The Threats Of The North Korean Nuclear War

Improved Essays
North Korea can be seen as a child. They have a small nuclear stockpile, and are trying to show its power by testing missiles, then making claims of having powerful weapons, and suddenly, when North Korea doesn’t get their way, Kim Jong-un starts making threats of nuclear war. Now is the time for the United Nations to step in and do something.
Korea was originally a part of the Japanese Empire. In November 1943, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Chiang Kai-shek met at the Cairo Conference to discuss what should happen to Japan’s colonies, and agreed that Japan should lose all territories it had conquered by force. After WWII, Korea was given to the US and the Soviet Union. September 1945, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel, a communist northern half and an American-occupied southern half. The Korean War was the first military action of the Cold War. Jun 24, 1950 - North Korea invades South Korea; some 750,000 North Korean soldiers made their way across the 38th parallel Sep 15, 1950 - U.S. troops invade at Inchon; US forces push back the North Korean army back north of the 38th parallel Oct 19, 1950 - Pyongyang falls to UN forces; North Korean capital is now under control of the UN Nov 4, 1950 - Chinese divisions enter the fight; With increased opposition, the UN stalls and then collapses. The Chinese push the UN south of the 38th parallel and capture the South Korean capital of Seoul Jul 1951 - Negotiations begin at Panmunjom; talks dragged on until 1953 Jul 27, 1953 - An armistice is signed; both sides were willing to accept a ceasefire.
…show more content…
the agreement allowed POWs to live wherever they want; drew a new boundary near the 38th parallel, giving South Korea an extra 1,500 square miles of territory; and created a 2-mile wide demilitarized zone (DMZ) Nearly 5-million people died, more than half of these-about 10 percent of Korea’s pre-war population-were civilians. Almost 40,000 Americans died, more than 100,000 were wounded. Even though an armistice was signed, there was no official peace treaty; technically the Korean War hasn’t ended. Soldiers on both sides patrol the DMZ, and there are constant problems and skirmishes on the DMZ. At any moment, North Korea could launch a nuclear warhead on South Korea. The UN needs to step in and put sanctions on North Korea and enforce them to keep North Korea from building more nuclear weapons.
The North Korean government is not in the best shape. Kim Jong-un is executing people because they don’t agree with him-or he doesn’t find them agreeable enough-and their families, claiming ‘plucking up evil by the roots’ as the best way to deal with dissent, and insulting North Korea’s allies. Three or more North Koreans are not allowed to gather at anytime, anywhere – apparently to exclude conspiracies that might aim to overthrow the government. Penning ‘anti government’ posters, distributing ‘reactionary’ leaflets or engaging in ‘superstitious practices’ may all lead to extreme punishment, such as death to the condemned individuals’ family members (spouse, children and grandparents), or at least incarceration. This is his way of ‘plucking up evil by the roots’. The North Korean armed forces are extremely short on food, and their soldiers regularly cross to steal food and money, and sometimes killing for it. One instance of this, North Korean army deserter had killed four Chinese villagers in the Jilin province. He broke into three homes before being shot in the stomach while fleeing to the upper reaches of Tumen. Beijing complains to Pyongyang and nothing comes of it. When time came for the WWII anniversary celebration in Russia and China. Kim Jong-un had received an invitation from the Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend Russia’s military parade in Moscow’s Red Square on May 9th and accepted it. A last minute decision, he changed his mind and decided not to go. China’s turn to put on a show. For Beijing, just as for Russia three months earlier, national prestige was on the line, yet Kim Jong-un declined the invitation. Even though Kim had insulted China, they are still a big trading partner with North Korea. China sanctions and limits the exports from North

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Cold War Dbq Analysis

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages

    During the Cold War, communism began to spread like wildfires across the Eastern and Western parts of Europe. Communism played a large role during the Korean War as well with United States forces trying to succeed and keep communism from becoming the overall factor in the leadership ways of government for the Korean people. In the end, the United States would not bring home a victory and Korea would still be divided into two peninsulas: North and South Korea (Document E). Within the “Korean War Armistice”, Korea was separated into two, North and South Korea, by a military demarcation that was led by leaders that supported communism. Once the United States came into the picture and supported South Korea and inched closer and closer to North…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Korea was divided into two parts, a communist North assisted by the Soviet Union, and a non-communist South assisted by the United States. In November of 1950, communist North Korea attack South Korea, an American ally. US joined to drive North Korea back. North Korea supported China and Soviet Union. It ended and started at 38th parallel.(Doc C, Map) Korea was a great example of containment because US kept communism and Soviet influence from spreading into South…

    • 278 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ayn Rand’s Anthem gives the readers a look at a dystopian society in which individualism is forgotten and man’s only priority is to serve the greater good. The most common singular pronoun, “I”, is deemed unspeakable as it is thought of as self-centered and egocentric. The Council of Vocations controls all citizens’ lives, determining what they can and cannot do and laying out the rules for society. Rand’s Anthem depicts collectivism and communism, which have been ideas present throughout History. Germany, from 1933-1945, had a similar social structure to the one presented in Anthem, with the government carrying total power and control over the citizens and laying out the rules for society.…

