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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Impact of Corean Unification
t's been over a decade since the Iron Curtain came crashing down in Europe. The Bamboo Curtain is little more than a quaint phrase. Yet the Cold War remains very much alive on the Corean peninsula.
Across a 186-mile DMZ glare opposing armies collectively totaling 1.7 million. By all reckoning the Pyongyang regime should have become ideological roadkill following the collapse of communism. Instead, it remains an impregnable roadblock to the economic integration of East Asia, the world's fastest-growing region.
How can an economic nonentity be such a roadblock?
Consider its location at what should have been the crossroads of East Asia. With 56% of the peninsula's land mass, North Corea separates on one side the world's greatest market and labor pool (China) and the biggest reserve of natural resources (Sibera) from, on the other, two of the world's leading technological and manufacturing nations (Japan and South Corea).
But for Pyongyang's intransigence Seoul would already be linked by railroads and superhighways to Beijing, Moscow, Berlin, Paris and London. All those cities would also be linked to Tokyo via a bridge across the 126-mile strait dividing Shimonoseki from Pusan. The savings in shipping cost and time alone could amount to tens of billions of dollars a year. Such a trans-Eurasian land link would accelerate the cultural and economic integration of not only East Asia, but the world. In the process, the Corean peninsula would shed the burden of financing the world's most heavily fortified frontier and become the center of the global economy.
That's the vision dancing before the eyes of farsighted statesmen and business leaders pushing for the political leaps of faith needed to keep Pyongyang taking its unsteady baby steps toward opening North Corea.
But skeptics and pessimists abound. Even a loose confederation with the North would only burden and destabilize South Corea's economy and political system, they argue. For decades to come the impact on the global economy would be entirely negative as investors and customers begin shunning the uncertainties, denying capital and trading partners to hundreds of world-class Corean manufacturers. The ultimate result, argue the naysayers, would be to throw a monkey wrench into an alignment that has allowed three decades of strong growth for East Asia.
What is the likely impact of Corean unification?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:38:55 AM)
6 years out of high school? Please. There are socks in most people's drawers older than you.
Intelligence don't come from age, but wisdom does. You may fancy yourself an intelligent genius, but you are hardly the all knowing wiseman that you claim to be.
Actually, not that threatened by you. By the time you catch up to our level of income, prestige, experience, and stature, we'd be long retired and fishing everyday. The world would be passed on to another generation. Fortunately, many of your peers are less of an ass and idiot than you are, so the world will be fine. You won't amount to much, judging by the amount of time you spend here posting multiple messages throughout the day (for someone with so many accomplishments)...
Annapolis-Harvard Law Grad
Monday, June 24, 2002 at 19:12:05 (PDT)
AC, I do agree that living in the United States and not traveling can severely skew a person's view of other countries--case in point, China. But you are defending China and North Korea without showing any reason why we should overlook their human rights violations, and furthermore, why we should adopt your "never-ending carrot" diplomacy. It's admirable that you are trying to give a more balanced view of the world, but you consistently ignore the fact that North Korea is not China and vice versa. Whereas you had the luxury of living in China, it is very difficult for outsiders to live in North Korea--is it any wonder that people develop a skewed view of North Korea, when the North Korean government does not allow unsupervised tourists or journalists to roam around Pyong Yang? Do I give a biased view of North Korea?
Concerning personal narratives you wrote, "However, any crediable historian will try to get multiple narratives across social-economic-ethnic groups to interpret an event with as little bias as possible in this soft science field." They do, you are right. They often site personal narratives across social-economic-ethnic lines to bolster their argument. You are right, if we read ONLY Dr.Li's book, then we would have a skewed view of the world. But is Dr.Li's book any less accurate then some other historian that cites from his life testimony along with other people's annecdotes? First person narratives are extremely important in the study of history, and I dare say that it was popular even before 1980's. If we were to reject personal narratives, we would have to discount the thousands of testimonies by holocaust victims, "comfort" women, civil rights activists, and we would also reject every diaries. "balanced" isn't always the most factually correct presentation of history. For young people who needs to be spoon fed information, a good history textbook might be the answer, but for an avid student of history, primary sources is the best, the most credible source. Afterall, interpretations of Mao's "actual" plans is not as good as Mao's firsthand writings.
