1. Korea A lesson on the lasting conflicts in Korea and N. Korea’s nuclear threat

2. Directions  Read the background information  Read and analyze the linked articles and maps  Complete the assignment on slides 7-13

3. In 1945 after the end of World War II and the dissolution of the Axis powers (Germany, Japan and Italy), Korea, which was previously under Japan's rule, became occupied by both the United States and the Soviet Union. The nation was divided along the 38th parallel into the North and South --North Korea went under Soviet control, and South Korea was placed under U.S. governance. Korea was also divided along ideological lines. South Korea was established as a democracy in the Western tradition, and North Korea soon took on the mantle of the Soviet Union's communist regime under Josef Stalin, that nation's totalitarian dictator. On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded the South in hopes of spreading its form of government. This act immediately spurred a strong condemnation from the United Nations and a call for support of the South. On June 27, President Truman answered that call and sent American troops to the region; they were soon joined by forces from 15 other nations. American general Douglas MacArthur, five years removed from his World War II leadership success, was appointed by Truman to be supreme commander of the entire allied effort. The North garnered support as well --massive amounts of artillery from the Soviets and waves of troops from Communist China. The campaign soon turned into a brutal war of attrition, ultimately settling into the 38th parallel. An armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, but only after devastating casualties: in addition to over 30,000 American soldiers losing their lives, close to 4 million Korean soldiers and civilians were killed as well. Background Information

4. The conflict also had the resounding effect of amplifying the noise of the cold war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, with North Korea consolidating its power as a Soviet-backed military dictatorship and the South a U.S.-supported democracy. Today, under totalitarian dictator Kim Jong Il (also known as the Dear Leader), North Korea continues to function as a secretive, militaristic regime. Political propaganda pervades the nation, with huge portraits of Kim Jong IL and his deified father, Kim IL Sung (the Great Leader), towering over the cities' transportation networks. North Korea also has the world's fifth-largest military, hundreds of ballistic missiles, and, as recently acknowledged, nuclear-weapons capability. It recently claimed to have tested a nuclear weapon. In great part as a result of its costly military build up, though, North Korea has undergone severe economic problems, leading to at least 2.5 million of its people starving to death in the past decade. Currently, the U.S. and its allies are intent on seeing North Korea cease its nuclear program, since not only the region is at risk, the U.S. also fears that the North may be developing long-range missiles that can deliver nuclear warheads thousands of miles away to the American west coast. Background Information

5. PBS Article: N. Korea  Read the linked article http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_c overage/asia/northkorea/relations.html

6. Related Maps  Examine the related maps http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth _coverage/asia/northkorea/map_flash. html http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth _coverage/asia/northkorea/map_flash. html http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stori es/northkorea/map.html http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stori es/northkorea/map.html

7. Assignment  Define the related terms listed below 1. Armistice 2. Cold War 3. Communism 4. Propaganda 5. Totalitarian 6. War of Attrition

8. Paragraph Questions  Use your background reading, articles and maps, as well as any additional online research you do to answer the following questions.  Answer each of the following questions in paragraph format. There are 4 questions

9. 1. In theory, North Korea is a communist nation, which calls for equal distribution of its wealth, a one-party political system and a single ruler of the nation. From what weknow, how closely does North Korea's government resemble the one envisioned by Karl Marx's communist doctrine? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheig hts/shared/minitextlo/prof_karlmarx.html

10. 2. China has decided recently to distance itself from the aggressive stance of North Korea, even though the two nations share a governmental and economic philosophy. Also, China along with the Soviet Union was the North's chief ally during the Korean War. Why do you think China has not thrown its support behind North Korea during the recent tensions?

11. 3. Referring to the maps of the region, why might it be foolish for the North to once again invade the South as it had done in 1950?

12. 4. Seoul, the political and economic capital of South Korea, is situated close to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and would presumably be the first target by an attack by the North, many of whose missiles are fixed on the city. Why do you think Seoul continues to thrive as a city and economic force in the world despite the constant threat under which it lives?

13. Questions for Thought North Korea has recently admitted to testing nuclear weapons. The United States and other nations, under the authority of the United Nations, are currently considering economic sanctions in order to persuade them to cease and dismantle its nuclear- weapons program. North Korea, of course, is in dire need of economic aid and sanctions could have significant impact.  Answer the following questions with a 1-2 sentence answer. 1. Do you think the UN should put economic sanctions on N. Korea? Explain. 2. Do you think N. Korea can be trusted in its negotiations with the UN? Explain. 3. What action do you think the U.N. should take against N. Korea, if any? Explain in detail.