'34 Percent of Army Cadets Regard US as Main Enemy'

[Nolan]

Kinda old, but I found this very interesting.


By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter

A poll shows that 34 percent of first-year army cadets called the United States the main enemy of South Korea, a former superintendent of the Korea Military Academy (KMA) said.

Kim Choong-bae, president of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, disclosed a past survey of 250 KMA entrants to single out "the country's main enemy'' while serving as the military academy's superintendent in 2004.

Kim was quoted by a newspaper as saying, "While the majority ― or 34 percent ― picked the U.S., 33 percent said they regarded North Korea as the main enemy.''

He said the result was unbelievable, stressing the respondents were those who were supposed to be military officers. The KMA did not make the result public during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, which ended last February.

Kim hinted that he had been forced not to notify the public of the result, expressing uneasiness about contents of some high and middle schools textbooks.

Citing his meeting with the 250 cadet freshmen, the military expert argued that the hostile sentiment against the "ally" is due to "inappropriate'' education in schools.

In addition, according to a survey of a group of conscripted soldiers conducted by the Ministry of Defense, about 75 percent of them said they have anti-U.S. sentiment.

Various polls on college students or elementary school students have shown that major enemies of South Korea include North Korea, Japan and the U.S.

Meanwhile, North Korea had been found to label the U.S. and Japan as its main enemies. There has been no document or official commentaries from Pyongyang which describe South Korea as the main enemy of the North.

North Korea had reportedly defined the U.S. a "mortal enemy'' and Japan a "longstanding enemy,'' some military officials said.

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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/04/113_22029.html

[MarxSchmarx]

What more has been done on this? I have to agree with Kim. This is a very counter-intuitive result.

Perhaps given how American bases in Korea have difficult relations with the adjacent towns, this may be somewhat of a natural reaction. Although I would be interested in reading about what about the elementary and secondary curricula foster this view. My impression was the opposite - from what I understand there is considerable emphasis through official channels in Korea that were it not for the US the North would invade any day. Additionally, many Koreans have relatives in the United States, so this makes it doubly surprising. Perhaps it is a view that "traditional" Korean culture is threatened by westernization, which is then made synonymous with American culture. Who knows.

It is also striking how China is absent from the list.

[Kayser_Soso]

From what I have read, with the end of South Korean dictatorships, more and more information is coming out regarding who started the Korean War, and why Korea was divided in the first place. The main culprit happens to be the US, which delayed a referendum on unification long enough for leftists in the south to "disappear", and then installing the corrupt nutcase Syngmann Rhee.

It's also worth noting that the USSR could have easily made all of Korea socialist if they wanted, as they occupied the whole peninsula at the end of the war. But as they had no such plans, they pulled back across the 38th Parallel. The Americans immediately destroyed Korean self-government in the south.

[MarxSchmarx]

From what I have read, with the end of South Korean dictatorships, more and more information is coming out regarding who started the Korean War, and why Korea was divided in the first place. The main culprit happens to be the US, which delayed a referendum on unification long enough for leftists in the south to "disappear", and then installing the corrupt nutcase Syngmann Rhee.

It's also worth noting that the USSR could have easily made all of Korea socialist if they wanted, as they occupied the whole peninsula at the end of the war. But as they had no such plans, they pulled back across the 38th Parallel. The Americans immediately destroyed Korean self-government in the south.

I guess what is so surprising is that people who have that view then go on to sign on to become officers of the Korean army. If the survey also included enlistedmen (who are mostly conscripts) then I might find this result more credulous for the reasons you state, but the fact that it is among people in the military academy raises eyebrows. After all, if there was one institution that benefited (and continues to benefit) enormously from the American presence it is the ROK army.

[Tablo]

I have gotten interesting views from a friend of mine from South Korea. Simply she says both the North and South are full of shit. While she isn't very political she regarded the sinking of the South Korean vessel to most likely be propaganda. She maintains a negative view of the US even though she lives here. Just thought I would share.

[scarletghoul]

It's not really surprising that South Koreans dislike the country which is occupying them. The only reason it could be surprising would be if you're brainwashed into believing that the US is helping the koreans keep security and democracy bla bla.
But it's great to see so many within the army cadets yes. A rich reserve of anti-imperialist potential..


I have gotten interesting views from a friend of mine from South Korea. Simply she says both the North and South are full of shit. While she isn't very political she regarded the sinking of the South Korean vessel to most likely be propaganda.
Yeah a lot of south koreans seem to think both governments are shit lol. It's interesting how many Leftists are more pro-South Korea than many South Koreans... I guess they experience things first hand and not through the lens of glorious democratic free market media. They're also much less susceptible to anti-DPRK propaganda obviously, as the racial stereotypes are harder to apply and there must be a strong memory of the war and fascism too.. And yeah its common opinion that the North was not behind the Cheonan sinking

[Revy]

34% is not a majority - it's a plurality. A majority is any percentage over 50%.

[Rusty Shackleford]

34% is a decent amount to cause major problems for the ROK military hierarchy.

[Kayser_Soso]

Actually this may not be unprecedented. During the 1960s the US forces saw their main task as keeping the dictator junta in the South from invading the North.

[Crux]

It's interesting how many Leftists are more pro-South Korea than many South Koreans...

Who is? Someone might correct me on this but the impression I've got is that at least the mainstream of the left in S. Korea oppose both the US, the SK government and the North Korean regime. Unsuprisingly actually.

Just a question, could the anti-U.S-sentiemnt, in part at least, also reflect a more general Korean Nationalist anti-US attitude?

[Rusty Shackleford]

the left on Revleft is what scarletghoul meant. and probably as large portion of the left in the west.

why do they support ROK?

