North Korean Nuclear
war: Its unfinished mission
In 1910,The Korean peninsula was annexed by the Japanese, who ruled it as a colony until the end of the world war 11, when Japan was striped of its territorial possessions. After the Allied forces agreed to occupy the peninsula, in 1945, Soviet troops moved into the northern part of Korea down to the 38th parallel. US forces on the other hand, had occupied the southern area. The occupation was to end as soon as a Korean Government could be freely elected. The Soviets and Americans however could not agree on procedures for elections.
By 1948, two separate governments
had emerged, each claiming to be the legal ruler of all of north. North Korea,
officially called the Democratic Peoples Republic
of Korea, with its capital at Pyongyang,
kept close ties with the Soviet Union and China. South
Korea, officially the republic of Korea established its capital at Seoul-maintaining its links with the United
States. The Soviet Union however withdrew its troops from North Korea in late
1948, and the US withdrew their troops from South Korea in mid-1949.
June 1950, North Korea, hoping to
unify the country under a communist government, invaded South Korea. The United
Nationals Security Council immediately voted to condemn the invasion and
organized an army to oppose it. At that time, the soviet could not use their Veto powers because of their absence from the
council in protest at the United Nations refusal to recognize communist China.
In the first months of the war,
the North Korean swept southward, conquering almost all of South Korea. However
in September 1950, the UN troops led by General
Douglas Macarthur launched a surprise invasion at Inchon, along Koreas
west coast and far behind North Korean lines.Yalu River at the
Chinese border.
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| Gen. Douglas MacAthur |
At this point in the war,
communist China came to the aid of North Korea. Chinese forces crossed into
Korea in such large numbers that the UN forces were forced to retreat south
ward. By mid-1951, each army dug in
along a line near the 38th parallel,
a situation in which two opponents are unable to move significantly or make
further gains. Talks between the two sides began in July 1951 and lasted until
July 1953 when a truce was signed. The fighting ended with Korea once again
divided near the 38th parallel.
In addition, from 1948 to 1994,
North Korea was led by the communist dictator Kim
11 Sung. A cult of personality developed around Kim, and North Koreans
revered him as a god-like figure “Great Leader” . Under
Kim’s directives, all of the country’s farmland was organized into collective
farms between 1953 and 1956. In 1954 and the North Korean government announced
the first five year plan for building an industrial economy. North Korea
stressed the growth of heavy industry and built up its military power. About 20
percent of North Korean GDP was annually devoted to military expenditures,
including the development of nuclear capabilities. In Mid 1990s, North Koreas
growth experienced widespread crop failure. The agricultural collapse was due
to floods, drought and government policies that provided few incentives to
farmers to produce. As starvation intensified, the communist government
reluctantly admitted its need for foreign aid. In 1997, relief organizations in
US and other countries began sending food aid to North Korea.
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| Kim Sung 11 |
The end of the cold war in the
early 1990s raised hopes for uniting the two Koreans. North Korea and South
Korean took halting steps towards better relations, but continuing resentments
on both sides hampered progress. The death of Kim 11 sung in 1994 and
uncertainty about the intentions of his son and successor Kim Jong 11, further
delayed any movement towards peace.
