Korea in the Cross Currents: A Century of Struggle and the Crisis of Reunification
Language: English
Pages: 200
ISBN: 1349386472
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
The Korean peninsula underwent a continuous number of earth-shaking events in the twentieth century - although it is generally out of the earthquake zone. Jutting off the extreme northeast edge of the Eurasian landmass, and with a combined population of nearly seventy million people, North and South Korea are situated among China, Japan and Russia. They are also profoundly influenced by the United States because of the circumstances of the Korean War (1950-1953). The issues of war and peace, left over from the Korean war, remain unresolved; these two separate states are the residue of the Cold War. This anomaly still poses ominous prospects for war or peace in Asia, and American national security interests. Focusing on the last hundred years of Korea's long history, and its particular relationship with China, one is in a position both to understand and marvel at the events of this century on the Korean peninsula. At the same time, the complexity of the division of the country into North and South Korea - not just a perennial struggle between good and evil, although that is certainly part of the story - places the future at risk. There was one terrible war that divided the 20th century in half and there are threats of more trouble to come. This study of the history of the past century will provide some answers and open the way to informed speculations.
was necessarily a longrange project and the plans were made with the expectation that the war against the Japanese would continue for some years. In writing this chapter, I have relied heavily on previously secret OSS documents obtained by me from the CIA under the Freedom of Information Act. This has been supplemented by memory and some photos I retained (about l00) in the Anhui pocket.The Sian photos I turned over to the Korean Independence Hall some years ago. For a Korean perspective of these
mainland war with China to achieve a “roll back” of Communism, a favorite Dulles theme (honored in the breach in the case of Hungary). Cumings wishes to make Taiwan a significant actor at this juncture of history. For the Nationalists, the desire may have been there but the body was weak. Having arrived in Taipei in May 1950 as a CIA officer to dispatch intelligence agents into mainland China, I observed at first hand the demoralized and ill-equipped 84 Korea in the Cross Currents troops of
legislation is handed down to it, rather than the other way around. Still, it can exercise a negative role, refusing to approve the budget or the appointment of the Prime Minister. But the ruling party usually can put together a majority by defections or coalition.The Henderson vortex principle prevails. Such tactics seem to be the current norm. This is the result of multiple candidates in presidential elections, denying the winner a majority.This has been true for the last three elections.The
back of aid by the Chinese. The famine convinced the Kim Young-Sam regime that the North was ready to implode and that the South would reluctantly have to go to the rescue, whatever the financial costs,14 on the West-East German model.The South Koreans, however, would keep a stiff upper lip. There was nothing more that they wanted than to take over a 140 Korea in the Cross Currents self-destructed North Korea. General Gary Luck, the U.S. and UN commander, testified before Congress that it was
6, 1999. 32. Ibid. Notes 181 33. Korea Herald, April 9, 1999. 34. Korea Herald, April 9, 1999. 35. Robert J. Myers, The Political Morality of the IMF (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Press, 1987). 36. Korea Herald, April 8, 1999. 37. Korea Herald, April 14, 1999. 38. Korea Herald, February 18, 1999. 39. Korea Herald, April 30, 1999. Chapter 8 1. Victor D. Cha, “Politics and Democracy under the Kim Young Sam Government; Something Old, Something New,” Asian Survey, vol. 33, no. 9, September