"eew DPRK is an evil dictatorship with a crazy leader"

[Crux]

the left on Revleft is what scarletghoul meant. and probably as large portion of the left in the west.

why do they support ROK?

"eew DPRK is an evil dictatorship with a crazy leader"
Is opposition to the China-puppet state DPRK the same thing as supporting ROK?

[Rusty Shackleford]

Is opposition to the China-puppet state DPRK the same thing as supporting ROK?
no, but those who support the ROK usually use a complaint along the lines of that.

[Kayser_Soso]

Is opposition to the China-puppet state DPRK the same thing as supporting ROK?

DPRK is not exactly a "China" puppet. Their relationship has mainly been one of necessity since the Soviet Union collapsed(yet Russia still upholds agreements with them).

[Crux]

no, but those who support the ROK usually use a complaint along the lines of that.
A strawman argument for you to use though, and has been all along. I haven't seen anyone explicitly defending the ROK, not in this thread or on this forum as far as I am aware. That some say they prefer it to the Glorious Land of KImillSungism, is hardly proof of anything.

Also BracchusBaubef should be banned."wanker anti-DPRK anti-worker bourgeois petty-bourgeois nationalist authoritarian totalitarian stalinist fascist imperialist class traitor ultra left opportunist right wing imperialist trotskyite collaborator" to you too you fucking tool.

[Crux]

DPRK is not exactly a "China" puppet. Their relationship has mainly been one of necessity since the Soviet Union collapsed(yet Russia still upholds agreements with them).
Just like the necessity of market reforms in China and the DPRK. Like the necessity of privilege for the elite and starvation for the people.
Of course it's not solely a result of the monstorus regime by a party claiming the name Worker's Party of Korea but also a result of imperialism, but the DPRK today is also firmly under chinese imperialism, unless you're defending china I'd suggest you'd take the same approach to DPRK.

But this is not what this thread is about is it? It was claimed that "many leftists support the ROK" a claim that has yet to been backed up with anything.

[Rusty Shackleford]

A strawman argument for you to use though, and has been all along. I haven't seen anyone explicitly defending the ROK, not in this thread or on this forum as far as I am aware. That some say they prefer it to the Glorious Land of KImillSungism, is hardly proof of anything.


im citing the ROK vs DPRK thread where a strange majority would prefer to live in the ROK.

EDIT: im also aware it was a weak argument i made.
i can imagine the DPRK would be as well off as cuba, if not better, if the ROK didnt exist and all of korea was DPRK. but thats hypothetical and wishful so i wont use that as an argument lol.

[scarletghoul]

Who is? Someone might correct me on this but the impression I've got is that at least the mainstream of the left in S. Korea oppose both the US, the SK government and the North Korean regime. Unsuprisingly actually.
The Left in the west is often supportive of South Korea. Yes as Vacant says take a look at the other threads on RevLeft and you'll get a clear indication of at least the views of the people who post here. But it's not just RevLeft, several communist/socialist parties have made statements and articles condemning North Korea in the very same imperialist doublestandards that the US uses (see for example CPUSA's condemnation of NK's nuclear tests as 'provocative') and thus implicitly endorsing the ROK, who they are much softer in their descriptions of.

[RedStarOverChina]

Is opposition to the China-puppet state DPRK the same thing as supporting ROK?
Gross misunderstanding. North Korea is no puppet state. Their founding ideology is basically nationalism, to rid Korea of foreign control, may it be Japanese or Chinese. Their current state ideology is called "Juche", which sometimes translates into "spirit of self-reliance" in official documents.

While it's true that China controls the life-lines of North Korea, even the American ruling class now realizes that China cannot control North Korea the way US controls its satellites.

Remember back when people used to say Vietnam was a puppet state of China? Heh.

[Lt. Ferret]

I'm in the US Army Air Defense Artillery, and I don't have a lot to say about North Korea, only that the main American forces in South Korea are simply a few ADA brigades. Thats just some Patriot Missile Systems and Avenger units that would defend against ballistic missile threats and North Korean air units. I would hardly call that any sort of occupation. Trust me, if the South Koreans did not want American forces there, they could overrun them in an hour.

Beyond that, the Army Cadets thing doesn't surprise me, and it IS a nationalist backlash. It's not pro-leftist anything in any regard. Korean nationalists HATE the Juche regime and they HATE the idea that America "should" have to "help" them defend themselves against the People's Republic. South Korea can defend itself against everything the People's Republic has except an excess of ballistic missiles. That's the only reason American troops are still there. 28k American troops, mostly missile defenders, cannot initiate any offensive maneuvers against that country.


The politics, I'll let you guys hash out, I just had to add my two cents on the military affairs.

[Tablo]

I'm in the US Army Air Defense Artillery, and I don't have a lot to say about North Korea, only that the main American forces in South Korea are simply a few ADA brigades. Thats just some Patriot Missile Systems and Avenger units that would defend against ballistic missile threats and North Korean air units. I would hardly call that any sort of occupation. Trust me, if the South Koreans did not want American forces there, they could overrun them in an hour.

Beyond that, the Army Cadets thing doesn't surprise me, and it IS a nationalist backlash. It's not pro-leftist anything in any regard. Korean nationalists HATE the Juche regime and they HATE the idea that America "should" have to "help" them defend themselves against the People's Republic. South Korea can defend itself against everything the People's Republic has except an excess of ballistic missiles. That's the only reason American troops are still there. 28k American troops, mostly missile defenders, cannot initiate any offensive maneuvers against that country.


The politics, I'll let you guys hash out, I just had to add my two cents on the military affairs.
Thanks. Very informative. :thumbup1: