Domestic This - Horace Mann School

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International A Korean Conflict The North Korean military attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong ignites tension throughout the region and the world “Earlier today North Korea conducted an artillery attack against the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong. We are in close and continuing contact with our Korean allies. The United States strongly condemns this attack and calls on North Korea to halt its belligerent action and to fully abide by the terms of the Armistice Agreement. The United States is firmly committed to the defense of our ally, the Republic of Korea, and to the maintenance of regional peace and stability.” -White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs by spencer cohen White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs released this ultimatum as a direct response to North Korea’s attack on the South’s island of Yeonpyeong. The statement insinuates that the US will retaliate in response to any further hostile act by the North towards the South. Our government, as ascertained through the insights of many high-ranking officials, believes that North Korea will take no further aggressive action. P. J. Crawly, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that, “without getting into intelligence matters, we don’t see that North Korea is preparing for an extended military confrontation.” This assertion reflects the aforementioned mentality. This US’ stance is due in part to the popular conviction that this unprovoked attack was perpetrated by North Korea as a plea for international aid. Another belief is that this attack, along with the March sinking of the South’s ship, were both executed by rogue North Korean officers disloyal to the ailing Kim Jong-il. The belief that this was a plea for aid stems from the North Korean economy’s nosedive over the past two years. Its obscure dictator, who chooses to focus his attention on the military, recently failed to reform the currency, crippling the nation’s economy. In conjunction with flooding and food shortages, North Korea is in desperate need of international aid. Such a phenomenon is not unprecedented. In 2008 the U.S. sent large quantities of food to North Korea, in the same period as a release of a Declaration by the North’s leader, Kim Jong-il, documented Plutonium production. At the time, The Boston Globe argued ,“the United States says its food aid is determined by humanitarian need and that food is not used as a diplomatic lever. But its food is arriving during a season of much-improved, if still chilly and suspicious, relations between the North and the United States.” In turn for food and aid from the US and other western nations, the North will comply with certain demands. The other claim, that North Korean officers committed the unjustified attack on their own accord, has many adherents as well. Several days after the attack, the North “test” fired weapons right off the coast of the Yeonpyeong Island (the same island where the attacks occurred). North Korea is in the midst of a power-shift. Kim Jong-il is deferring to his son, Kim Jong-un. The artillery strike, along with the earlier torpedoing of a South Korean ship, may be in part due to the heightened instability during this transitional time. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has expressed willingness to retaliate against any South Korean threats sss dictionary 12 The Horace Mann Review | Vol. XX
International “A full-scale military confrontation between the two nations would have dire consequences. North Korea has an estimated 8-12 nuclear weapons, while South Korea, with the support of the US, would have 5,113” The US response, no matter the reason for the bombardment, was incorrect and inappropriate. It has left America in a precarious position. If the North refuses to abstain from attacking its neighbor, the US will be forced to retaliate. It is unlikely that North Korea will prolong its belligerent policies of late – a rational viewpoint – but it has a history of ignoring threats from the international community. If the US does not listen to the North’s plea for aid, the onslaught against the South will persist. Neither the US, nor any other country, has taken any measures to prevent future attacks. Gibbs’ statement will not succeed in preventing further skirmishes. A full-scale military confrontation between the two nations would have dire consequences. North Korea has an estimated 8-12 nuclear weapons, while South Korea, with the support of the US, would have 5,113 nuclear warheads. Therefore, the US was irresponsible in releasing the ultimatum. Simply condemning North Korea would have been a more suitable course of action. North Korea, as a retort to Gibbs’ statement, warned that it will “wage second and even third rounds of attacks without any hesitation if warmongers in South Korea make reckless military provocations again.” Military exercises, however, are still scheduled to occur off the Korean coast between a joint American and South Korean force even after China warned “against military activity in the area.” A Chinese official, Hong Lei, stated, “We hold a consistent and clear-cut stance on the issue. We oppose any party taking any military actions in our exclusive economic zone without permission.” Inevitably, North Korea will take China’s sentiment as permission to retaliate against South Korea. Though conflict has persisted for decades in this area, the warring will soon climax. The next twelve months will solidify the state of the region. Either a major confrontation of unprecedented heights pitting the United States and South Korea against North Korea will befall, or a progressive treaty between the three nations – one spurred in part by China – will be signed. HMR North Korea has been developing its nuclear weapons program since the 1980’s. It is estimated that the country currently possesses 8 to 12 nuclear weapons. radio netherlands worldwide guardian The Horace Mann Review | Issue 4 13
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Domestic This - Horace Mann School

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