Thursday, June 2, 2016
GDBB 5 - Korean Choices
Use one of the current events sources linked at http://svhs-hwc-fall2016.blogspot.com/2016/06/approved-sources-for-hwc-current-events.html to find at least 2 recent news article that relate to, support, or refute Snyder's description of Korean politics. Your comment should include the titles of and links to the news article. Then, briefly summarize these articles with an explanation of how these sources relate to the arguments presented in the briefing book. Don't forget to check your rubric for evaluation criteria!
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The first article gives a brief description of the border dispute between North and South Korea. Recently, two South Korean soldiers were wounded by North Koreans causing the South to retaliate. Instead of firing on North Korea, the southerners decided to use an approach that hadn’t been used in 11 years and they blasted insults towards the North Korean government over their loudspeakers and across the border. The North Koreans were distraught by this and began announcing its own propaganda. When that proved to be unsuccessful the North Koreans launched projectiles; hoping to destroy the South Korean loudspeakers and so the South Koreans replied with artillery fire. In essence, the war that started in 1950 still rages across the Korean border. (“A Brief History of the Border Conflict between North and South Korea” http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-20/brief-history-border-conflict-between-north-and-south-korea)
ReplyDeleteThe second article describes the sinking of the ferry in South Korea. In April, South Korea was struck with a taxing event that causes its citizens to question the government and their decisions. Nearly 300 people were killed when a ferry carrying a lot of high school students sank. Although this tragedy has left South Koreans upset, it has also left anger for the captain of the ferry, Lee Joon-Seok, who was one of the few survivors to make it off the ferry. The South Korean Government considers using the death penalty that hadn’t been used in over 20 years, in order to punish the captain and give the families with lost loved ones what they want. Overall, this incident causes many citizens to question the abilities of the government and their feelings towards those who died, after the search for the last ten bodies was ended. (“ South Korea considers the death penalty for the man who shipwrecked a ferry” http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-10-27/south-korea-considers-death-penalty-man-who-shipwrecked-ferry)
Both of the articles in addition to “Korean Choices” by Scott Snyder analyze the feelings of people and other nations regarding the Korean Government. The first article and “Korean Choices” illustrate the unfriendly relationship between North and South Korea. Although South Korea has a stable government, North Korea continues to work under a dictatorship which causes problems between the two. The second article supports the article “Korean Choices” by describing the feeling of neglect and disappointment that many families of those lost in the sinking of the ferry feel. The South Korean Government has tried to overcome this issue by finding the bodies and creating memorials; however, many citizens want the captain of the ship to be killed. All things considered, citizens do not always feel that the government is always looking out for them.
After the Korean War ended in 1953 North and South Korea were officially two separate countries. Since the division of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea has been able to create a prosperous environment, however North Korea has become an incredibly impoverished country. The wealth of South Korea is not the only difference it bears to North Korea. North Korea is well known for being one of the only countries in the world to still be under communist rule. The article mentions that South Korea had a system of authoritarian rule for the first four decades after the Korean War. The goal of implementing an imperious government was to simulate the economy and to inspire citizens to be innovative. However, South Korea is now run under a democratic system, and a presidential election took place in 2012. The 2012 election made Park Geun-hye the first female to be elected president in South Korea. The goal of this article is to provide a background to the South Korea. (“South Korea country profile” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15289563)
ReplyDeleteThis article is a source of projected data from North Korea. Since North Korea does no provide any data regarding its economy the closest numbers the world can see are from North Korea’s trade partners. China has said that in the last year North Korea has not traded as much for materials, but has increased its trade for “consumer-oriented” products. Lastly, over the past year the number of exports from North Korea are up to 14.8% less than the previous year. It can be determined from the above data that the economy in North Korea is struggling. (“North Korea economy shrinks most in eight years” http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36863360)
Since “Korean choices” by Scott Snyder starts at the election of Park Geun-hye it does not provide a history of the political system in South Korea. The first article “South Korea country profile” helps people who are unfamiliar with Korean politics a summary of the political structure in South Korea over the past 60 years. The second article “North Korea economy shrinks most in eight years” presents specific details about the falling economy in North Korea, whereas in “Korean choices” is it noted that North Korea has a struggling economy, but no definitive information about the extent of the recession is given.
How big of a threat is North Korea?
ReplyDeletehttp://theweek.com/articles/639354/how-big-threat-north-korea
North Korea has about 20 nuclear warheads and is continuing to grow that number. These warheads appear to be moving toward being able to reach the US. Obama and Bush have not payed much attention to this rising threat. North Korea supposedly had its first nuclear weapon in 2003, but has been working on it since the 1990’s. The US tried to get them to freeze the program, but they would not comply. Because of the secrecy around the projects Americans do not know to what extent the reports are exaggerated and if they actually have a hydrogen bomb. Sanctions have not stopped the development of nuclear warhead so far because China has not stepped up and cut off trade with North Korea. All the US can do right now is give South Korea some missile defense weapons and try to negotiate the freezing of the nuclear program. The Tyrant Kim Jong Un is unpredictable and difficult to handle as he appears to be paranoid that he will lose power. If the regime were to collapse Kim might set off the nukes himself or hand them over to terrorists.
South Korea says time for tough action after North’s Nuclear Test
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/13/south-korea-says-time-for-tough-action-after-norths-nuclear-test
South Korea urges the US and China to punish North Korea for its fourth nuclear test which landed in Japanese waters. The US has agreed to put further sanctions on North Korea and has pushed for China to do so as well. The Chinese have yet to make a response. The US flew over the Koreans with a South Korean jet alongside the nuclear powered plane. South Korea has also started broadcasts over the speakers at the border between North and South Korea. This is to supposedly inform North Koreans about their regime.
The first article expands upon Scott Snyder’s argument that North Korea is a major threat. The author gave many descriptions on how North Korea is threat and how we are dealing with that threat. The author also stressed the importance of paying attention to the unpredictable tyrant Kim Jong Un. The article overall gave insight to what the most recent developments have been on North Korea. The second article goes in depth on South Korea’s responses to recent developments of nuclear warheads by North Korea. This shows Snyder’s point of how the US and South Korea have been working together not only for the benefit of the South Koreans, but also to help deal with North Korean threats of aggression. Both articles have provided updates on the most recent happenings of North and South Korea and have continued what Snyder already suggested.
In recent years, North Korea has been seen as a threat to South Korea and to the world because of the danger it can cause from its nuclear weapons, and that is what the first article I picked discusses. The first article states that the United States, which happens to be a long time ally to South Korea, has created an advanced missile defense system with South Korea. The main reason this has been created is to that it can be used as a defense mechanism in case of a nuclear attack from North Korea, which has been a constant threat to South Korea and to the world. It also states that North Koreas' ally, China, has opposed this because of its good relation with China, but most countries around the world disagree with this.
ReplyDelete"U.S. And South Korea Announce Missile Defense System"http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/08/485240798/u-s-and-south-korea-announce-missile-defense-system
The second article I picked further explores what the first article talked about. The article states that North Korea and South Korea have been conflicted on the topic of nuclear weapons with South Korea seeing what North Korea does as a threat. An example of this is hot South Korea's president, Park Geun-hye, stated that "The government will take strong and effective measures for the North to come to the bone-numbing realization that nuclear development will not help its survival but rather it will only speed up the collapse of the regime." This shows that North Korea and South Korea are definitely no where close to a peace agreement, and that the relationship between these two can get even worse than how it is now.
"S. Korea president takes tough stand on N. Korea"
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/2/15/skorea-president-talks-tough-on-nkorea.html
I picked these two articles because both of them support everything that Scott Snyder said about Korea. The first article supports Snyder's analysis of the conflicts in Korea by showing that the United States and South Korea are in fact in a major conflict with North Korea, with everything that Snyder said being exactly that of what the first article said, showing that it does in fact support his argument. The second article does the same thing, it supports Snyder's analysis by giving the reader a background of how bad the conflict between North and South Korea really is.
