Protest Movement Of South Korea

Before 1945 Korea was controlled by Japan. After the second World War, USA and Soviet Union split Korea in t two. This cause the divide in the country and another divide in the ideals. USA was preaching capitalism and democracy. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, was looking to spread communism. North Korea invaded South Korea to try to form a stable, united Korea as it was before the end of the Second World War. USA acted decisively to defend the South to stop the threat of communism and to continue their policy of containment. They did not want communism to spread.

The first event that occurred was the appointment of Syngman Rhee in 1948 to establish Korean People’s Democratic Republic. This fact is very important in showing America’s stance in Korea by

June 25th, 1950 was the first military action taken during the Cold War. This was the start of the Korean War when close to 750,000 North Korean soldiers crossed the 38th parallel and entered South Korea. North Korea had been Communist and ruled by Ho Chi Minh while South Korea was not communist and were being ruled by Ngo Dinh Diem, who was a very harsh, cruel leader who killed many of his own people. However, the United States supported South Korea because they were against communist and was trying to practice their policy of containment. Americans were scared that the Korean War would begin to spread communism due to the Soviet Union’s involvement. A goal of this war for the United States was to keep the communists from North Korea north

This spawns another argument that Korean War was a turning point in the development of the Cold War because it changed the approach and attitude that USA held towards communism. American policy adopted a “containment” approach towards communism during the implementation of the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine. The Korean War was more impactful than the Cuban Missile Crisis due to the larger effect it had towards expanding the containment policy of USA, sowing more discord between USA and USSR as USA became more committed to contain communism. In the duration of the Korean War, there was a reorientation of American policy, and they began to adopt a “rollback of communism” policy. This change was seen when USA started out with the intention of containing communism in North Korea by intervening and defending South Korea from North Korean invasion. However, American troops began to push North Korean troops further back, past the 38th parallel, signalling the switch in attitudes towards communism when “containment” shifted to becoming “rollback of communism”. American involvement in the development of the Cold War thus became more aggressive, leading to a more offensive approach towards dealing with communism. The Korean War was thus a turning point in the development of the Cold

Sakhalin Koreans were fed up of suffering from extreme working condition and inhospitable climate, the civilian repatriation movement had appeared and it gradually evolved to a government-led movement to release the freedom of these Sakhalin Koreans. In my point of view, I deem this repatriation movement as a sign of the rising international status of South Korea.

The Soviet Union was running North Korea as a communist dictatorship, dictated by Kim Il Sung, and the United States was running South Korea as an anti-communist dictatorship, dictated by Syngman Rhee. Kim Il Sung wanted unification of the Korea’s, however he wanted a communist government, which the nationalist government of South Korea did not see eye to eye with. So Kim Il Sung had attempted to force communism by invading South Korea across the 38th parallel. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. This event affected the world in many ways, and still is today.

Since the Korean War began the Soviet Union invaded the part of northern korea, when right after World War II ended the cold war have created tensions between Korea and U.S.S.R. The American people feared that communist invaded lots of countries in East for a reason the communist formed as what they believed every sources of other nations should be trade internationally. So America put a new policy “containment” as set for preventions of Joseph Stalin planned invading the part of Korea. Back in the year of 1910 the Japanese terrorized the korea but then they surrendered them on the Soviet Union to Northern Korea and become the axis powers, the United States to South Korea and they part of the allied powers. The both sides had a decision

The Korean War was the first military action of the cold war and an effort to restrain the growing communist aggression. Despite this however, this war is often forgotten, perhaps it is because The Korean War wasn’t a “declared war” and ended in an unsatisfactory stalemate (U.S Enters). Though the Korean War was overshadowed by World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean people took the freedom we helped buy with our blood and rose to be one of the top ten economies in the world (Transition). The Korean War is a largely forgotten, overlooked encounter which has a tremendous influence on global politics, ideologies, and rivalries; this war encouraged the civil rights movement in America, it promoted the exchange of

The Korean War was the first military action of the cold war and an effort to restrain the growing communist aggression. Despite this however, this war is often forgotten, perhaps it is because The Korean War wasn’t a “declared war” and ended in an unsatisfactory stalemate (U.S Enters). Though the Korean War was overshadowed by World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean people took the freedom we helped buy with our blood and rose to be one of the top ten economies in the world (Transition). The Korean War is a largely forgotten, overlooked encounter which has a tremendous influence on global politics, ideologies, and rivalries; this war encouraged the civil rights movement in America, it promoted the exchange of philosophies, and formed rivalries between some of the world’s greatest powers.

