South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun's popularity has been steadily decreasing over the past year. In 2004, Roh's opponents staged a failed impeachment attempt and he was then reinstated with a stronger mandate - during which he was highly criticized for sending troops to Iraq, trying to relocate the capital from Seoul to the Chungcheong region, pursuing an engagement policy towards North Korea even after the missiles and nuclear tests, failed promises, weak economy and a sneaky party alliance in an attempt to secure his presidency.
But Roh is still president. And today, he made an historic border crossing as he entered North Korea for a 3-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. While running for presidency, Roh had vowed to put a Korean Peninsula peace arrangement to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War. Maybe this is one promise he will be able to keep?
Korea is an amazing country and it has suffered a great deal in the past - notably the 1950-1953 Korean War which killed thousands of Koreans, and the 1910-1945 Japanese occupation (also referred to as an "attempted cultural genocide") during which Korean men were basically labor slaves and Korean women were treated as sex slaves ("comfort women").
Nevertheless, today’s Korea is doing pretty well; rapid industrialization has made it one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, yet cheap food and goods are available for low-income families. Employment rates are relatively low, but there’s an effort to create jobs (ex: women being hired to clean subway stations). The literacy rate is over 97% and crime rates are very low.
Of course, Korea’s rapid growth makes it a highly industrialized nation still valuing traditional customs and values. Poverty is still an important problem, but overall Korea’s doing pretty good.
So what would happen is Roh Moo-Hyun and Kim Jong-Il hit it off and go for love making? What if there’s a reunification?
South Koreans, and especially the older generations who suffered the forced division of families, have waited for that moment all their life. I find it quite adorable to notice that my students always draw the whole Korean peninsula and then the divisive line – as if to say that in their mind, the separation is not permanent. There’s definitely hope.
But North Korea is a poor, unhealthy country. Kids are dying of hunger over there. People are brainwashed and under the influence of anti-American propaganda. Politically, it would be a very sensitive issue since Americans support South Korea (there are still US troops patroling the border) but yet they have put North Korea in the “axis of evil”. Economically, it would be quite expensive since the North is so incredibly poor/starving while the South is rising. Culturally, it would be challenging... they both speak Korean but the North has a different dialect, and its mentality is still that of like 50 years ago.
For God’s sake, North Koreans even believe their president was born in a log cabin at his father's guerrilla base on North Korea's highest mountain, (Mt Paektu) and that the event was marked by a double rainbow, and a bright star in the sky. But in fact, Kim Jong-Il was born born in Siberia when his father, Kim Il-sung, was in exile in the former Soviet Union! South Koreans know that… wouldn’t all the brainwashing be somewhat of a problem? What about political concessions?
Reunification is the way to go because, in theory, it means peace and reunited families. One peninsula, one country. No more communism (except for Cuba but that should be over soon). Food and a decent living for all Korean kids. New opportunities. Human rights. Yes, reunification is the way to go. But it means a lot of hard work and incredibly difficult concessions.
On the other hand, Kim Jong-Il might just be teasing South Koreans and the international community. If he says what they want to hear, he might get more economic aid. I’m sure a freak like him wouldn’t mind lying just to get his way. In fact, there are rumors of a suspected nuclear deal between North Korea and Syria…