The first article discusses North Korea’s most recent release of a missile. In early August, North Korea launched two missiles, and one of the missiles succeeded in landing in Japanese water. Fortunately the missile landed about 200 miles away from Japanese shores, so no one was injured. However, North Korea is continuing to rapidly launch missiles in hopes of one day creating a nuclear missile that can reach the U.S. The U.S. is currently assisting South Korea in developing a plan that will help protect South Korea from North Korea, as they become more dangerous. North Korea poses a major international threat, if they cannot be stopped. (“North Korea Missile Lands Near Japanese Water” http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/north-korea-missile-lands-japanese-waters-160803035920003.html)
ReplyDeleteThe second article discusses the lasting impact of the sinking of the Sewol ferry in South Korea. In April 2014, the Sewol, a ferry in South Korea, sunk and many of its 476 passengers died. The tragedy of losing so many South Korean citizens meant that many divers had to attempt to recover over 300 bodies. Some divers were injured and most still suffer from what they witnessed when diving for bodies. One diver even committed suicide most likely because of what he witnessed in the aftermath of the Sewol. Due to where the ferry sunk, many divers not only struggled to get to the ferry, they also suffered from injuries and oxygen deprivation (if their oxygen tubes were twisted or got caught). The Sewol incident is not the first major tragedy for South Koreans. In 1993 another ferry sunk and 292 people were killed, and in 1994 a bridge collapsed and killed 32 people. The South Korean society continues to feel distrust for their government because a finalized report on what happened on the Sewol still has not been released. The South Korean community must come together and fix the mistakes of the Sewol, so a tragedy such as that one, does not occur again. (“A diver's pain: Living with the ghost of Sewol tragedy” http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/07/diver-pain-living-ghost-sewol-tragedy-160713130446238.html )
The articles both support ideas from “Korean Choices” by Scott Snyder. In “Korean Choices” Snyder explains the risk North Korea poses to the world as it continues to advance with nuclear missiles. He also explains the tragedy of the Sewol and the aftermath of the accident. The first article further supports how North Korea is becoming more dangerous, and how it is now releasing missiles into other countries. The second article explains what happened to South Korea after the Sewol, and the impact on divers who searched for the bodies of those who perished on the Sewol. Overall, North and South Korea both need to make significant changes in order for their societies to function peacefully with the world, and themselves.
The first article discusses how North Korea has a missile program and intends to use it against other nations of the world. They started to receive missiles from the Soviet Union in 1969. They started to build their own in 1984. They made a successful test in 2012. In 2014, North Korea had developed a cruise missile. In early 2016, they had successfully launched a satellite into orbit. ("North Korea's missile programme" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-17399847)
ReplyDeleteThe second article discusses how North Korea is pursuing a nuclear program. They stated that it was if the United States continued to have a nuclear program of their own, that they had to come up with counter measures. South Korea are using counter measures so that North Korea has trouble in making a nuclear program. ("It's official — North Korea is pursuing a nuclear program" http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-04-01/its-official-north-korea-pursuing-nuclear-program)
The first and second article both discuss how North Korea is making programs whether nuclear or missile. Snyder discusses how Kim Jong Un is very dangerous and that he poses a very serious threat. The first article discusses how they have a missile program and are ready to attack anything that poses a threat to them. The second article is about how North Korea has a nuclear program to defend themselves against the United States.
This article agrees with what Snyder stated in “Korean Choices” at the idea that the elderly living in South Korea are often living under concerning circumstances. Snyder explains that often, the elderly in South Korea live in poverty due to the lowering birth rate. Snyder also says that the South Korean government does not have money in the budget to give aid to the elderly. In the article that I chose, the author, Su-Hyun Lee, states that the elderly in South Korea are indeed struggling, and some have even turned to finding low paying jobs that will allow them to live with enough money to put food on the table. Also, Lee explains that these elderly individuals do not want to live with their children because their kids also cannot afford to support them, which leads to these individuals to find jobs specifically designated for those in the older community. These two articles both explain the issue elderly men and women in South Korea face, and both agree that it is a very unfortunate issue that the government cannot aid. (“In South Korea, Retirement Can Be Elusive” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/world/asia/13silver.html?_r=0 )
ReplyDeleteThis article agrees and elaborates more on what Snyder stated in his “Korean Choices” article about the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, also known and MERS. Snyder states that the disease “tested the South Korean government’s coordination and response capabilities”. South Korea was not prepared for this outbreak and did not know how to handle it properly, proving that they needed to strengthen their skills on being able to handle international and domestic problems. The author of this article also states that the South Korean officials did not know how to handle the situation; thus allowing more citizens to become infected: “South Korea has struggled to contain an outbreak of MERS”. Both of these articles explain how the disease had tested South Korea’s ability to handle last minute and dangerous actions, in addition to the sinking of Sewol in 2014. (“South Korea confirms two deaths from MERS virus” http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/6/1/nearly-700-isolated-for-mers-in-south-korea.html )
I chose these two articles because they both help support the idea that the South Korean Government often puts health regulations and their citizens on the back burner. Both articles agree with what Snyder says throughout his article, and that is the fact that South Korea has been tested on international and domestic issues, and has failed on countless accounts. The first article also explains the issues the elderly people in South Korea face, and explains the measures they have to take to fix them. The second article also explains how South Korea was not prepared with the outbreak of MERS and shows how they were not able to handle the issue. Both articles explain the issue with South Korea’s government with two important issues that have happened and are still an issue today.
