Last week I discussed Korea being a major threat to the United States and any capitalistic democratic country. It is a conventional military threat greater than any other country in the world today and this threat has remained camouflaged as we have focused on the threats from the Middle East and non-conventional military action. The military force of Korea as well as all political and economic activities reside in the hands of a twenty-seven-year-old dictator that many consider to be mad while others consider him to be quite sane and smart yet ruthless.
Korea was occupied by the invading army from Japan from 1910 to 1945. During this time Korea launched guerrilla war against the invaders from Japan. Kim ll-sung was one of the guerillas and he later became the first leader of North Korea. After World war II a boundary was drawn that divided the country in half much as what happened to Germany. Russian control was in the North and American control was in the South.
In 1949 North Korea invaded South Korea with the aid of the Soviet Union. Eventually the United Nation supported army moved north, crossed the 38th parallel that marked the border between the two countries, destroyed the majority of industrial buildings and stopped at the border with Korea and China. An armistice was signed and remains in effect today. There was no formal surrender or peace treaty.
Over the years China continued to support the North while America supported the south. In 1958 China officially moved out of North Korea and that is when North Korea marks the birth of its’ nation. Kim ll-sung remained in power until 1994 when he died of a heart attack. At the time the countries was in collapse following reduced support from China and the collapse of its’ largest financial supporter, the Soviet Union. Korea was in a standoff with America over its’ nuclear program and the stress was too much on the elder leader.
Kim Jong-ll assumed power but the stress was still there. North Korea had a great famine and this disaster proved that the country could not support itself in such a catastrophe. Then George W. Bush declared North Korea to be a Rogue State. In 2006 North Korea conducted its’ first Nuclear Bomb test. In 2011 Jong-ll died and he was replaced by his son and current ruler Kim Jong-un.
Jong-ill had planned for his son to assume the lead as ruler of Korea. What was not planned was his early death and it was speculated that Jong-ll’s son, Jong-un was not experienced enough to rule North Korea. Many believed that Jong-un’s uncle would act as regent until the child-ruler had matured. This did not happen and eventually the uncle was stripped of all power, his pictured was removed from all public locations and the uncle was executed. It was reported that his family members were also executed to include children and grandchildren thus eliminating all trace of Jong-ll’s life.
Jung-un used the press to build his power and position. He was declared as “a great person born of heaven”. Then the working party declared that “We vow with bleeding tears to call Kim Jong-un our supreme commander, our leader. One Korean magazine declared Jong-un to be the most handsome man in the world for that year.
His education was based in Switzerland where he attended school under an assumed name. He is reported to have been quiet but not a good student and liked basketball. This could be a reason that he enjoyed a visit from Dennis Rodman to North Korea. His attendance at school was not good either and his mentor was the North Korean ambassador to Switzerland. When he returned to North Korea he is suspected of attending a military college for five years. North Korea is very secretive and very little is known of its’ ruling class.
Recently, Jong-un is believed to have ordered his half-brothers assassination in Thailand. The man has no conscience and his method of execution is intended to serve as a psychological message to any that oppose him.
The future is very perilous when it comes to North Korea and even though America would triumph in a war, it would be very bloody and brutal. Twenty-five million civilians would be caught directly in the fire of the two military giants. Also, as bad as the North wants to march South the South also want to go North and vanquish the devils in North Korea.
The coming weeks will prove to be very interesting if not disconcerting.
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