    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Korean War Dbq

    • 1827 Words
    • 8 Pages

    After months of failed discussions and disagreements regarding Koreas future, tensions only intensified, especially surrounding the border. Ensuing, on June 25 1950, North Korea crossed the border and entered into South Korea, marking the beginning of open warfare. (JAMA: pg.1) As a result of this the U.N Security Council immediately approved the United States resolution. Their resolution included “immediate cessation of hostilities” and for the North to be removed back to the 38th parallel.…

    • 1827 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Pueblo Incident Essay

    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages

    It was the first war that the United Nations was involved and where the United States made a plan to defeat communism since the end of World War II. After the Second Great War, South Korea become stronger through means of production and population increase along with support from the United States and the U.N. However, North Korea felt threatened during this time because the U.S. was a major superpower and had yet to receive help from the pact made at the Yalta Conference in 1945. North Korea had no choice but to join the nearest superpower that wasn’t dropping bombs on the country and try to show their loyalty after the Soviet Red Army liberated North Korea the same year as the Yalta Conference. Tensions between North Korea and any other United States ally rose when the U.S. passed the Trading with the Enemy Act and continued until 2008.…

    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The 38th Parallel

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Korean War ended on July 27, 1953. After the end of World War II, South Korea was founded in August 1945 and North Korea was founded September 1948. In 1948, South Korea began competing in the Summer and Winter Olympics even though North and South Korea were still at war…

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    After World War II, Japan no longer controlled Korea. The Soviet Union controlled the area north of the 38th parallel and the U.S. administered the area to the south. By 1948 they became two separate nations, the Communist North Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the south. In June of 1950 the Korean War began when the North Korean troops invaded South Korea. The South Korean army was not strong enough to repel the…

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Korean War Vs Communism

    • 1559 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Korean war started on June 25, 1950 and lasted for three years. The korean war rose out a division in ideologies. After the Japanese surrendered during World War II, Korea was divided between the USA and the Soviets along the 38th parallel. South Korea became a nation with a free market, while North Korea became a communist state. The president of North Korea Kim Il-sung, who is considered the founder of the North Korea’s Communist government, was thought to be corrupt and in blamed for the death of 100,000 plus lives.…

    • 1559 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Korean War: Its Psychological Effect on the Young Adults I. BACKGROUND The Korean Peninsula was once belonged to the Japanese empire from 1910 until the end of World War II. During World War II, the United States, Great Britain, China and Soviet Union had decided to make the Korean Peninsula as an independent country.…

    • 1100 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Entire governments can use propaganda and official actions to justify an inhumane act against a group of people. This happens by legalizing their actions, and then by using propaganda to promote their ideas. It works because the government is usually viewed by their citizens as trustworthy. An example of this would be the passing of the Jim Crow Laws and the consequent segregation. The Jim Crow Laws, passed in 1877, made it legal for segregation in the United States.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many countries knew that if the Soviet Union had taken total control of the Korean Peninsula that it would become a full Communist country and could directly hurt the United States. The day that the North Koreans attacked the south at the 38 parallel the UN held a meeting whether to intervene with the Korean conflict. Most agreed to help but if the Soviet Union were there they were most likely to veto it, but the Soviet Union at the time was boycotting the UN due to the denial of allowing Communist China a member of the UN (“The United States Enters the Korean War”). Many countries such as: Australia, Great Britain, France, Turkey, Greece, and even some from South Africa wanted to try and send some troops to help contribute but many were from the United States (“Australia's Involvement in the Korean War”). Most people in United States disagreed with helping South Korea seeing how we had just come out of WWII and would eventually stir up the Cold War.…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The large amount of nuclear weapons are of concern for the international community, as they can be used to threaten countries and innocent civilians, posing a threat to global peace. If North Korea feels threatened, they can launch their nuclear weapons and potentially instigate a nuclear war. Although the economic sanctions enforced by the international community have been successful in the short-term, it is not a long-term resolution that will restrict North Korea from developing more nuclear weapons. In particular, the recent missile headed towards Japan has acted as a threat to America and Japan and has shown the international community the progression of North Korean’s nuclear weapons and the capabilities of North…

    • 1212 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    North Korea's Isolation

    • 221 Words
    • 1 Pages

    North Korea is the most politically, economically and socially isolated country of the world. This isolation is manifested by the striking difference between North Korea and its neighbor South Korea, with its democratic government and its flourishing economy. The relationship between North Korea and most of the world has been one with a lack of communication and trust, and very high tensions. For decades, North Korea has talked big and has resented the United States. There has always been constant tension between the United States and North Korea.…

    • 221 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Let’s see, the United Nations has had 64 years to resolve this issue. I SAY, we move their entire operation to North Korea, that way they won’t have so far to go to figure out what needs to be done. I’m willing to bet this issue will either be resolved the day after the move, or we will have finally got shed of that pesky group of criminals that can’t seem to get anything done. The Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, and was designed to "insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved.…

    • 255 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On the 25th June the fragile peace in Korea was shattered when North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel, invading South Korea and ultimately leading to a conflict that would span three years and cost an estimated 2.5 million lives. Korea had been liberated from Japanese control in 1945 by Soviet troops who moved down into the north of the country and US troops who landed in the south. After this the country was divided along the 38th parallel of latitude until the country could be reunited following new elections. There were arguments, however, over which sort of government should shape the future of Korea: the USSR, as a communist state, sought a government that would be sympathetic to communism, while the USA wished for a regime that…

    • 1404 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays