The Miracle on Han River: South Korea

A year prior before the Battle of Osan in 1949 the leader of North Korea, Kim Il-Sung, promised the “War of Liberation” would be welcomed by South Koreans. In addition, tensions were already boiling as the cold war was beginning. It should have come to no surprise that the

North Korea, formally known as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a relic of the Cold War and the world’s last remaining totalitarian Stalinist dictatorship. Arguably the most secretive state in the world, North Korea poses a unique set of challenges to the world, especially to its democratic and capitalist neighbor, South Korea, formally known as the Republic of Korea (ROK). As one of the last remnants of the Cold War era, North Korea remains an anomaly of the international system due to its unpredictable nature and disregard for international norms. With the recent bombardment of the South Korean Island of Yeongpyong and the sinking of the warship Cheonan, tensions between the two Koreas are at the lowest point since

In my generation, this was not the first occasion when the strong had attacked the weak. Communism was acting in Korea just as Hitler, Mussolini, and the Japanese had acted ten, fifteen, and twenty years earlier. I felt certain that if South Korea was allowed to fall, Communist leaders would be emboldened to override nations closer to our own shores. (Truman, 1955)

Through this book Demick establishes her deep knowledge of North Korea all the while following the lives of six defectors as they fought to survive. Demick shows us the struggle that these North Koreans face as their country is consumed by an economic crisis and a famine that killed one fifth of their population, while it also gave us a glimpse at what we never think of when we hear about this country. The collapse of North Korea’s economy caused factories to close and other jobs to be terminated. This led the citizens of North Korea to lose their only source of income and forced to find other means to support their families. It caused them to make sacrifices in order support their families and essentially learn to become selfish, to turn a blind eye to the ones around who were also suffering in order for themselves to survive.

In “Does North Korea Have the H-Bomb?,” Patricia Smith informs the readers about North Korea’s latest nuclear test and the country’s history. Kim Jong Un alarmed the world when he revealed that his nation had detonated a hydrogen bomb which would signify an increased risk. While the test may not have been a hydrogen bomb, it signified the threat North Korea poses to the world and proof that the country is working on advancing its weapons. The conflict between the United States and North Korea began when the Soviet Union established a communist regime in North Korea and the U.S. controlled the South. While South Korea developed into a democratic and high-tech country, North Korea developed into a communist country and a repressive regime. Furthermore,

Nestled in the north peninsula of Korea in East Asia lies North Korea also referred to as The Peoples Republic of Korea and is divided into nine provinces. The nation has an extensive infrastructure, but not modernized and is underdeveloped. Communism consumes North Korea where isolationism and dictatorship are staples in the government. Every aspect of the nation is state regulated and laws are carried out diligently with serious reprisal for disobedience. North Korea prides itself on their military abilities and puts forth the interests of the military before anything. Despite severe food shortages, economic instability, and lack of electricity, North Korea is undeterred in their efforts to maintain the fourth largest military in the world.

The war left the country devastated, with many of its residents suffering from starvation and dying from malnutrition. The country’s solution was to export high quality products for low prices. This was an effective solution as South Korea is now well known for their products, and is identified as one of the Four Asian Tigers in regard to highly developed economies. Sun listed many of South Korea’s global companies, which include Samsung in the smartphone industry and Hyundai and Kia in the automobile industry. The way in which Sun described her country’s strive to improve their conditions reminded me of Schwartz’s value of mastery, which was discussed in lecture as working hard to achieve success, promoting ambition, and developing skills (K. Whitten, personal communication, January 14, 2016). South Korea focused on its strength, the high quality labor of its people, during a difficult time and eventually became a recognizable force in the global economy by continuously working towards improving their

After the war, both Koreas moved quickly to rebuild and modernize. North Korea, which was more industrialized than South Korea before the war, rebuilt quicker. Unfortunately, North Korea’s economy suffered, because of the break-up with the Soviet Union. Eventually South Korea evolved into a industrial society, who became a heavy exporter to the United States. Overall after the war both Koreas have been successful, but still face the challenge 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

Moreover, I admire the hard work you have put forward. In many ways, you identify the problems with Korea and America. Furthermore, this analysis is captivating and a learning experience.

It has been almost sixty-five years since the split of Korea into the North and South. Although it was not until 1953 when Korea was confirmed by a signed agreement that it is spilt in North Korea and South Korea. As a result of Korea separating into two countries, two different people were in power with different types of governing. Although both countries were once one single country, they both have merged into two totally different countries, that if in the future they came back together to be one country it would be difficult to comprise their rulers and come to an agreement of governing between them.

Understanding how North Korea as a country defines itself in a changing world. Where do they derive their customs and practices, political standings and military power? Define North Korea’s history leading into the modern age and define its culture and characteristics and how they interact with the world today. Understanding a subject as broad as the term culture begins where the culture began with the birth of civilization and the people that influenced it. There are many factors that play a role in the shaping of a nation none so much as turmoil and conflict and the Korean peninsula saw its fair share for the better part of a millennia. A complete statistical breakdown of North Korea shows a struggling nation that strongly depends on

"South Korea is a country with a population of 50,924,172 and counting" ("The World Factbook: KOREA, SOUTH"). It is a nation that has been the center of many tug-of-wars. It is a nation that has had to fight in order to survive independent. Years ago, no one thought much of this country. So what is it about this little place now, that sets it apart and breaks it out of the mold of just another Asian country? Though South Korea may be a small country, the style of cuisine, community culture, and generosity are just

South Korea appears in the first quadrant of Figure 2.2 in which states that the country has a culture with relatively larger power distance and lower individualism. South Korea has a relatively large power distance due to the country’s strong emphasis in respecting for one’s elders and superiors. This cultural belief is deeply

At the end of World War II, Korea was a poor former agricultural colony of Japan. But the rapid growth of Korea’s industrial economy has been remarkable. The economy of South Korea is now the third-largest in Asia and the 13th largest in the world by GDP as of 2007. To trace back the economic development of South Korea, the former president Park Chung-Hee played a pivotal role, and was credited for shifting its focus to export-oriented favoring a few large conglomerates. Unlike his predecessors, Park showed a strong commitment to economic development, believing good economic performance as a primary means for enhancing his political legitimacy. Under the President Park Chung-Hee’s era, the government played a dominating role in a