reunification korea
2011-05-16 02:55 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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omonatheydidSince the division of Korea in August 1945, Koreans on both sides of the 38th parallel have desired a unified nation. But despite an increasingly empathetic view toward the North, an alarming number of South Koreans are of the view that reunification is “unnecessary.”
The Korean youth who will soon be deciding the political direction of their country represent a generation that has no ties to the North.
They do not know or remember a unified Korea outside of what they were taught in history books. They have no tangible family links to the North, other than what they hear from their grandparents.
Now that South Korea is becoming an international economic powerhouse, many South Koreans fear the economic burden that reunification would place on their shoulders. As a result, the realistic possibility of a reunified Korea is becoming something of a dream.
If the South wants to get serious about improving relations with the North and finding ways to evolve toward reunification, it needs to take a long hard look internally and ask if it is promoting the right social, political, and economic climate to achieve one Korea.
A recent study released by Eun Ki-soo of Seoul National University shows a dramatic shift in the opinions of South Koreans toward the importance of reunification. According to the study, only about 12 percent of Koreans view reunification as an “essential national goal,” compared to 58 percent in 1995. Perhaps even more shocking is that 45 percent of those surveyed believed that reunification was “unnecessary,” as mentioned above. This figure is up from the 18 percent who shared the opinion in 1998.
South Koreans are losing interest in the idea of reunification. The longer the North and South are divided, the more comfortable southerners will be with the thought of never reunifying. Real dialogue concerning reunification has gone to the wayside, replaced by domestic political issues and maintaining strong economic growth. Most recently, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s proposal of a reunification tax in August 2010 was met with a strong public backlash and has not been brought up since.
Koreans in the South know too well that they stand to lose more than gain if there is reunification in the near future. The North Korean economy pales in comparison to the South, and reunification would require heavy investment in rebuilding infrastructure and agriculture in the North.
But perhaps the biggest cost would be in the leveling of North Korean wages versus the wages in the South. The South Korean government estimates that it will need $2.14 trillion over the next three decades to cover reunification, which is roughly $44,000 per Korean citizen[A3] . To many South Koreans, it is not worth the bill.
Koreans who believe reunification is too expensive point to the hardships Germany experienced after the fall of the Berlin Wall. They argue that West Germany paid almost $2 trillion and it took twenty years to become strong again. But they fail to appreciate one of the biggest lessons of German reunification: Germany is stronger now than it has ever been. Germany is the largest economy in Europe and has the fourth largest GDP in the world.
Germany is the financial center of the European Union, and the strength of the country is keeping the Euro a strong world currency. East and West Germany traded extensively prior to reunification, which helped smoothen reunification. If South Korea continues to seek trade with North Korea, that will promote peace and lay some much needed groundwork in the event of a sudden North Korean collapse.
If politicians in Seoul truly believe that reunification is inevitable, they need to find a way to sell its importance to the South Korean people. Southern leaders need to create an environment conducive to a national conversation that lasts beyond the election season. The conversation needs to remind South Koreans of the shared cultural history and the family ties they have with the North.
The best way to generate this kind of internal dialogue is to agree to the North Korean proposal to trade food provisions for family reunions. If North Korea agrees to increased food distribution monitoring, South Korea should offer one ton of food for every reunited family. This arrangement will nurture a sense of hope, promote peace, and build cooperation on both sides of the DMZ.
A conversation will resonate throughout the whole peninsula, renewing the feeling of unity that is slowly losing its place in the hearts and minds of young South Koreans.
The longer the Korean peninsula is divided, the more the idea of reunification will fall in South Korean public opinion. The South is doing exceptionally well economically. Reunification would not come without a heavy cost; however, increasing trade and exchanging food for family reunions is a win-win situation.
For the North, a starving population will be fed. For the South, peace and cooperation in the short term and the groundwork for reunification in the future will be established. If South Korean leaders are really committed to a unified Korea, they need to promote the idea and its advantages to the Korean people. If South Korea does not want reunification, no one else will either.
Source: koreatimes
This was basicly an essay contest about the reunification of Korea. And this article was the winner. There are 2 more but then this post would have become way to huge
The Korean youth who will soon be deciding the political direction of their country represent a generation that has no ties to the North.
They do not know or remember a unified Korea outside of what they were taught in history books. They have no tangible family links to the North, other than what they hear from their grandparents.
Now that South Korea is becoming an international economic powerhouse, many South Koreans fear the economic burden that reunification would place on their shoulders. As a result, the realistic possibility of a reunified Korea is becoming something of a dream.
If the South wants to get serious about improving relations with the North and finding ways to evolve toward reunification, it needs to take a long hard look internally and ask if it is promoting the right social, political, and economic climate to achieve one Korea.
