North and South Korea and the Ongoing Border Conflict, Essay Example

According to the Congressional Research Service, the United States is a strategic ally of South Korea, and the two countries have a six-decade relationship. As the authors state: “The United States is committed to helping South Korea defend itself, particularly against any aggression from North Korea”. Recent border conflicts between North and South Korea, however, have shown that the truce and respect of each other’s autonomy is extremely vulnerable. The main threat is the involvement of China and the United States in the conflict. China has a strong presence in North Korea, while the United States has military in the South, and this could lead to an international military conflict.

The situation in North Korea is extremely sensitive, as its military power and closeness to the over 28,000 U.S. troops’ base would create a military impact that would start a large scale operation between the Global West and the Global East. A recent BBC report (Johnson) has examined the possibility of a war between North and south Korea. The military of North Korea has is about 1.5 times more powerful than the one of South Korea. North Korea’s army is 1.1 million strong, however, the equipment is mainly outdated, left over from the supplies received from the Soviet Union (Johnson). The military  equipment of South Korea, on the other hand, is supplied by the United States, and is more up-to-date.

In case North Korea decided to attack, it is evident that the United States would intervene. As  the report of the  Congressional Research Service concludes, South Korea is within the United States’ nuclear umbrella, and is the sixth largest trading partner of the U.S.

The political stability and landscape of North Korea greatly impacts the country’s attitude towards its neighbor. The Guardian (Harrison) recently reported that the U.K. ambassador of North Korea stated that the country is not “deterred from plans to launch controversial long-range missiles by the threat of further sanctions” (Harrison, para 1). This means that economic sanctions are not likely to work to maintain the peace between the two countries, and diplomacy is also difficult to manage. In September, 2015, tensions arose when reports about North Korea crossing over to the neighboring country emerged (Shim). With a strong strategic partner as the United States, North Korea can be controlled to an extent, however, if other countries get involved in the conflict, it can escalate further. In the scenario drawn up by Johnson, the author states that a “massive array of forces China is believed to have inside its own borders facing the Korean peninsula” This means that if the United States attacked North Korea, China would be likely to intervene, as it would need to defend its military forces in the country.

The United States and the West is trying to maintain its presence in the Korean Peninsula by strengthening its relationship with South Korea. President Obama traveled to the country in April, 2014, to emphasize the need for trilateral information sharing with Japan. This step was a clear indication that the United States would be ready to step up its presence in the region should the threat become more imminent. This can occur any time, depending on the international landscape of the region, and the internal policies of North Korea.

During the recent 70^th Anniversary celebrations of North Korea’s current regime, some of the ruling party’s (Korean Workers’ Party) posters became defaced. (Radio Free Asia). Graffiti also appeared in different parts of the country, and the government suspected South Korea of being the initiator of the attacks. In August, 2015, the North accused South Korea of broadcasting anti-North propaganda and warned about military actions. Military preparations within the North Korean army were carried out, and war was very likely. Indeed, the deputy UN Ambassador stated that “if South Korea does not respond to our ultimatum, our military counteraction will be inevitable, and that counteraction will be very strong” (The Guardian). The reality is that the current regime within North Korea is extremely vulnerable. A recent article (Thistlethwaite) states that the citizens of North Korea can be divided into five groups: “special, nucleus, basic, complex and hostile”. The castes do not only signify social status, but also the level of satisfaction with the current system. Those who face systematic discrimination might feel like they have nothing to lose, and arrange an uprising supported by the West. While it is not in the interest of the NATO and the United States to undermine the stability of North Korea, as it might lead to anarchy and lack of control over the powerful army, this is also a scenario to consider.

The relationship between North and South Korea has been delicate for decades, despite the several talks held by international organizations. One of the most emotionally charged issues of the two countries’ relationship is family reunions. People who would normally live together are forced to be a citizen of a different country, and are unable to communicate with each other. North Korea has recently canceled several family reunions, and is believed to be manipulating the events and schedules based on the country’s interest. Diplomacy simply does not seem to be working when it comes to North and South Korean relations. Power struggles continue, while peace is fragile and hard to maintain. Recently, a 21-year old South Korean citizen illegally crossed the border to the North, and North Korea decided to release him, instead of putting him on trial. However, there are still several South Koreans remaining detained in the North for illegally entering the country (Larimer). The above examples of diplomatic hostility confirm that the two countries’ relationship cannot possibly be improved based on two-way diplomatic discussions.

While the Western countries – and in particular the United States do all that is possible to maintain peace, control military actions, and gain military intelligence in time for preparing for a conflict, it is still not enough. Showing military strength is another method that the West uses. In 2013, when the situation became serious, the U.S. made a statement that it would defend South Korea (Johnson), and sent over F-22 fighter jets to the country, along with warships. This means that – based on the economic assessment of the CIA created in 2010 – (CIA), the South would be able to hold out longer than the North, as its economy is in a healthier state, and its weapons are technologically more advanced. However, it is important to note that the majority of the aid arriving at North Korea originates from China, and the large country could easily increase supplies to help the country, should it be required.

The tension between the West (and its ally, South Korea) and North Korea remains until there is a threat of military action, nuclear weapon use, and economic sanctions are in place. The only way the East and West can solve the conflict and eliminate future threats is by diplomacy involving China, the two Koreas, the United States, and the NATO, as well as military intelligence operations focusing on denuclearizing North Korea (Johnson).

Word count: 1141

Works Cited

Johnson, A. “What happens if North Korea gets out of hand? Here are some scenarios” NBC News. Thursday Apr 4, 2013

CIA “North Korea” n.d.  Web.

Congressional Research Service. “U.S.-South Korea Relations” 2014. Web.

Larimer, S. “North Korea releases 21-year-old detained in April after illegally crossing border” The Washington Post. October 5 2015

Radio Free Asia “North Korean Propaganda Posters Are Defaced in Run-Up to Ruling Party Anniversary” Oct 5 2015.

Shim, E. “Seoul: North Korea rocket launches, border incursions cannot be ruled out” UPI. Sept. 10. 2015.

The Guardian “North Korea prepared to risk ‘all-out war’ as Kim Jong-un puts troops on alert” August 22 2015. Web.

The Guardian. “North and South Korea start talks over family reunions” September 7  2015. Web.

The Guardian. “North Korea prepared to launch missiles ‘at any time’, says ambassador” 1 Oct 2015.

Thistlethwaite, F. “Kim Jong-un’s caste system: North Korean citizens divided into five categories” Express. Sept 29 2015