I think that the diary of Ann Frank is a much superior historical account of the Holocaust then many historical essays written by other people. History textbook often fails to elucidate the day to day human life experience of the holocaust. Statistical evidences often confuse and bewilder readers without showing details concerning human activity.
You are right, if we read ONLY the diary of Ann Frank we'd be in trouble. But for the same exact reason, reading just one source of anything is poor scholarship. It seems to me that your attack on "Harvard" guy pretty much rests on the assumption that his writing is biased while mainland Chinese scholars are "balanced." I think that you continue to display your irrationally pro-communist bias.
Recently North Korea showed South Korean world cup coverages. At first they only showed the flagrantly anti-american victory dance of Ahn Jung Hwan. I think this bad cop good cop routine of U.S./S. Korean policies is bad at all. Afterall, it is South Korea that will need to foot the bill for North Korea, and it is to South Korea, that North must make peace initiatives to. Furthermore, the First Strike policy isn't so different from what Bill Clinton did when he went into Kosovo. Only difference is rhetoric. North Korea was always paranoid of the United States, it's probably better that U.S. gives a clear signal to North Korea instead of the obscure signals of Clinton government. Afterall, Bill Clinton considered pre-emptive military strike.
ka
Monday, June 24, 2002 at 13:31:18 (PDT)
ka,
"The bottom line is that we offer North Korea unconditional talk and they STILL dont' come to the table."
That is somewhat a loaded statement. First off Jack Pritchard is schedule to meet with NK officals sometime this month. So weeks before the meeting Washington just announced that it will adopt a new doctrine of pre-emptive action against hostile states and groups developing weapons of mass destruction. Because they feel the Cold War policy of deterents and contaiment do not work in post 9-11 world.
Granted USA did not say, "NK we're going to blow you up." But with NK being label as an "axis of evil," how else can they interpret these signs.
AC Dropout
Monday, June 24, 2002 at 09:58:57 (PDT)
ka,
Taiwan was thrown into the discussion. Becasue Taiwan has a 5th branch of the national gov't called the Censorship Bureau. It purpose to censor the TV and newspapers. However, because of Taiwan explosion into "freer" society. It is not regulated in practice.
My point been I base my opinions on experiences. I've lived in ROC, PRC, USA, so I make distinction of what actually occurs in practice, after the sound bytes you read in the media. China also makes some pretty ridiculous assumption about USA. But because we all lived here, we basically can see how it an mis-interpretation. The converse is not usually true on this board.
Personal narratives was a practice popularized in the 80's by main stream historians. However, any crediable historian will try to get multiple narratives across social-economic-ethnic groups to interpret an event with as little bias as possible in this soft science field.
The personal views and experiences of Dr. Li would be a footnote in a historical interpretation of the trail of the Gang of Four and Cultural. Just like the Diary of Ann Franks is not a historical interpretation of the Holocaust.
Annapolis-Harvard Law Grad has a stance on how to approach N Korea? He just came on his board and just stated how he felt the brunt of the Cultural Revolution was not curtailed by Mao. He believe the CR just magically stopped in 1976. The movement was effectively over by 1974. His basic objection is my handle alone.
AC dropout
Sunday, June 23, 2002 at 14:42:58 (PDT)
Annapolis-Harvard Law Grad,
I don't have any PhD's, you must be thinking about somebody else. Projecting innaccurately on an online persona, is one of the signs of mental instability.
I've been out of college 6 years. I cite things from HS to let you have a perspective on my peers. My peers in college were already collecting royalities on patents because of research done at GM during their Westinghouse Science competition.
But I'm not here to list accolades and accomplishments. I was just trying to illustrate these accomplishments have very little to add to the discussion. However, you keep falling back on your accomplishments as some sort of catch all proof of your stance in these discussion.
You make personal attacks and attacks on my credibility, however, it does not sway anyone of any intelligence. Let alone provide insight to your stance.
As for my age, well that has always been a double edged sword for me. Are you threatened by just the mere thought that there are people younger than you and more accomplished than you? You're on a one way ticket to a mid-life crisis if you believe that.
AC dropout
Sunday, June 23, 2002 at 14:12:12 (PDT)
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