As events in the Korean Peninsula continue, Features Editor Imogen Watson takes account of the stability of the region’s future.
To many of us born in a certain generation, in a certain part of the world, the events leading us to the situation of today on the Korean Peninsula are lessons learnt in history books, and often only partially remembered. Isolated, inverted North Korea has always to us been a quirky country in Asia with a funny regime, bizarre fascination with its leaders, and an immense talent in putting on a well-choreographed mass display. Also in indoctrination. Good luck to you if you were interested enough to want to visit, as you will just as likely get in as North Koreans will get out.
Apart from a few citizens, what has got out of North Korea? Well, as is quite evident in recent weeks, international threats. Thus far we have avoided serious, large-scale conflict. But North Korea has been speaking out again lately, and just how worried ought the rest of the world to be?
Of course, the US is acting. As the world’s only remaining superpower, with big allies in South Korea and Japan, and relations to maintain with China, as well as being the main fear and supposed target of North Korea, it is not half surprising. Seoul has moved two warships to its coasts as a reaction to Pyongyang’s moving missiles around.
The whole situation sounds precarious, and it is. Wrongly-chosen words or the seemingly smallest of slip-ups could legitimately tip a balance that rests on that knife-edge which so often comes into play with the Korean Peninsula. But in that is a point worth making: threats, words and videos have often been broadcast in the past by the North Korean state. Residents of Seoul going about their daily business are yet to be particularly concerned, with one telling the BBC, “This tension has existed for more than fifty years, so I don’t see the difference this time.” Is there in fact something which makes this a bigger worry than normal?
Image credits to Justin Ornellas
The US has been flying planes over the peninsula, panicking Pyongyang. Pyongyang is moving weaponry, and Seoul is reacting. North Korea, despite never having ended the previous one from the 1950s, has openly declared an official state of war with South Korea. Whilst this all may yet come to nothing, and could well be action to give the new leader of North Korea Kim Jong-Un some standing both abroad and at home, the escalation is enough to set teeth on edge. With such a volatile state, proceedings must be cautious and thought-through. Having previously attacked the South, there is nothing to necessarily stop the North from doing so again.
How far is this all likely to go? Clearly the argument has been presented that there is sufficient to be concerned about, but there is faith also that this will be resolved. Whilst it is always possible, I have an inability to see a world where North Korea succeeds in its plans to reunite with the South under its mindset, and where the USA has been beaten into its submission. When another short-term solution to the current struggle will happen is clearly unknown, but once found we must work towards another solution, a long-term one, if only for the safety of its people; the reoccurring famines of a nation desiring to be self-sufficient are insupportable, and the indoctrination needs to end.
That is where more problems are to be found, of course, for North Korea is, if nothing else, stubborn.
Imogen Watson, Online Features Editor
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