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Korea. A Brief History OC Ogburn 1/C Warren. Ancient History. Evidence of inhabitants dating back to 4000 BC In 668 AD the Silla kingdom overthrew Goguryeo and Baekje kingdoms starting Korea’s cultural development. The Mongols invaded Korea in 1231
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Korea A Brief History OC Ogburn 1/C Warren
Ancient History • Evidence of inhabitants dating back to 4000 BC • In 668 AD the Silla kingdom overthrew Goguryeo and Baekje kingdoms starting Korea’s cultural development • The Mongols invaded Korea in 1231 • In 1392 Yi, a Korean general, setup his own dynasty and adopted Confucianism
19th Century • Korean rulers tried to prevent foreign trade from Japanese and Western traders by closing its borders in the 1800s • Japanese began forcing a series of trade agreements beginning in 1876 • In 1897 King Kojong declared himself emperor of an independent Korea
20th Century • The Japan-Korea Protection Treaty gave Japan control over Korea in 1905 • In 1910 Korea announced the annexation by Japan • The Independence Movement of 1919 was brutally repressed • In 1945 the Japanese surrender
World War II • Japan took more and more of Korea’s resources, including its people, to feed its imperial war machine • Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945, causes the peninsula to come under divided rule: the USSR occupied Korea north of 38th parallel, while U.S. occupied southern section
Korean War • 25 June 1950 Kim Il-Sung orders the invasion of South Korea (38th Parallel) • General Douglas McCarthur holds off the Communists at Pusan while planning an amphibious landing at Inchon • Marines move into/take Seoul; Conflict ends in 1953
The Landing at Inchon • Marines plan to split the enemy force by landing at Inchon and then marching on Seoul. • Invasion is successful, conflict ends 1953.
Post War Build-Up (North) • North Koreans have almost doubled military capabilities under Kim Il-Sung sense the late 1960’s • %GDP spent on Military (Korea) • 13% • %GDP spend on Military (US) • 3.3%
Military Power Today • Active Duty Personnel: 1 Million + • Roughly 7 million men and women organized into reservists units. • Organized under the Civil Def. Dept. however can be moved to the command of the Ministry of Defense for “contingencies.”
Military Power Today • North Korea boasts of 80 military divisions and brigades (20 Infantry). • Each infantry division consists of: • 3 infantry regiments • 1 artillery regiment • 1 tank BN of 31 tanks. • 1 anti aircraft, COM, • and RECON BN • 1 Chemical
Military Power Today • Special forces group of 120,000. • Of these 20,000 can be moved (off the peninsula at moments notice). • How good? • Kang-Nung September 1996.
Kim Jung Il • Currently the Chairman of the PRK, Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army, and General Sec. of the Korean Worker’s Party. • Background: • Educated in China • At the age of forty assumed the title “Dear Leader” in which case a personality cult was built around him. • Father died in 1994, Jung Il assumed control.
The Nuclear Option • December of 2002 N.K. expelled members of International Atomic Energy Council • Declared withdrawal from Non-Proliferation Treaty one month later • By August of 2003 announced the extraction of weapons grade plutonium
Key Points • Not only does Jong Il walk “in the footsteps of his father”, but so do his subordinates. • Entire country (and particularly upper levels of leadership) have a mindset rooted in Confucian thought. • Must consider 2 points of North Korean Leadership:
Korea Today (South) • Population: 48,422,644 (July 2005) • GDP: $ 983.3 Billion (2005 Est.) • Imports: Oil, and various raw materials • Exports: Heavy Industrial Equipment, Chemical products
Korea Today (South) • Religion: • 46% Non affiliated • 26% Christian • 26% Buddhists • 1% Confucian • 1% Other
Korea Today (North) • Population: 22,912,177 (July 2005) • GDP: $40 Billion (Est. 2005) • Imports: Oil, heavy industrial equipment and machinery. • Exports: Non-ferrous metals, textile yarn and fabrics
Korea Today (North) • Religion: Traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist. • Note that all religious groups today must be sponsored by the government. Those operating outside these laws must do so in secret.
Terrain of Korea • Korea’s terrain (particularly the northeast region) is extremely mountainous. • North Korea still contains an elaborate tunnel system. (Okinawa??)
Major Cities of Korea • Direct Governed Cities: direct administration of Central Gov.
Current Status • North Korea = Crisis • Country has been relying on international aid to feed it’s people for the last decade. Primary Reason…. • Million Man Army + Military Tech. Spending • As of December 2005 government was attempting to expel all “nongovernmental agencies” thereby cutting off all help for general public
References • http://www.hendrick-hamel.henny-savenije.pe.kr/oldtonew.htm • http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4084249.stm • http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/kn.html • www.wfp.org/newsroom/in_depth/north_korea_II.html • http://www.dega.dk/media/upload/Fotocollage_Dansk_Eksportf.jpg