27TH JUNE MARKED 50 YEARS SINCE THE ONSET OF THE KOREAN WAR. ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO DIRECT MILITARY ACTION, THE CONFLICT WAGES ON. HERE'S HOW.
The Korean war has dominated pacific geopolitics since decades. Its implications on both North & South Korea are unfathomable. However, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has threatened S.Korea with direct military action. But are the threats or is this a recurring theme in the Korean saga? To understand it better, lets have a historical perspective:
ORIGINS OF THE KOREAN WAR
During & after WW2, the whole Korean peninsula was under Japanese control.
However the Axis powers lost the war with the surrender of Japan.
Just like the case of Germany & Turkey, .Korea too was divided amongst USA &USSR.
The advent of the Cold War turned USA & USSR from friend to foes.
The communist Korea wanted to bring the whole of the peninsula under the Communist regime.
China & USSR joined forces against USA.
The fighting ended on 27 July 1953, when the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed. The agreement created the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to separate North and South Korea, and allowed the return of prisoners.
TERRITORIAL CHANGES DURING THE KOREAN WAR
THE CURRENT SCENARIO
The development of Nuclear Weapon by N.Korea has complicated matters.
S.Korea is under the American umbrella i.e. under American protection who can use nukes against N.Korea in case of war.
Singapore Summit of 2018 between Kim & Trump (first face to face meet between a North Korean leader & American President) was considered by many as a grand failure as the agreement had vague terms.
Source Time Magazine
For example, the term "Denuclearization of Korean Peninsula" was used. Now when things are not so rosy, there is a disagreement over the meaning of the term. Americans say its dismantling of North Korean nuclear system whereas North Koreans say its removal of American umbrella.
American sanctions on the N.Korean economy has crippled its growth. The sanctions have restricted travel,financial services, weapon trading & trade with this dictatorial nation.
N.Korea also posses Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles which have the capability to target major American cities even on the east coast.
The tensions have risen dramatically when N.Korea bombed the S.Korean embassy in Pyongyang this month. WATCH HERE.
CONCLUSION
Only the re-election of Trump can bring an end to this crisis as Joe Biden has campaigned for a policy shift in which they will not negotiate directly with Kim.
This is the first instance of trilateral engagement in which all 3 leaders of USA, N.Korea & S.Korea are open for engagement.
China has openly not complied with the sanctions & traded with North Korea. Other than that, Pakistan (US$27.8 million), India (US$25 million) and Ghana ($11.4 m) are the top export destinations of North Korea after China (US$1.58 billion), which receives more than 90 percent of North Korean exports.
THANKS FOR READING LADIES & GENTLEMEN. HAVE A PRODUCTIVE DAY AHEAD!
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