United States Involvement in North and South Korea Relationship
Background
United States has been engaged in Korean affairs for more
than half of the twentieth century. It is shown by The U.S.-ROK Mutual
Defense Treaty signed in October 1953, two months after the end of the Korean
War. The treaty has guaranteed South Korea’s national security and it counts as
one of the most important America’s alliances. For United States, this is not
only to deter North Korean attack on South Korea but it also United States’s
effort to spread their hegemonic power in Asia by providing a continental base
for U.S forces to face China and Russia and also to provide a front-line
defense for Japan (Kongdan Oh, 2008).
The alliance of United States and ROK was also considered
very important because South Korea has strategic value in the eye of United
States. South Korea is the only state that gained independence following World
War II which successfully achieved both free market and global democracy. There
is also geopolitical significance of the Korean Peninsula which has a very
strategic location at an intersection of land and sea with military potential
(Sung-Chool Lee, 2011).
Meanwhile, this alliance between United States and ROK
has been bringing a kind of dismay to North Korea. North Korea considered
this alliance as a threat towards their existence moreover after George W. Bush
administration declared war on terrorists and those who might provide them with
weapons of mass destruction in September 2001, and North Korea was targeted as
on of three “axis of evil” states.
North Korean dismay towards United States-ROK alliance led
into some armed provocations which finally dragged South Korea into the worse
relationship with North Korea.
North
and South Korea Relationship
The bad relations between North and South Korea has
already began after Japan defeated in the end of the World War II. Together
with the lose of Japan, Korean Peninsula then occupied by Soviet Union in the
north and United States in the south.
South Korea establishment begins with the division of
the Korean Peninsula in 1945. A civilian government was established in 1948,
beginning the First Republic and Syngman Rhee became the first president of
South Korea.
While the North Korea was proclaimed on September 11, 1948,
under the supervision of the occupying Soviet forces. The Soviets preferred
Korean Communists who had spent the war years in Soviet Union power, rather
than the Communist Party of Korea. Kim Il-Sung was became head of the North
Korean Provisional People’s Committee in February 1946. Kim then became Prime
Minister until 1972 before he became the President.
Korean War, a war between North and South Korea in
which arose from the division of Korea at the end of World War II and from the
global tensions of the Cold War that developed immediately afterwards. As we
all know that Korea was ruled by Japan from 1910 until Japan defeated in World
War II. By 1948, two separate governments had been set up. Both governments
then claimed to be the legitimate government of Korea, and neither side
accepted the border as permanent.
The conflict escalated into open warfare when North
Korean forces, which was supported by the Soviet Union and China invaded South
Korea on June 25, 1950. In that exact day, the United Nations Security
Council recognized North Korean act as an invasion and called for an immediate
ceasefire. Later on, the United Nations Security Council adopted S/RES/83:
Complaint of aggression upon the Republic of Korea and decided the
formation and dispatch of the UN Forces in Korea. Twenty-one countries of the
United Nations eventually contributed to defend South Korea, with the United
States providing 88% of the United Nation’s military personnel.
The fighting ended on July 27, 1953, when the armistice was
signed. The agreement created the Korean Demilitarized Zone to separate North
and South Korea, and allowed the return of prisoners. Clashes have continued to
the present.
United
States in North and South Korea Relationship
United States, directly or indirectly has already in
between the relationship of North and South Korea since the beginning.
United States who wants to spread their hegemonic power in Asia has choose
South Korea for multiple reasons. The involvement of United States, however,
triggering a dismay from North Korea who feels that the alliance between United
States and South Korea will threaten the sovereignty of North Korea.
This North Korean dismay led into some armed provocations,
although the President of South Korea, Roh Moo-Hyun already walked across the
Korean Demilitarized Zone on October 2, 2007 and travelled to Pyongyang for
talks with Kim Jong-Il then on October 4, 2007, South Korean President Roh
Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Il signed the peace declaration to
replace the Armistice which ended the Korean War with a permanent peace treaty.
But unfortunately, the permanent peace treaty did not resulting
any significant change in their relationship. On May 20, 2010, the
1.500-ton ROKS Cheonan with a crew of 104 sank off Baengnyeong Island in the
Yellow Sea because of an explosion at the stern. After some research, a team of
international researchers then published
results claiming that the sinking had been caused by a North Korean
torpedo. The other case is the bombardment of Yeonpyeong island by North Korean
artillery in November 23, 2010. There are some following cases that been done
by both side North and South Korea regarding to their worsen relationship.
Conclusion
We can clearly see that the involvement of United States in
North and South Korea relationship resulting the worsen relations of both side
North and South Korea, because the alliance of U.S.-ROK has been triggering an
overreacting dismay from North Korea.
References
Kwak, K. S.
(2006). THE US-ROK ALLIANCE, 1953-2004: ALLIANCE INSTITIONALIZATION.
United States: ProQuest Information and Learning Company.
Lee, S.-C.
(2011). The ROK-US Joint Political and Military Response to North Korean
Armed Provocations. A REPORT OF THE CSIS KOREA CHAIR.
Olsen, E. A.
(2002). Toward Normalizing U.S.-Korea Relations: In Due Course?
Snyder, S. (2012). The U.S.-South Korea Alliance: Meeting New Security Challenges.
THE INFLUENCE OF U.S. TOWARDS NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA RELATIONSHIP (BY. LUTFI)Snyder, S. (2012). The U.S.-South Korea Alliance: Meeting New Security Challenges.
Also See
THE DYNAMICS OF U.S.-ROK ALLIANCE (BY.IQBAL)
Komentar
Posting Komentar