Will Korea ever reunite?

[Kurt Crover]

This has been going on for years now, because both North and South Korea basically say that they are the real Korea. Quote from Wikipedia
The Japanese rule of Korea ceased with the end of World War II in 1945. Korea was occupied by the Soviet Union north of the 38th Parallel and by the United States south of the 38th parallel, but the United States and the Soviet Union were unable to agree on implementation of Joint Trusteeship over Korea. This led in 1948 to the establishment of separate governments in the north and south, each claiming to be the legitimate government of all of Korea.

and I just wondering what you thought about the division, and in your mind, would it ever become united again, and under who?

[Karl Marx's Camel]

South Korea of course. Without doubt.

[McLeft]

It would come united once North Korea loosens up a bit, once American troops are out and once a Socialist govt is elected.

That is the only way I believe.

[Purple]

North Korea is a pretty aweful dictatorship today. I believe that South Korea will become the dominant, because of its superior economy. I think that it will still be a while before any such thing will happen though. Dictators are too narcissitic to plan for when they are dead.

[Janus]

We are already seeing the major problems developing in North Korea such as famines, etc. They depend quite heavily on foreign aid and this inability to become self-sufficient will be a continuing problem.



The North Korean government won't last especially when their possible next ruler looks like this Kim Jong-nam-eldest son (http://theseoultimes.com/ST/db2/images/1643-20050318174935.jpg)

[OneBrickOneVoice]

North Korea will become more and more like China in the next 10 years. As for it rejoining with S. Korea I don't think it'll happen in the near future.

[Janus]

North Korea will become more and more like China in the next 10 years.
I'm assuming that you're talking about the PRC. I doubt that the government will "loosen up" unless they have a more reform minded ruler.

[Dreckt]

Either North Korea will collapse due to refusing to "liberalize" their economy (i.e. make it more capitalist/world market oriented), or they will ease up like China - like after Mao's death, I think the same happen when Kim Jong Il dies.

As for true reunification, I don't know. That would only happen if North Korea totally collapses, or mass-emigration into the south or into China (due to plauges, famines etc).

I think two "steps" must be taken in order to escape total collapse - North Korea must be "alive" after Kim Jong Il's death, and whoever succeeds him will not follow his path, but become North Korea's Xian Diaoping (sp?) and reform the country.

A reunified Korea is simply not realistic. Two governments, two powers. No power will just "unify" of "merge" with another unless forced to do so due to extreme conditions or the survival of the ones ruling it.

[Colombia]

They will never unite. Both the Americans and the Chinese won't allow it. The fall of N. Korea will mean one less allie against the US and S. Korea won't fall under N. Korea while the US stays on top.

[Janus]

the Chinese won't allow it
Why won't the Chinese allow it?

[MurderInc]

They will reunite and become more capitalistic. In the next ten years, there will be only one Korea. Because the North has fucked things up beyond repair, they will flock to capitalism the way eastern Europeans did in the early '90s.

When the socially consious youth of South Korea try to encourage both sides to become more socialist in policy, they will be laughed at by the millions from the North who will have been repressed for so long.

Pitty, from the point of view of a Marxist.

[Dreckt]

The fall of N. Korea will mean one less allie against the US and S. Korea won't fall under N. Korea while the US stays on top.

I don't think the Chinese cares about what happens to North Korea. Well, maybe there will be som border-problems since the "Union of Korea" will have a border with China, but this is only if the North Korean government collapses. Not that the Chinese really cares, I mean they don't plan on invading any country.


They will reunite and become more capitalistic. In the next ten years, there will be only one Korea.

They won't unite since there are two governments - north and south. A power doesn't just disappear. They change.


Because the North has fucked things up beyond repair, they will flock to capitalism the way eastern Europeans did in the early '90s.

Why would this be the reason to unite with the south? On the contrary, North Korea benefits from having an authroritarian government and a capitalist system like China has - since workers don't have any power.

[_omen]

If anything happens it will be after the death of Jong.

Not to mention that if it would happen there would have to be a massive influx of anti-communist propaganda by the south to try and debunk the "myths" (south invaded north to start korean conflict) and the US and China would have to agree on some kind of agreement of a government, most likely socialst.

Thats if the two sides even want to join back together. I mean, the expense of combining the countries again would put a massive weight on s. koreas economy. Granted, its neighbors (namly Japan) would probably help out considering a threat to their sovriginity has been elimintated, but it would still take a long time to get things back up to "normal"



and...well...conflict between US and China=nil

[Ander]

Yeah, Kim Jong-Il has tarnished the appearance of any kind of leftism for a very long time in that region.

[MurderInc]

QUOTE
They will reunite and become more capitalistic. In the next ten years, there will be only one Korea.



They won't unite since there are two governments - north and south. A power doesn't just disappear. They change.


QUOTE
Because the North has fucked things up beyond repair, they will flock to capitalism the way eastern Europeans did in the early '90s.



Why would this be the reason to unite with the south? On the contrary, North Korea benefits from having an authroritarian government and a capitalist system like China has - since workers don't have any power.



Try explaining all of this "power doesn't just disappear" nonsense to the East Germans.

LOL

[Dreckt]

Try explaining all of this "power doesn't just disappear" nonsense to the East Germans.

That's different - it was more than 15 years ago. The difference is that East Germany was a part of the Soviet Union, and when it collapse, then so did all the other states around the Union. North Korea is built upon Kim Il Sung's "Juche" ideology, thus it sepparated quite a while ago from the rest of the "communist world".

But sure - if all other states collapsed, then why didn't Cuba, Vietnam and Laos? They too depended on the progress and wealth of the Soviet Union.

[Wells]

I agree with Purple, North Korea is an awful dictatorship. As time continues the north will become increasingly isolated. As this continues the likeyhood of it succoming to the south's free maket capitalism is more likely. It's the obvious question, Would you rather a terrible dictatorship which is nowhere near communism, or a capitalist dominated Korea? At least the workers movement will have more power under Capitalism.

[Kurt Crover]

First of all that picture of the next North Korean leader..... Ok then!

What I find interesting is that quote from Wikipedia saying "each [government] claiming to be the legitimate government of all of Korea"... how is that possible? Are both North and South Korea simply being narrow minded in saying that? Because they have such different ideology, how can either say they "own" the other one? Also I read somewhere that North Korea is lifting the ban on people holding U.S passports, so they can enter North Korea. How hard is it to get into North Korea?

[EwokUtopia]

I cant see them becoming one nation state as we know it, and the cold war between them will probably last for a few more decades at least, hopefully, otherwise there is the possibility that the cold war goes hot, and that means a LOT of people die, which of course is never an acceptable outcome, too often it is the unfortunate outcome however. Juche is probably the biggest perversion of communism I can think of, its a mentally challenged monarchy with a few sickles and hammers lying around. Its the closest thing to Oceania I can think of right now (unless you get me talking about the American/ British/ Israeli axis of evil propaganda machine of course). If it does unite, I think that either there will be a huge war to unite it, or perhaps capitalism will die off and everyone can live together peacefully in true socialist democracy...........if only........

Unfortunately, it may be an epic struggle between dying US capitalism and rising Chinese Capitalist Communism (Capcom as I call it).

[Wells]

Capcom :lol: Lmao. I like that!