Korean Fence on 38th parallel

 

Any country when it was divided for some reason, either religion or language would have taken major role. Same customs, same language, same food style, same religion and same life style, though everything is same, Korea is the only country split for no valid reason other than the interest of two super powers.

More than the Korean’s interest, USA and USSR interest's took higher precedence. In 1945, Japan surrendered and decided to withdraw its army after Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bomb incident, USSR invaded Korea to establish communist Korea. When USA came to know about this, immediately requested USSR to stop the further movement from the north and asked them to keep their troop along the 38th degree from the north of the earth’s equatorial plane. Quickly USSR also agreed for it. Eventually end up in south and north Korea. Brother will be in south, sister will be north, son will be in south and father will be in north. There is no way to rule one country by two leaders.

There were 2 leader fought for the freedom from Japanese occupation at different times. Both of them arrested by the Japanese army and also nicely tortured by them.

First one is Syngman Rhee, after released from jail, he fled to United States. Came back to Korea with democratic and capitalist principles.

Another is Kim Il-sung, basically he was driven by communist ideology. After released from the jail, he fled to China and later spent some time in Russia, came back to Korea with deeply etched socialist ideas.

1948,15 August, Syngman Rhee sworn as a President of the Republic of Korea with the help of USA.

1948, 25 August, Kim Il-sung sworn as a Premier of Democratic People's Republic of Korea with the help of China and USSR.

On 1950, 25th June, North Korea entered into South and captured the Seoul in just 3 days, because both the leader were looking for united Korea.  This is the start of Korean war, in other way we can call it as forgotten war or shadowed war by the media, because world was tired of world war II. UN forces are formed with General Douglass MacArthur as Commander went to help Syngman Rhee. North Korean army was driven back and Seoul was recaptured by South Korean army with the help of UN forces. Just after gained the Seoul back, MacArthur sought for the permission from Harry S. Truman, President of the United States, to capture whole North Korea and to form the United Korea.

Unfortunately permission granted and end up in fight between UN forces and Chinese forces. UN forces positively entered into north, initially everything went fine. UN forces never knew, it was completely different from Seoul. Altogether it was a highly unexpected terrain for the UN, to further spice up the war, horrible winter also added to their tough time. Chinese army was eagerly waiting for them to enter into the valley, as planned, caused huge causality to the UN forces. Chinese prefer to name its force as a communist volunteers, than calling themselves as a Chinese army.

In 1953, finally both UN and Chinese troop decided to come to an agreement to halt the war without making any ad hoc arrangement to cease fire. Signed the agreement with stern face while shelling and gun firing was going on. This war seldom caught the head lines in the news paper. This 3 years war was highly unjustifiable to the loss of life for both civilians and uniformed personals.

Both north and south leaders focusing only on their personal political mileage and never followed any rules to protect the civilians. Sometime UN itself confused whether are they fighting for right cause or not. As per book, war is in between South and North Korea, but finally who went for peace treaty? China and US. After the cease fire agreement, was China and US maintaining their hostile relation? no, after that they went for so many bilateral business deals, but Koreans were split by barbed electric wire across 38th parallel. Families were split. North is suffering, South is flourishing. Those who frequenting to Wal-Mart can witness, more than the 30% of the products are from China, even in tourist place souvenirs are also from China.

Most of the communist leaders coming to the power with good thoughts and high morale values, but unfortunately it remained as thoughts only. Their thirst of power, surpassing their interest in human welfare of their own country people. At one point of time, it is becoming like catching hold of tiger’s tail. Eventually it turned up to monarchy or dynasty of single family. This is what going on in North Korea now. In the next blog, we will go through it in detail.