Korean Peninsula Locator Political Map

South/North Korea Political Map

North Korea Elevation Map

South Korea Elevation Map

Career Interview

Kathleen Samuel works on conflict prevention in Central Asia with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Mourning and Forgiveness An Essay

What North Korea's Nuclear Test Means for the Korean Peninsula, Asia, and the World An Interview

US Concerns About Human Rights and Nuclear Development in North Korea An Interview

Do you think governments should negotiate with countries that defy the United Nations?

After North Korea tested five missiles on July 4, 2006, Japan and South Korea had very different reactions. Japanese television halted regular programming to deliver special reports. Aside from a quick news brief, South Korean television continued covering the World Cup soccer matches.[i] Why might these reactions have been so different?

North and South Korea share sixty years of hostility, warfare, and bloodshed. However, despite that relatively recent history, the people on the Korean peninsula share over a thousand years of a common culture, language, and family ties.

Get the Facts

advocate – to be in favor of something; to support through words or action

ally – people or countries that join together for a common purpose

authoritarian regime – a government that exercises total control over individual freedoms

black market – illegal buying and selling of goods outside of official controls

brinksmanship – the art of pushing a confrontation to the brink or limit of safety, usually in the hope of forcing a desired outcome

democratic reforms – political changes that move a system towards government by the people

diplomacy – negotiations or discussions between government officials

enriched uranium – a process that enhances uranium to make it usable for nuclear weapon or nuclear power production

impose – to force something to be obeyed

incentive – something that motivates action

monetary aid – donations of money

sanctions – economic or political penalties against a country for not following international rules, usually agreed upon by the United Nations and followed by all countries

stalemate – a situation when there is no possible further action for either side

surplus – the amount that exceeds what is needed

Japan’s harsh fifty-year occupation of Korea ended with its surrender to the United States after the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Korea was divided in half, with the north being occupied by the Soviet Union and the south by the United States. The division, which separated the country as well as families, was intended to be temporary but it was solidified by hostilities between the two superpowers during the Cold War.

From 1950-1953, war erupted on the Korean peninsula. South Korea was backed by the United States and North Korea was backed by the newly communist People’s Republic of China. The brutal conflict ended in a stalemate, and since then, the countries have had separate destinies. In the 1960s, South Korea began to flourish economically, and democratic reforms followed. But the break-up of the Soviet empire meant an end to important monetary aid to North Korea. During the 1990s North Korea experienced poverty and widespread famine from which it has still not recovered. However, the authoritarian regime of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-Il, remains and China is its only ally.

Since North Korea announced its nuclear intentions in 1993, diplomacy has been sticky, especially since Kim Jong-Il likes to play a game of brinksmanship. Some, such as former U.S. President Clinton, advocate talking with and providing incentives for North Korea to halt its nuclear program. The current President Bush cites the subsequent failure of that policy as a reason not to hold direct talks, saying he will refuse to do so until North Korea dismantles its nuclear weapons program and facilities.[ii] All agree that China is a key player in exerting any pressure on North Korea.

The missiles tested in July of 2006 exploded about one minute into flight. While some laughed at the early failure, others warned that North Korea would learn to construct a more successful missile that could reach nearby Japan or even the west coast of the United States.

Some in the United States hope to wait out the bankrupt regime in North Korea, but China, Japan, and South Korea fear the floods of refugees that would follow a collapse of the regime.[iii] If North Korea points nuclear warheads at South Korea, what would it mean for people on the Korean peninsula? Are decades of hostilities and differing political systems stronger than centuries of shared history and blood ties? How might people in South Korea feel about developing a nuclear program in defense?

i. As reported in an article on differing reactions from Seoul to Tokyo on the missile tests. (New York Times, July 11, 2006).

ii. “Special Report: North Korea Admits it Has Nuclear Weapons,” (Asia Source, 2003), http://www.asiasource.org/news/at_mp_02.cfm?newsid=88268 (accessed July 23, 2006).

iii. “The Best U.S. Response to North Korea’s Failed Missile Test” (an interview with David Kang, associate professor at Dartmouth College and co-author of "Nuclear North Korea: A Debate on Engagement Strategies") (PBS NOW, July 7, 2006) http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/227/north-korea-missile-test.html (accessed July 23, 2006).

Copyright 2006. Authors: Janie Dam and Heather Clydesdale