From One Korea to Two Koreas April 1

From One Korea to Two Koreas April 1, 2014

Review Why did India split into 2 pieces in 1947? What happened to Pakistan in 1971? Why have India and Pakistan fought over Kashmir? Why did the Indian economy finallybegin to grow rapidly? Which South Asian countries have had the most trouble putting democracy on a firm foundation?

Korea divided in two Korea had been one country for over 1, 000 years. Even the Japanese didn’t split it. But the US and the USSR did that in 1945 (pp. 490 -91) Republic of Korea (South Korea) formed in 1948, under President Syngman Rhee. Mass Rebellion in Jeju (p. 491) Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (north Korea) formed in the north in Sept. 10, under leadership of Kim Il Sung. June 25, 1950, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) invades the south, starting the three-year Korean War. (p. 492) Under Rhee there was little industrialization. He relied on American military and economic assistance. (p. 500)

Back-and-forth war: The Korean War http: //www. maps. com/ref_map. aspx? pid=11335 Or https: //hwb. wales. gov. uk/cms/hwbcontent/Shared%20 Documents/vtc/ngfl/histo ry/gcse_usa_rev_elander/korean. jpg

One-minute War The Korean War in One Minute video https: //www. youtube. com/watch? annotation_id=annotation_466882&feature=iv&src_vid=zugl. Tooo. ITY&v=dr 3 YLI-j. T 9 M

General to Politician: Park Chung Hee http: //japanfocus. org/-Seungsook-Moon/3140

Korea Industrializes Rhee overthrown in 1960. After a brief period of democracy, General Park Chung Hee seizes power in 1961. Under his leadership, Korea begins to industrialize (using the Japanese model for export-oriented state-led growth). ( p. 500) General, and then President, Park Chung Hee realized South Korea needed to built up economic power to be strong enough to resist North Korea. (The North Korean economy was stronger than the South Korean economy then. ) He inaugurated Japanese-style state-led growth. This is not socialism. Instead, he had his government encourage (though its control of banks) companies to invest in certain areas of the economy. He also encourage the formation of large conglomerates, called Jaebeol (Chaebŏl) , and had them compete against each other to avoid the inefficiency of a monopoly. He borrowed a lot from abroad but then earnings from exports allowed those loans to be repaid.

Bloody Path to Democracy In 1972, after two free presidential elections, Park creates “Koreanized democracy” which eliminated elections and made him president for life. Those who opposed him were jailed, tortured, and even, in a few cases, killed. 1979 Park is assassinated by the head of his own secret police (Korean Central Intelligence Agency). 1979 -80 General Chun Doo Hwan seizes control of the government in a coup in two parts. First, he attacks his own army headquarters. Then, on ----May 18, 1980 Chun launches an attack on the city of Gwangju (Kwangju). At least 1, 000 are killed. Chun then becomes president. (pp. 499)

Scenes from Kwangju http: //eng. 518. org/index. es? sid=a 5 For a music video about the massacre, go to: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=dl 0 ha 8 C 31 Rc poems about Gwangju: https: //jaypsong. wordpress. com/tag/gwangju-uprising/ BBC report: http: //news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/asiapacific/752055. stm

Democracy achieved Popular demonstrations in Seoul in 1987 forced the government to allow elections for president. Chun’s comrade-in-arms won. (p. 500) 1992 Kim Young Sam, a former pro-democracy leader, joins Chun’s party, won the presidency, and then arrested Chun. (p. 503) 1997 Kim Dae-jung, a man both Park and Chun had tried to kill, was elected president. Since then the left won one more election, then the right won the next two. Korea has had two peaceful transfers of power and is now a democracy, though the current president is Park Chung-hee’s daughter. (p. 503) How did this happen? Land reform and economic development eroded the influence of the landed elite and created a prosperous middle class, providing a foundation for democracy. Developmental dictatorship dug its own grave.

Authoritarianism and economic growth Is authoritarianism necessary for rapid economic development? Some say yes, because that is the only way capital can be concentrated in areas where it is most needed. Others say no, since authoritarian rulers will not be told when they have made mistakes. One thing is clear: authoritarianism may work in early economic development, but it becomes dysfunctional when the economy grows too complex for the government to manage.

The rise in religious affiliation 1916 530, 000 out of 15 -17 million 3% 1940 1 million out of 23. 5 million 4% 1965 3. 5 million out of 28. 2 mil. 12% 1985 17. 2 million out of 41 mil. 42% Achieving a majority religious population 1995 22. 5 million out of 44. 5 mil. 2004 Gallup Poll 50. 7% 53. 5% 2005 25 million out of 47 million 53. 1% In 2005, 22% of Koreans were Buddhists, 19% were Protestants, and 10% were Catholics. Popular religion (including shamanism) doesn’t show up in the census, but it survives as a manifestation of a distinctive Korean cultural identity. (p. 509)

The other Korea The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: political stability--the Kim family (Kim Il Sung, Kim Jung Il, and now Kim Jung Un) have ruled since 1948. (pp. 494 -96) economic problems--strong recovery from the war into the early 1970 s (thanks partially to hydroelectric plants built by the Japanese), but since then the problems of a strictly controlled economy and a reliance on import substitution (because of the ideology of Juche (Chuch’e)—self-reliance) has stalled the economy. In the later 1990 s, maybe as many as 2 million people died from starvation or malnutrition.

Comparing North and South Korea is now democratic. North Korea has a totalitarian government. South Korea has an economic environment that encourages competition and engagement with the rest of the world. North Korea has a state-controlled economy and aims to be selfsufficient. South Korea has a per capita GNP ($33, 400) 19 times larger than that of North Korea ($1, 900). South Korea ranks alongside Israel and the European Union economically. North Korea ranks alongside Bangladesh. North Korea has atomic bombs. South Korea doesn’t.