Very well done! South Korea is often over-shadowed by the North Korea and we sometimes forget that the South is a key ally to the US.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe first article, oddly occurring very recently, is about a successful North Korean missile test. While it was merely from a submarine and in the open sea, this shows that North Korea is trying to prove to its people that it is a military threat to other "oppressive" nations. The article features a picture of an almost child-like Kim Jong Un happily monitoring the missile launch. The whole scheme is mostly propaganda to show its people that the country is strong, but it goes against a U.N. resolution and many nations have condemned their decision to have the test launch ("North Korea hails ‘greatest success’ of submarine-launched ballistic missile" https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-hails-greatest-success-of-submarine-launched-ballistic-missile/2016/08/25/6a7b9160-35ef-4d7c-a411-8ecdcc376fa5_story.html).
ReplyDeleteThe second article features South Korean president Park Geun-hye taking a tough stance on North Korea's reckless actions earlier this year with a nuclear test. Park used aggressive language when addressing North Korea and pointed out that, like the previous article, it was a violation of a U.N. agreement. This would go on to anger the North Koreans and destabilize already bad relations ("S. Korea president takes tough stand on N. Korea" http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/2/15/skorea-president-talks-tough-on-nkorea.html).
Both of the Korean nations have taken separate paths from what Snyder would have wished them to, made clear by these two articles. In the first article, the North Koreans have further isolated themselves from the world by defying international law. Their outdated system clearly seems to continue to be falling apart, as their citizens are constantly being exposed to propaganda to boost their confidence. In the second article, Park continues to destabilize South Korea's relations with North Korea, relations that need to be increased if South Korea wishes to be a relevant nation in the future. South Korea already has some questionable relations in their region, so they are going to need all the allies that they can get.
The first article describes what Park Geun-hye promised to do if she became president. Park disagrees with her predecessor on the topic of nuclear tests in North Korea. She believes that a nuclear test would damage North Korea more than any other country, yet North Korea did not seem to mind her words. She also strives for a fair and impartial government that will help small businesses flourish and she is working on fixing other problems for South Korea as a whole. ("Park Geun-hye Sworn in as South Korea President." BBC News, BBC, 25 Feb. 2013, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-21570512.)
ReplyDeleteThe second article is about how North Korea is trying to make amends with South Korea. However, South Korea refuses to become allies again until North Korea can prove itself worthy of an alliance. Park Geun-hye wants North Korea to stop the nuclear tests so now the chance of an alliance is in the hands of North Korea. North Korea is going to make sure unification between the countries occurs, whether it is peacefully or forcefully. ("North Korea Offers Friendship with One Hand, Abuse with the Other." The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2016, www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/17/north-korea-friendship-south-korea-pyongyang-nuclear-programme.)
Both of these articles describe how Park Geun-hye is skeptical, yet she wants to become united with North Korea once again. The article in Great Decisions Briefing Book written by Scott Snyder tells what has happened between North Korea and South Korea in the past that has brought them to the point that they are at today.
