US in between Koreas

The new South Korean President, Moon Jae-in, has visited United States for the first time since assuming office.

The threat of North Korea will loom large as the leaders of both nations will meet to discuss viable solutions. While the US has always has never had bilateral relations with North Korea, the few diplomatic ties have also withered in the recent years.

Background

Before Korea was divided into two nations, it was occupied by Japan in 1910. During the final days of World War II that Soviet Union declared war on Japan and advanced towards Korea. The US fearing that the Soviets would take over all of Korea, requested it to cease its military actions. Thus, Seoul and the southern part of Korea came to be occupied by US forces.  By 1948, Korea had been divided into two factions with Kim Il-sung, as prime minister of North Korea.

But the region did not witness peace for long. In 1950, North Korean forces advanced to South Korea, occupying a large portion of it. This led to the US entering the conflict along with the United Nations to defend South Korea. The US forces were successful in pushing back the North Korean military and in 1953 an armistice was proposed. While North Korea was reluctant to sign, it eventually agreed to abide by the rules laid out in the armistice.

However, a peace treaty was never signed and thus it can be argued that the war never ended. This war is famously referred to as the “Forgotten War.”

In the decades to follow, South Korea became one of the most prosperous and advanced nations in the world and North Korea became one of the most secretive nations. While it calls itself a socialist state, it is essentially under authoritarian rule. Little is known about the nation but reports of rampant human rights abuse seep through. It is currently ruled by Kim Jong-un, who is referred to as the Supreme Leader. He took over power from his father, Kim Jong-il who ruled for years. Those who deflect from the state have spoken of hard labour, starvation and even worse. North Korea for the large part is support by China and South Korea has been an ally to the US.

Analysis

America now views North Korea as an imminent threat for its safety. This has been escalated with North Korea’s frequent threats to the United States as well as its testing of its nuclear weapons and long range missiles. The recent death of an American student, Otto Wambier, who had been captured and imprisoned by North Korea, has further deteriorated the relations.

Assessment

Our assessment is that any military conflict between the US and North Korea would put South Korea and Japan at risk. The new South Korean president has in the past advocated for a more peaceful solution. Moon Jae-in has also stated that he wants South Korea to play a larger role in addressing the region’s problems. Perhaps it might be the right move as historically tensions between US and North Korea have lessened whenever there was increased cooperation between South and North Korea.