A recent study released by Eun Ki-soo of Seoul National University shows a dramatic shift in the opinions of South Koreans toward the importance of reunification. According to the study, only about 12 percent of Koreans view reunification as an “essential national goal,” compared to 58 percent in 1995. Perhaps even more shocking is that 45 percent of those surveyed believed that reunification was “unnecessary,” as mentioned above. This figure is up from the 18 percent who shared the opinion in 1998.
South Koreans are losing interest in the idea of reunification. The longer the North and South are divided, the more comfortable southerners will be with the thought of never reunifying. Real dialogue concerning reunification has gone to the wayside, replaced by domestic political issues and maintaining strong economic growth. Most recently, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s proposal of a reunification tax in August 2010 was met with a strong public backlash and has not been brought up since.
Koreans in the South know too well that they stand to lose more than gain if there is reunification in the near future. The North Korean economy pales in comparison to the South, and reunification would require heavy investment in rebuilding infrastructure and agriculture in the North.
But perhaps the biggest cost would be in the leveling of North Korean wages versus the wages in the South. The South Korean government estimates that it will need $2.14 trillion over the next three decades to cover reunification, which is roughly $44,000 per Korean citizen[A3] . To many South Koreans, it is not worth the bill.
Koreans who believe reunification is too expensive point to the hardships Germany experienced after the fall of the Berlin Wall. They argue that West Germany paid almost $2 trillion and it took twenty years to become strong again. But they fail to appreciate one of the biggest lessons of German reunification: Germany is stronger now than it has ever been. Germany is the largest economy in Europe and has the fourth largest GDP in the world.
Germany is the financial center of the European Union, and the strength of the country is keeping the Euro a strong world currency. East and West Germany traded extensively prior to reunification, which helped smoothen reunification. If South Korea continues to seek trade with North Korea, that will promote peace and lay some much needed groundwork in the event of a sudden North Korean collapse.
If politicians in Seoul truly believe that reunification is inevitable, they need to find a way to sell its importance to the South Korean people. Southern leaders need to create an environment conducive to a national conversation that lasts beyond the election season. The conversation needs to remind South Koreans of the shared cultural history and the family ties they have with the North.
The best way to generate this kind of internal dialogue is to agree to the North Korean proposal to trade food provisions for family reunions. If North Korea agrees to increased food distribution monitoring, South Korea should offer one ton of food for every reunited family. This arrangement will nurture a sense of hope, promote peace, and build cooperation on both sides of the DMZ.
A conversation will resonate throughout the whole peninsula, renewing the feeling of unity that is slowly losing its place in the hearts and minds of young South Koreans.
The longer the Korean peninsula is divided, the more the idea of reunification will fall in South Korean public opinion. The South is doing exceptionally well economically. Reunification would not come without a heavy cost; however, increasing trade and exchanging food for family reunions is a win-win situation.
For the North, a starving population will be fed. For the South, peace and cooperation in the short term and the groundwork for reunification in the future will be established. If South Korean leaders are really committed to a unified Korea, they need to promote the idea and its advantages to the Korean people. If South Korea does not want reunification, no one else will either.
Source: koreatimes
This was basicly an essay contest about the reunification of Korea. And this article was the winner. There are 2 more but then this post would have become way to huge
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no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 02:23 pm (UTC)Heading to the website to read the others now. Thanks for sharing
no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 03:07 pm (UTC)the burden on south korea is undeniably a lot heavier.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 05:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 05:37 pm (UTC)"Koreans who believe reunification is too expensive point to the hardships Germany experienced after the fall of the Berlin Wall. They argue that West Germany paid almost $2 trillion and it took twenty years to become strong again. But they fail to appreciate one of the biggest lessons of German reunification: Germany is stronger now than it has ever been. Germany is the largest economy in Europe and has the fourth largest GDP in the world."
also, what i pointed out in the last post, not only did we trade before reunification but had living standards that were closer to western standards than nk standards now compare to sk ones. and the west ofc invested in reunification but after we became one, western as well as eastern citizens paid the so called "soli", a kind of tax for solidarity/social equality. so it was not only the west who contributed to equal living standards.
it will be a hard task for korea, but as the article points out, government shouldn't fail to work towards a general understanding of a shared past and show their determination to overcome economical/educational/infrastructural differences.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 06:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 08:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 10:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-16 11:21 pm (UTC)Either way, I hope for the best and that there won't be a war with North Korea at the forefront. That will only end badly.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-17 12:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-22 01:05 pm (UTC)PLUS North Korea's president sorta needs to go to a psych ward.