Basic History
Differences in Political IDEOLOGIES
The start of the tensions in the Korea Peninsula can be traced back to fallout from WWII. Two world power emerged after the collapse of the Axis powers, USSR and the United States. Each competing to show the power of their nation through political ideologies and nuclear weapons which resulted in the era known as the Cold War.
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Russia wanted to spread the ideas of communism and US believed in the spread of capitalism. Communism is "a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. The Communist belief is if everyone works together there will be no rich or poor but everyone will be better off. The country as a whole will be better because everyone is working in a united effort. While capitalism is "an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state." Capitalism believes that through competition a person and a country can prosper. You are motivated to do more because you want more money and to have nicer things.
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The Forgotten War
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5 years after WWII ended it seemed like the world was at the edge of another world war. The Korean War is often labeled as the forgotten war because textbooks seem to devote maybe a paragraph to the event and because of the short duration of the war. However from 1950-1953 approximately 36,000 Americans died fighting for control of Korea (CBS news) South Korea lost around 217,000 military personal and 1,000,000 civilian while North Korea lost 406,000 military and 600,000 civilian. Although China never technically was part of the war they lost 600,000 military.
After the countless numbers of lives lost and the US spending over $67 million dollars a cease fire was signed July 27, 1953 to separate Korea into North and South at the 38th parallel. The war seemed to come to end without every signing a peace treaty to end it. Granted families still to this date have waited for news of their loved ones. As of June 2017 there is still 7,747 Americans not accounted for. |
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Kim Dynasty
The Kim family is a family that has ruled North Korea for approximately 80 years. During this time the country government is one not that even closely resembles communism but instead of a totalitarian government with the Kims assuming ultimate power in which opposition is eliminate
Kim Il Sung
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Kim Il Jong
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Kim Jong Un
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Work Prisons
If you oppose the Kim dynasty and you are not killed for your views you can be thrown into work prisons. Your family can be thrown in as well even if they don't support your views. Furthermore if you escape from North Korea the government can decide to punish your family for your crimes. Please go to the following website and read the article from BBC about prison camps.