One of the strengths of the book “Laying Claim to the Memory of May” lies in the fact that the author of the book, Linda Lewis, witnessed the events of the Kwangju uprising herself. The fact that the author is a Western anthropologist makes this book unique, however it also a major limiting factor of the book as Lewis’ point of view is not representative of the thousands of Koreans who rose up against the oppressive government. This book is nonetheless very insightful for my investigation as it pays particular attention to the complex power relations and splits within the city of Kwangju during the 1980s, that according to Lewis have been suppressed in the official government accounts of the Uprising. Lewis recounts instances of confrontations, especially between the authorities and civilians, suggesting that social conflicts such as these were vital in leading up to the events of May 1980. Although Lewis’ role as an eyewitness to the events can make the source stronger in some respects, her view may also be preoccupied by the short term causes of social unrest which she would have witnessed herself, rather than perhaps the more root causes of the Uprising such as the effects of Park’s policies on the general population for example. Overall this source is very valuable in helping to answer my investigation question as it introduces important factors other than the influence of President Park’s policies as major causes for the Kwangju

Bruce Cummings, an East Asian Historian, published two monographs, detailed study of a specific subject in a specific time,discussing the Korean war in detail by analyzing how it is so different from the others wars that went on simultaneously. The Origins of the Korean War is a two part monograph that examines several years directly after the end of World War II, 1945 to 1950. The Korean War lasted only three years, and was quickly forgotten by the American Public. Viewed as a time of peace by most people were celebrating the end of World War II, war in 1950 disrupted the Korean Peninsula located between China and Japan. Cummings provides an in depth analysis in hopes of discovering why this war broke out, and why was it different than the

While the U.S. helped South Korea to develop economically, it also heavily influenced politics and governance. As a “price” for its assistance, the U.S. wanted South Korea to adopt a democratic ideology and kept the nation under its ‘U.S. umbrella’. Despite being such a powerful nation and being a huge aid to Korea, the U.S. actually had a difficult time implementing democracy into South Korean government. Both Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan were very authoritarian rulers that seldom hesitated from using military suppression on its own people. The U.S. almost had little influence over these two leaders, and it took the coming of Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung, along with many determined civil protests such as the Kwangju Uprising in 1980, to finally instill democracy into South Korean politics. Korea eventually was able to undergo a successful

During the late 19th century in Korea, the oppressed peasants and the followers of the Donghak religion revolted against the corrupted government officials and foreign forces, such as Japan and China. The movement’s significance could be seen through the peasants’ demand for reforms and the end of feudalistic society and foreign influence.

With the creation of a popular democratic front, KIM IL SUNG will be a suitable candidate to head it” (Report on Communists in Korea). If it weren’t for the Soviets, there would be less separation and the North and South Korean governments would be completely different. The author refers to the mass separation between the two parties but doesn’t really pay any attention to it, “In South Korea, besides the Communist Party, the strongest party is the Democratic Party, which represents the interests of the big landowners and capitalists. The party numbers about 10,000 and is headed by Song Jin-u. The party openly engages in pro-imperialist and anti-Communist propaganda”(Report on Communists in Korea). The Cold War affected North Korea in ways other than politically, also.

In general, social movement emerges with several roles and function. There is no doubt that their roles are to serve the people as to represent the public interest. In fact, the emergence of this particular group secure no deny to the rise of democracy as the universal value. Thus, in this paragraph, the writer will address on roles of social movement in shaping the South Korea socio-political sphere.