The Cold War -- North Korea

Transcription

1 The Cold War -- North Korea The social, political, and economic situation in North Korea can seem funny at first glance -- those weird people doing completely bizarre things. In reality however, it is essentially a country of human beings held hostage for nearly 80 years by a dictatorial communist family. Despite the Cold War having ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union dissolved, the situation in North Korea hasn t changed. How? Korean War As we know, almost as soon as World War II ended in 1945 the world was split between communist countries and capitalist democratic countries. Communist Countries During Cold War Capitalist Democracies During Cold War 1) Soviet Union (Russia) 1) United States 2) China 2) France 3) North Korea 3) Great Britain 4) Cuba 4) Japan (after U.S Rebuilt) 5) North Korea 5) South Korea This list doesn t cover them all! Just a few examples! The country of Korea was no different. Korea had been conquered by Japan during World War II. After Japan was defeated by the United States and the allies, Korea was split up between North and South. North Korea was run by and assisted by communists, while South Korea was run by a government more friendly to the United States. North Korean communist dictator Kim Il Sung wanted to reunite Korea into one country. He attacked South Korea and almost succeeded in pushing U.S and South Korean troops out of Korea all together. However, the

2 United Nations condemned the attack and sent troops to aid the South Koreans. North Korea was pushed back all the way to the border of China. Chinese communist dictator Mao Zedong then sent in hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops to push back the United Nations troops. The war never technically ended. Instead, a line was created almost directly in the middle of North and South Korea. Today, the line that separates North and South Korea is known as the DMZ, or demilitarized zone. Despite the name, it is completely covered in military men and equipment -- preventing anyone from crossing the border in either direction.

3 Since the dictatorial reign of Kim Il Sung, his son and grandson have taken control of the country. The conditions of the people living in North Korea are hard to put into words. When we think about the horrors of the holocaust, it is typically through the lens of it being something that happened long long ago -- a horrible event that we as humanity have now moved past. The situation in North Korea is comparable in some ways to the holocaust, and yet, it is happening right now. North Korea is a totalitarian society. Kim Jung Un, the current dictator, rules through violence and fear (Although his dead Grandfather is still said to be Supreme Leader). The people of North Korea are brainwashed from birth to think of their leader as a god. Despite this brainwashing process, it is clear that many North Koreans know better than to believe Kim Jong Un and his family are gods. However, even the

4 slightest hint of disrespect to the leader or the government can have disastrous consequences including torture and/or death. Current Communist Dictator of North Korea -- Kim Jong Un The people of North Korea are on average 4 inches shorter than the people in South Korea. This is because the communist dictatorship in N.K spends almost all of its available resources on its military -- leaving the country with constant food shortages. Any complaints about the quality or lack of food can and do end up with a long and harsh prison sentence, sometimes even for family members of those accused. This includes torture and death, depending on the situation. Why Are We Not Helping These Poor People? The short answer to this question is, we are. The United States and other human rights activist groups do their best to send aid to the people of North Korea. If the communist government allows these supplies into the country, they tell the people that

5 because Kim Jung Un is so great and the world fears and respects him so much, they give him gifts. South Korea is a close friend and ally to the United States. Since World War II South Korea has been democratic and capitalist, with a good economy and a solid standard of living for its people. North Korea has enough artillery (bombs) pointed at South Korea to be able to kill hundreds of thousands of people within hours. This prevents the United States, or any other country, from making a military move against North Korea. North Korea has been attempting to develop nuclear weapons with the capability of reaching the United States. This creates an even more complicated global issue. If North Korea is able to gain control of Nuclear weapons that have the capability of striking the United States, any hope of freeing the people of North Korea from the oppressive communist dictatorship is essentially gone. There is no good ending to this story. In fact, there is no ending at all, at least not yet. Day in and day out the people of North Korea live as perpetual slaves to a dictator that has no problem abusing, torturing, and killing his own people. By all means though, continue to whine about me making you read at school