In the first, article Obama speaks about the U.S. and its allies making much progress in the military campaign against ISIL. Obama says ISIL knows they're going to be defeated, so the country needs to look out for attacks. Military victory against them is required, as they will keep attacking even if they are basically defeated. Obama has rejected paying the ransom to Iran in exchange for the release of the U.S. hostages. Even if Obama did pay these, he is trying to make American families hopeful. Obama is trying to make sure America stays strong against ISIL, and he has been meeting with the families of the prisoners. Iran has been releasing some of its prisoners. ("Obama Warns Defeating ISIL Military 'Will Not Be Enough'" http://www.euronews.com/2016/08/05/obama-warns-defeating-isil-militarily-will-not-be-enough)
ReplyDeleteIn the second article, Michelle Obama mentions how she's watched her daughters grow up, and she likes Hillary Clinton as the new president. Michelle Obama has watched her daughters grow from little girls in young women, and she makes sure that they are protected from all of the bad things they hear. The Obama's try to make sure that they are dedicated to their country, and do things that make their children proud. Obama says she trusts Hillary Clinton for the nomination as the next president. Obama talks about seeing Clinton as first lady, and seeing how devoted she was to the country not too long ago. Obama says she knows that Clinton will make the country better for children, and be devoted in doing so. ("Michelle Obama's Speech At 2016 Democratic National Convention" http://www.npr.org/2016/07/26/487431756/michelle-obamas-prepared-remarks-for-democratic-national-convention)
Both of these articles relate to Park's devotion to Korea. Both of the Obama's are devoted to the United States. Barack Obama focuses on making America stand strong over terrorism. He refuses to pay the ransoms because he wants the country to be safe. Michelle Obama is working on making the country suitable for her daughters, and devotes herself to making sure they look up to her in her decisions. Obama also says she thinks that Clinton will be the best presidential nominee since she has had a family, and she can devote herself to making sure she is looked up to.
Interesting... Could you have found something that more directly relates to Korea?
DeleteThe first article details the circumstances, outcome, and aftermath of South Korea’s April 2016 elections in which president Park’s party lost its parliamentary majority. President Park’s centre-right Saenuri party won 122 seats out of the 300 available; winning by a narrow margin, the opposition Minjoo party won 123 seats. As a result of this defeat, Saenuri party leader Kim Moo-sung offered his resignation, a move that not only signaled shifting political values, but the a weakening of Ms. Park’s hold on the Korean people. This result, experts say, will likely affect the outcome of the 2017 Korean presidential election, making it less likely that the Saenuri party will retain dominance. Analyst Stephen Evans alleges that economic concerns dominated this election cycle, and president Park’s poor handling of the economy--with rising unemployment, falling exports, and high levels of household debt--likely drove voters away from her party. According to the article, other opposition parties also did better than in past years, with the People’s Party and the Justice Party winning 38 and six seats. This article relates to “Korean Choices” in the briefing book, because it reflects aspects of the equity challenge and economic climate presented. For example, the BBC article stresses the worsening Korean economy and cites it as the most probable factor for the Saenuri party’s defeat. Similarly, one of the main obstacles discussed in “Korean Choices” is that of the economy. As the population ages and incomes remain stagnant or even decline, president Park is faced with the difficult task of balancing chaebol regulation and creative innovation for young businesses. Unfortunately, it seems as though president Park did not live up to these challenges, in turn precipitating rising unemployment (especially amongst the young) and her party’s defeat. Although inter-Korean relations are presented as a major pillar of president Park’s candidacy in “Korean Choices,” it appears as though--at least for the parliamentary elections--it bore little clout. This time, it seems, the economy took precedence.
ReplyDeleteThe second article relates to the cooperation brought about between China, South Korea, and Japan as a result of North Korea’s recent test-fires from a submarine off its east coast. The three foreign ministers of the countries all condemned the missile launch at a meeting not related to North Korea. While South Korea and Japan condemned the other Korea’s aggressiveness, China was also quite angry to South Korea and the United States, signaling that things aren’t quite as good as they first appear. A recent opinion article posted by the Chinese-ran news agency Xinhua critiqued the two countries’ “muscle-flexing”, referring to recent military drills conducted by South Korea and the US. Stating that such drills only heighten tension in the peninsula, China’s government took a angry approach to the situation. Still, although the consensus among the three East Asian powers doesn’t necessarily signal a shift in the politics of the region, it is certainly a step in the right direction. As stated in the “Korean Choices” article, South Korea currently has a tense relationship with Japan, given that the latter did not apologize for the sexual slavery of Korean women during World War II. Furthermore, the briefing book details the various roadblocks between South Korea and China, notably in navigating the terse political waters relating to the United States. As stressed in the “Korean Choices” article, “Park’s initiative will not be successful unless South Korea is an effective connector…” (Snyder 59). Indeed, complete unity or concrete progress regarding inter-Asian relations is still far from fruition, but this unanimous agreement between South Korea, China, and Japan relating to North Korea’s aggressive nuclear program is certainly a start.
ReplyDeleteArticle #1 title: “South Korea elections: President Park’s party loses majority”
Article #1 link: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36033773
Article #2 title: “North Korean Missile Test Brings Temporary Unity in East Asia”
Article #2 link: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/world/asia/japan-china-korea-missile-test.html?_r=0