A Brief Overview of Korean Geography and History

1. The Korean Peninsula is strategically positioned and juts out 1,000 kilometers into the sea. Geographic Setting

2.The two major geographic features of Korea are its mountains and its plains.. These plains are the major rice-producing landforms

3.The Korean peninsula has a 6,000 mile coastline with numerous good harbors.

4.History and culture have been intertwined with the histories of China, Japan, and Russia and most recently with that of the United States.

5. Culture developed unique cultural traits but its development was arrested during its occupation by the Japanese from

6. End of World War 2 left the Korean peninsula divided along the 38 th Parallel. Northern half of the country fell under the Russian communist influence Southern was in the American sphere.

“The Forgotten War”

 A Korean proverb says: "A shrimp is crushed in battle between whales.“  What do you think the significance of this quote is?

Containment  Remember Keenan’s policy for US?  Couldn’t allow the domino theory to take place  "I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." (Truman)

Attempts to Unify Korea  The Republic of Korea (ROK) was formally established on Aug. 14,  Dr. Syngman Rhee is first president.  Outspoken anti-communist  Soviet authorities prohibited an election in the North. The northern half of Korea held separate elections in the fall of 1948  Establish the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and inaugurate Kim Il Sung as its new president.  He is of course, a staunch communist

Kim Il Sung Invades  Communist victory in China’s civil war emboldens Sung to press for Soviet support of invading S. Korea  Wanted to reunify country under communist rule  On June 25, 1950, the North Korean Army attacked across the 38th parallel to unify the peninsula

World’s Response  US and UN troops sent to support South Korea in a “Police Action”  Push communists back and then push into N. Korea to unify it on our own terms  China enters war to help N. Korea and outnumbers US & UN troops

Back and Forth  Both sides turn tides of war repeatedly  MacArthur is fired for disobeying Truman’s orders during the war, he also suggested use of atomic bomb on Korea and Red China.  Eisenhower is elected on promise to end US involvement in Korea, not as easy as he thinks…

Effects of War  The intense and bitter fighting in Korea turned the buildings to rubble, destroyed the farmlands and left millions of Koreans homeless.  # of refugees wandering nomadically in South Korea was estimated at 3 million

Is it the end?  July 27, 1953, representatives for the United States and North Korea (also representing China) signed the Military Armistice Agreement.  South Korea refused to sign because a permanently divided Korea was unacceptable  Today, there is still no official peace on the peninsula

7.The Korean War had disastrous consequences for the people of the Korean peninsula hundreds of thousands of casualties persistent atmosphere of hostility between North and South Korea.

8. South Korea’s economic “miracle” rivals the Japanese, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong Increasingly shed its authoritarian government and has moved toward greater democratic ideals.

9. North Korea remains one of the last totalitarian communist dictatorships. 10.Pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens the stability of the region

North Korean Poster Is this what North Korea plans for the United States?