Korea heats up, could be on verge of war

Korean FlagsPhoto byThe Olympians

With the end of World War II and the defeat of Japan in 1945, the former Japanese colony of Korea was declared an independent nation but divided into two occupational zones by the Soviet Union and the United States. The two zones were separated by the 38^th Parallel. Each zone created its own government in 1948 and claimed to be the sole legitimate government of the entire nation.

On June 25, 1950, the North Korean Army (KPA) crossed the 38^th Parallel and invaded South Korea. In doing so, they triggered what would become the Korean War. This war lasted until July 27, 1953, when the two governments entered into the Korean Armistice Agreement, essentially ending the fighting but leaving the War active.

The armistice reinstated a line running roughly along the 38^th Parallel as the division between the two sides. Along this border a demilitarized zone (DMZ) was instituted to prevent further incursions by either side. As no peace treaty was drafted or signed, the War is considered to be ongoing, although skirmishes occurring after the signing of the armistice are referred to as the “Korean Conflict” instead of as part of the Korean War.

Korean DMZPhoto byEncyclopedia Brittanica

The lack of a peace treaty also means that the United Nations forces that were deployed to protect the South are still considered as deployed. Led by the United States Military, these forces remain active throughout South Korea and prepare for a resumption of the War.

Even though North Korea claims that it won the War, both sides have publicly desired a united Korea under their respective government. While South Korea has hoped, and continues to hope, to unite the zones through diplomatic means, North Korean leaders have continually rebuffed these efforts. Instead, the North has determined that the differing styles of government would require that any unification be done through military action.

During the late 1960s, North Korea attempted to invade the South on several occasions. Known as the Korean DMZ Conflict or the Second Korean War, North Korea sent troops over the DMZ on numerous occasions between 1966 and 1968.

Immediately following the conflict to the south known colloquially as the Vietnam War, and seeing the United States forces a vulnerable, North Korea had sought to engage the South in War once again. Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s first leader and the grandfather of the current leader Kim Jong Un, was rebuffed by Chinese officials who did not wish to have the conflict in Korea revisited.

Established separately from the armistice, the Northern Limit Line (NLL) set a maritime boundary between the two countries in the Yellow Sea. The NLL is set approximately halfway between the islands off the Korean coast and the mainland, with the islands under South Korean control and the mainland being North Korea. Despite having acquiesced to the line as late as 1973, North Korea does not recognize this line, which the South claims “was confirmed and validated by the 1992 South-North Basic Agreement.”

Korean NLLPhoto byWikipedia

Two incidents in 2010 threatened to heat up the battlefield once again, both along or near the NLL. Claiming that a South Korean corvette, the ROKS Cheonan, had entered North Korean waters, a North Korean submarine attacked and sunk the Cheonan. Later in the year, North Korea fired artillery shells on Yeonpyeong Island. In total, North Korea killed 48 South Korean military members and two civilians.

The next year, Kim Jong Un took the leadership role in North Korea following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il. Almost immediately, Kim Jong Un began to flex the supposed might of the North Korean Military. He declared that North Korea had developed the capability to produce nuclear weapons. He also began testing multiple rocket and missile models over the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. His military has developed ballistic missiles capable of reaching as far as the United States territory of Guam and the state of Hawaii. For at least two periods of time, North Korea has also floated balloons into South Korea carrying trash and human waste.

In July 2000, the two countries discussed reopening an Inter-Korean Railway system. This was only one of a number of measures discussed to, if not unite the two nations, allow for a widening freedom of travel. The improvements made on both sides, including the purchase of new train locomotives, as well as additional locomotives and passenger cars, from China by North Korea, gave hope that normalcy between the nations might be in the works.

Proposed Inter-Korean Railway RoutesPhoto byKorea Times

In the past few weeks, North Korea has accelerated its escalation of tensions in the region. North Korea has also started dismantling track and other infrastructure associated with the Inter-Korean Railway, a sign that they no longer wish to consider friendly relations with the South.

North Korea has committed publicly to its disagreement with the location of the NLL and stated emphatically that its waters run south of this line, threatening military action against any South Korean boats or ships entering that area. Combined with the continuation of launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea and North Korea’s attempt to launch a spy satellite into orbit, this has led South Korea has declared that a military agreement between the two countries signed on September 19, 2018, has been suspended “until mutual trust between the South and North is restored.”

As tensions continue to mount in the Middle East and in Taiwan, it appears that Korea is also heating up and may be on the verge of War once again.