Stalemate

A Tale of Two Koreas

Korea: A Brief Pre-War History

• The kingdom of Korea was unified in 668• Although subject to frequent invasion, Korea

maintained a distinct identity under the Koryo and Choson dynasties.

• Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910, and remained a Japanese colony until the end of World War II in 1945.

The Korean War• After the war, Korea was

divided into zones of occupation by its liberators: the North went to the Soviet Union and the South went to the United States.

• In 1950, North Korea invaded the South in hopes of reunifying the nation.

• Fearing the spread of communism, the United Nations intervened, led by the United States.

• The war lasted for three years, from 1950 to 1953.

Divided Korea: War’s Aftermath

• American troops advanced far into the North, but were pushed back by the Chinese, who allied themselves with their fellow communists.

• An armistice line was drawn at the 38th parallel (see right) that divides the Korean peninsula in two.

• Although the two nations have agreed to a cessation of hostilities, the war was never officially ended!!!

• Tensions remain high to this day.

The DMZ

• The best physical representation of current relations between North Korea and South Korea is the DMZ (demilitarized zone).

• The DMZ is a 151 foot long, 2.5 mile wide zone filled with minefields and surrounded by barbed wire.

• It is under constant surveillance by both sides, and is the most heavily armed border on Earth.

Korea Today

• With North Korea aspiring to become a nuclear power, the tension between North and South Korea is a relevant international issue.

• The recent sinking of a South Korean ship by North Korea is only one example of an international incident that could touch off a war.

Diplomacy

• Many countries, including China, the United States, and Japan have been attempting to mediate between the North and South in order to find a diplomatic solution

• Conflict between the two Koreas is highly undesirable for many reasons, including economic destabilization, the massive amount of refugees it would create, and the death toll.

The DMZ Forum

• One particularly interesting organization is the DMZ Forum, which proposes Korean reunification and the transformation of the DMZ into a peace park.

• Having been uninhabited for many decades, the DMZ has become a nature reserve home to many endangered species such as the red-crowned crane (see right.)

What You Can Do

• Contact your representative and express your concern about the issue.

• The DMZ Forum is a licensed charitable organization and takes donations. You can donate online at their website: http://www.dmzforum.org/getinvolved/donateonline.php

Works CitedDMZ Walk. N.d. KoreanDMZ.org. Web. 30 May 2010. <http://koreandmz.org/>.

•DMZ Walk. N.d. KoreanDMZ.org. Web. 30 May 2010. <http://koreandmz.org/>.•Korean War Artillery. N.d. National Archives. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 30 May 2010. <http://www.archives.gov/

publications/prologue/images/ korean-war-artillery.jpg>. •"Summary of Korea's History/Background." AsianInfo.org. N.p., 2000. Web. 30 May

2010. <http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/pro-history.htm>. •Tran, Mark. "How likely is a war between North and South Korea?" guardian.co.uk.

The Guardian, 25 May 2010. Web. 30 May 2010. • Weisman, Alan. The World Without Us. New York: Picador, 2007. Print.

DMZ Walk. N.d. KoreanDMZ.org. Web. 30 May 2010. <http://koreandmz.org/>. DMZ Walk. N.d. KoreanDMZ.org. Web. 30 May 2010. <http://koreandmz.org/>. DMZ Walk. N.d. KoreanDMZ.org. Web. 30 May 2010. <http://koreandmz.org/>. DMZ Walk. N.d. KoreanDMZ.org. Web. 30 May 2010. <http://koreandmz.org/>. Weisman, Alan. The World Without Us. New York: Picador, 2007. Print. Weisman, Alan. The World Without Us. New York: Picador, 2007. Print. Weisman, Alan. The World Without Us. New York: Picador, 2007. Print. Weisman, Alan. The World Without Us. New York: Picador, 2007. Print.