South Korea

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

I was discussing the subject of weather or not American troops should pull out of S. Korea, or not? Are the troops causing any turmoil, is their prescence causing unstability, conflicts, or repression? Does S. Korea need the troops? What is the S.Korean president willing to do about it? What is Bush willing to do about it? Is the conflict with N. Korea making a difference or changing anyone's attitude toward the prescence of the troops? I must say that I am very reluctatnt to believe that the troops are there to enstate any peace, the US military is definitely not a humanitarian organization, though they are supposedly keeping any N. Korean invasions or attacks out, is their prescence there still needed for this? Is there an alternate motive to keep so many troops stationed in S. Korea? Do the S. Koreans want the troops there?

please try to answer as many of these as you can, sorry if it's a bit repetitive.

[Saint-Just]

The U.S. troops in South Korea have committed numerous barbaric acts of murder, theft, rape and so on. Their presence in Korea has initiated a string of national security laws that obstruct the political participation of Koreans. Up until 1992 the ROK was U.S. inspired military dictatorship. South Korea is not a whole country but rather half of one country. The South is a country that suffers at the hands of imperialist occupation whilst the North has constructed and led the Korean people independantly under its own efforts.

Their is no prospect of the North invading the South unless the U.S. troops are not removed. The North has said it will not change the capitalist regime in the South if the U.S. pulls out and Korea unites and that the first steps of reunification will rather be to establish trade links and exchanges in information. The U.S. has over 1000 nuclear warheads stationed in South Korea which pose a constant threat to the security of the North.

[deimos]

I've heard that there were problems with the US Soldiers in the ROK.But I think that the Skoereans want them because of the north. also with the GI's, the north could overrun the suth within hours.

The South is a country that suffers at the hands of imperialist occupation whilst the North has constructed and led the Korean people independantly under its own efforts.
Sorry, but for me it looks like that the ppl in the north suffer far more than those in the south....If I am not wrong, south korea is a rich country.In the north people are starving...

[praxis1966]

The reason that S. Korea is so much more prosperous is because of U.S. foreign aid. The U.S. spends billions each year supporting the S. Korean government and economy. This is not to say that the U.S. is playing the benevolent superpower, quite the contrary. The foreign aid packages come with strings attached, one of them being the forced quarter of U.S. military instillations there.

You are both right, though. The U.S. military is not present in S. Korea as a way of fostering democracy, protection of the South, or enforcing the so-called Pax Americana. The real reason is that U.S. foreign policy since the beginning of the Cold War is one of containment--both of communism and any liberation/anti-colonialist movement that poses a threat to U.S. strategic military positions (which as we all know bear a direct relationship to U.S. economic interests). All this without regard for humanitarian concerns.

[jjack]

Quote: from deimos on 3:03 pm on April 23, 2003
I think that the Skoereans want them because of the north.

Having talked to people from South Korea, the thing that they seem to be really interested in is the elimination of the border which keeps Koreans apart. The US military presence in the region is an obstacle to this because it reinforces the division.


If I am not wrong, south korea is a rich country.In the north people are starving...


Living in a rich nation is by no means a gurantee of your well-being, especially under capitalism. I'm sure there are plenty of south Koreans who are starving.

[Saint-Just]

The North would be under better economic circumstances if the U.S. had not enforced a blocade on it for 50 years which has now led its energy production to be so insufficient that some of its people starve. South Korea has received massive U.S. aid and invest ment, but you are all correct in any capitalist system there are masses of people in poverty.

If the country is unified it will see a new era in which trade increases massively and people of the same nationality can unite once again. If there was unification there would be a great increase of prosperity in the socialist North. This is why the U.S. does not want unification even though the system in the South will be preserved.

[Iepilei]

The new SKorean president was elected primarily because of his Anti-American stance.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

Would it work if the military "wall" between the south and north was removed? Would there be no tension. Might there not be a mass emmigration of the North Koreans to the south, where, as I understand, wealth, prosperity, and employment are abundant. And yes, it is possible for a capitalist nation to be virtualy free of povery, look at N. America and W. Europe. These regions are, of course, dependent on third-world labor, but so is S. Korea, is it not?

[Subcomandante Marcos]

The Us military is by no means trying to help the koreans at all, northern and southerns.

We all know how the military works, they kill anyone who opposes them in order to preserve their so called hypocrecy, many murders have been commited by the troops for anyone who publically supports the DPRK and prmoting by any means capitalism amongst koreans who only want their land reunited once and for all.

I heard some news about some actions against N. Korea for the Plutonium, but since i lived in a far away forgotten corner of this world i am bound to ignorance.

[Saint-Just]

Quote: from Victorcommie on 10:32 pm on April 24, 2003
Would it work if the military "wall" between the south and north was removed? Would there be no tension. Might there not be a mass emmigration of the North Koreans to the south, where, as I understand, wealth, prosperity, and employment are abundant. And yes, it is possible for a capitalist nation to be virtualy free of povery, look at N. America and W. Europe. These regions are, of course, dependent on third-world labor, but so is S. Korea, is it not?


There would be some emmigration to the South, not much of a problem. The North would become far more wealthy if the wall was removed.

[Sabocat]

I currently do business with South Koreans on almost a daily basis, and to a person they tell me that they want the two Korea's united again. The biggest obstacle to the unification according to them is the U.$.They also have stated that they do not approve of the U$ military there.

[jjack]

Quote: from Victorcommie on 10:32 pm on April 24, 2003
And yes, it is possible for a capitalist nation to be virtualy free of povery, look at N. America and W. Europe.

50,000 innocent children in the United States starve to death each year. I don't think I need to elaborate further on that.

If I could pose a question, I am curious to know how they would organize a dual economy in zones of north and south should the country be reunited.

(Edited by jjack at 3:42 pm on April 25, 2003)

[Saint-Just]

Quote: from jjack on 3:39 pm on April 25, 2003

Quote: from Victorcommie on 10:32 pm on April 24, 2003
And yes, it is possible for a capitalist nation to be virtualy free of povery, look at N. America and W. Europe.

50,000 innocent children in the United States starve to death each year. I don't think I need to elaborate further on that.

If I could pose a question, I am curious to know how they would organize a dual economy in zones of north and south should the country be reunited.

(Edited by jjack at 3:42 pm on April 25, 2003)


I think on issues such as national security they would have to come to a consensus. Or they would have a central government for such issues with economic policy under the control of the governments of the two regions. They can run two different economic system simultaneously, such as is done in China, although it is a far different situation in Korea. The South Koreans may change their regime anyway, they would most likely vote on what powers they wished to succeed to the North, possibly none at all.