When someone says North Korea, what do you think of? Many think of the controversial politics, their controversial leader, or even the controversial movie, “The Interview.” The majority of people don’t tend to think about the country’s geography, or how North Korea’s history shaped its future. Today’s media tends to focus on the actions of Kim Jong-Un. Politics are a huge part of North Korea, but so are its history, economy and its geography. By analyzing these four features of the country, we can see how they relate to North Korea’s current day issues. (Perfect introduction!)
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
North Korea is in the northernmost region of the Korean peninsula. A peninsula is a strip of land surrounded by water on three sides. The Bay of
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(www.worldatlas.com)
ECONOMIC SYSTEM The economical system of North Korea is known as a strict command economy. This means that the government is in full control of the market. They determine what goods should be produced, how many goods should be produced, and the price of the products. After the Korean War, North Korea focused heavily on industrial development. This gave them a boost in metal manufacturing. In the modern day, North Korea now focuses on improving their military through heavy government spending. This spending along with other economic setbacks, such as international debt, have North Korea’s economy on a stable decline with short periods of improvement, according to Investopedia. It should also be noted that North Korea is very private when it comes to its economical records since they haven’t released any reliable data on the state of their economy. The statements previously made in this paragraph can’t fully be trusted due to the lack of dependable sources. (www.investopedia.com)
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW After World War II, Korea was split up into two regions, North and South Korea. North Korea emerged as a communist country in 1948 under Kim II-sung. In 1950, the Korean War began when North Korean forces marched into areas of South Korea. This was seen as an invasion and chaos followed. The fighting among the two sides continued until an armistice was signed in July 1953. Even though the fighting came to a halt, the
North Korea has been labeled as a mysterious state as the country is secluded from the rest of the world. The Democratic People 's Republic of Korea is a small country with a population of 25 million and is under a communist model of power. The country has been under control of the Kim dynasty since 1948, it began with Kim Il-Song and since then they have remained in power to this current day. The leaders are plastered all over the city of Pyongyang, with statues and murals on the wall and with the citizens wearing pins with the previous leaders to show their dedication to the regime. The city itself is a front to demonstrate a dynamic and advanced country. The regime has been successful for years, regardless of the fact that the government is repressive and the numerous violations of human rights. After the mismanagement of the famine crisis, which resulted in possibly millions of deaths. How is it possible for the regime to be still intact, especially when so many countries before them, have failed. The regime has successfully indoctrinated children at a young age through their education system, the barricading of information and their implanting of fear among the population.
When Korea liberated from Japanese control at the end of the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed temporarily to divide Korea at the 38th parallel of latitude north of the equator. This division resulted in the formation of two countries: communist North Korea (supported by the Soviets) and South Korea (supported by the United States). Five years after the country’s partition, the communist leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, decided to attempt to reunify Korea under his control. On June 25, 1950, Kim launched a surprise invasion of South Korea.
Kim Ill-sung took power of North Korea in 1948, and two years later the Korean War commenced. (Piddock, 31-32) “on June 25 [1950], soldiers from communist North Korea (known as the North Koreans People’s Army, or NKPA) had launched an invasion of their noncommunist neighbor, South Korea. South Korean troops(known as Republic of Korea, or ROK, forces) were surprised, outnumbered, and outgunned by the invaders. .. In the
North Korea, also known as the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, is known for being one of the world’s most hidden country. With hardly any people leaving the country, and hardly any coming in. It is a homogenous country as well, with relatively all North Koreans being of the ethnic group Korean.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or more commonly known as North Korea, is one of the most secretive and intriguing nations of the world. In a time of saturated globalization and continuous exchanges of culture and information, little is known about the northern part of the Korean peninsula. Yet even with this veil of secrecy, it continues to gain our attention. Within North Korea, there have been numerous incidents that have brought concern within the global community. Famine, corruption, political prison camps, and threats of nuclear usage are just a few of the marks on the list of its immoralities. This country has been rightly scrutinized and ridiculed for its actions over the duration of its development, but what is the reasoning
North Korea’s nuclear aspirations and capabilities are a major concern for Americans as well as the rest of the World. A concern that is fully supported when looking at the relentless effort North Korea has put into fulfilling its “military first” strategy. Above all else North Korea has made it a point to improve its military at the expense of its economy and its citizens. With the idea of a “military first” system it is hard to imagine that North Korea ever truly wanted nuclear reactors for the sole purpose of energy. More important to understanding this policy, is the history of North Korea. Jonathan Pollack goes into detail about the history and the emergence of Kim Il-Sung following the Korean War, and why Kim felt that “military first” was the best policy for the country. The underlying factor in North Korean policy is that they are fearful; following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the World saw what a powerful weapon nuclear bombs are and likewise Kim Il-Sung also did.
This paper will be a summary of North Korea that will cover some of the history behind the country. This history is essential for showing why the country operates as it does. I will then cover political, military, economic, social, and information aspects that try to give a picture of a general life in North Korea. In the midst of doing so, I will attempt to demonstrate an updated operational picture of North Korea as I see it being pertinent in a military operation. I will jump topics out of order as each aspect plays into other aspects, life, and functionality of North Korea.
Increase in technology and media available to the world on North Korea has created a need for other nations to set in and help, especially the United States and South Korea, whether these have done more harm than good is debated. The Kim Jong-un regime therefore faces new problems within the nation and from outside it. The youth today in north Korea are starting to become more vocal as they grew up with a lessened sense of fear of persecution, know that propaganda exists within North Korea and they were not around to witness the country when it provided for the citizens regardless of the terror of persecution. These two forces may come into play in the future of North
North Korea is, as stated by Bruce Cummings in North Korea – Another Country, “The Author of most of its own troubles”. The country is close to entirely isolated from the rest of the world maintaining only small contact with certain nations. Since the ceasefire of the Korean War, North Korea has become increasingly detached from the majority of the world; however what factors have led to this increased isolation? The heavy bombing of the North during the war, the continued existence of missiles aimed at the North, the fall of the Soviet Union, the Carter and Clinton governments steps on reconciliation with North Korea and the Bush Governments
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or North Korea as it is better known, is a country that has been shrouded in mystery since it was founded in 1948. The country receives very few tourists on an annual basis, and not many of their citizens are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel and see how others outside of the country live. Many other nations from around the world have labeled North Korea as a threat because so little is known about the country or its people; but also because its past and present leaders have created that stigma for themselves. The North Korean people may not be the evil people that the world views them as, but until more is known about the country and its citizens, it is safe to say that the rest of
At present there are five communist countries in the world, Vietnam, Laos, People’s Republic of China, Cuba, and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. All of these, with the exception of Cuba, are Asian countries. While Vietnam and China are on the upswing economically, North Korea remains one of the poorest. The reason for this may be because it, along with Cuba, have an entirely state run economy. In comparison to the other three Asian communist countries, North Korea has the lowest GDP per capita of the four at 1800 USD (2008). (1) With North Korea being as centrally located to two of the richest countries, Japan and China, it would seem that they would enjoy some of the same riches of these two. What has caused such differences
North Korea is an East Asian country, officially the democratic people’s republic of Korea. The name Korea is derived from the kingdom Goguryeo or Koryo. Every day from Monday to Saturday more than 24 million people work to maintain the socialist machine of North Korea, this unique political experiment it’s been running for almost 70 years. It’s all at the expense of an isolated and subjugated people. This means people protected from the outside world by their leader, public knowledge of the country remains limited. Even Kim Jong Un exact age is a mystery to north Koreans and to other people, like his father and grandfather before him. North Korea is a country however cautiously is gradually opening its door to investors and tourists but at the same time remains inaccessible and mysterious. Pyongyang is the center of power for the North Korean regime. The capital city and the face of the republic where people spent most of their time in this almost completely unknown and isolated country. The North Korean still live the war constantly that ended from 60 years ago. The leader has employed propaganda for decades in order to gain and maintain power over its citizens. Propaganda will remain fundamentally unchanged as it continues to prioritize its main goal of sustaining power.
Officially known as the Republic of Korea, South Korea is located in East Asia and constitutes the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. It was proclaimed a republic on August 15, 1948 and a rapid growth of its economy transformed it into a highly advanced economy by 1995. Today, South Korea is the eighth largest country in international trade and a regional power with among the largest defense budgets in the world. It is sometimes referred to as the “Republic of Great Han”. This paper seeks to explore the system of the country’s government, its political and socio-economic status and the implications thereof. It proposes
In the 7th century three kingdoms came together to form Korea. In the last 100 years, Korea has been invaded, subjugated and divided. Today, the country is physically divided, the result of a war between North and South Korea, which began in 1950 and never ended. The fighting ended in 1953 with an armistice agreement, but a cease-fire agreement still carries on today.
South Korea is one of the most dynamic countries in the world, South Korea has emerged from a chaotic history, and has rightfully ascended the ladder to become a world power. Bordering North Korea in the south and separated from China and Japan by the Sea of Japan, Yellow Sea and Korea Strait, South Korea is an active participant in what is one of Asia’s most historically volatile areas