The Korean War: Is It Really Over?

The Korean War.  CNN quotes it as "the war that never really ended."  It shaped the country and changed history.  At the end of World War II, the Allies agreed to give Korea independence from Japan.  The United States and the Soviet Union divided Korea along the 38th parallel; the two sides were complete opposites.  Kim II-Sung was the communist guerrilla leader in the North and in 1948 Rhee Syng-Man, an anti-communist, was elected as the first president of the Republic of Korea (the South).  Obvious tensions rose between the two sides which led to tensions between their respective allies.

On June 25, 1950, North Korean soldiers crossed the 38th parallel, and overcame the South Korean soldiers who were not expecting them.  The U.S. quickly came to defend South Korea.  When Korean, U.S. and U.N. forces fought to defend South Korea, China went to help North Korea.  The fighting finally ended in 1953 when the two sides signed an armistice agreement, a truce not a peace treaty.  The armistice entailed the Demilitarized Zone to be built; a 155 mile long and 2.5 mile wide line that separates the two countries.  The war caused 1.2 million deaths in South Korea and 1 million in North Korea, along with 36,500 death for U.S. soldiers and 600,000 for the Chinese.
There have been some positive situations between North and South Korea, like the family reunions (separated by war) that took place in 2000, and the trains being able to cross borders in 2007.  But more recently North Korea attacked Yeonpyeong, a South Korean island, killing two marines and two civilians.  With North Korea's nuclear testing the South Korean government has said that it is "an unforgivable threat to the Korean peninsula's peace and safety."  Recently, North Korea has threaten to break the armistice.  In 2009, North Korea stated that since South Korea was joining a U.S. led anti-proliferation plan, their military would no longer have to abide by the agreement.  A news agency in North Korea even said they may have "no option" but to stop honoring the armistice due to the United States "persistent war moves."  North Korea continues their nuclear testing, despite the U.N.'s updated regulations on the matter.
If North Korea were to drop the armistice with South Korea, possible war could break out.  The United States would be at stake because North Korea has had their number of problems with them, but also the rest of the world.  If North Korea were to use nuclear weapons, populations, ecosystems and economies would be destroyed in South Korea and where ever else the nuclear weapons would land.  I feel that maybe the U.S. should back out of South Korea, just a little bit, in order for the armistice to still stand.  I know the feeling of protection that South Korea gets with the United States being involved, but if we took some of the troops away and wouldn't be so involved in their affairs, maybe North Korea wouldn't feel so threatened by us.  Then again, maybe North Korea wants us to back off so they can invade again.  It is a situation for the United Nations to keep and eye on, and a situation that won't easily slip by.


Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/07/world/asia/korean-war-explainer/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/09/us-korea-north-ban-idUSBRE92807Y20130309


By: Kara Rivas