Germanic and West Slavic peoples used Latin, and the people in the Baltic region and the Czechs used German. The popular languages supplanted the foreign language in many functional spheres of communication during the 14th and 15th centuries in some states and in the 16th and 17th centuries in others. The literary language is always the result of collective creative activity. The notion that the norms of a literary language are “fixed” is somewhat relative (despite all the importance and stability of the norm, it changes in time). It is not possible to imagine a national culture that is rich and developed without a rich and developed literary language. This is why the problem of the literary language is very important for society. Linguists do not agree about the complex and multifaceted concept of the literary language. Some researchers prefer to talk not about the literary language as a whole but about its variations—the written literary language, the spoken literary language, the language of literature, and so on. The literary language is not the same thing...
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