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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
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(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:38:55 AM)
Annapolis-Harvard Law Grad,
If people have socks that old, it is only a reflection of their fashion taste. I'm glad to hear your one of those that wears suspenders and a bow tie to work.
I never claimed or stated to be a wiseman. You on the other projected that assumption on me. That is a behavior trait you will need to correct within yourself.
That's funny. Ever since I found a day-to-day executive for the NYC brach, I've been semi retired for the past 4 months. Recuperating from working non-stop for 6 years. Golfing and Goldsea are some of the leisure activities I pursue now. I'll see you on the Golf course in 30 years or so. Hope the firm's gold watch was really worth it.
AC Dropout
Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 10:40:41 (PDT)
ka,
I don't make the mistake that NK is China or vise versa. There are different milestones in their respective 20th century history that lead them to the destinations they have reached.
Look the problem with Dr. Li book is that it doesn't not give any significant insight to historical events in China's history. Without reading the book I can probaby tell you what the gist of the book is about. Rich, powerful asian men sleep around and abuse their positions. Nothing new there. Insightful books are gems in acedemia, few and far between.
Diaries are and personal accounts are just 2 line footnotes for those books. Any good acedemic no matter what political system they live under will be able to provide a insightful view.
Most people can compute the function 1+1=2. But I don't consider everyone to be a mathmatician. Most people know the mantra "I think, therefore I am." I don't consider most people to be philosophers either.
The introduction of personal narratives as crediable referrence, started mostly in ethnic study courses. Since it was not possible to get a book case of reference material on small ethnic goups in the USA. They started taking tape recorders and making transcripts.
My attack on the Havard guy is the same as his attacks on me. They're entertaining exchange of banter and wit. Even though Havard guy is severely lacking in the wit department.
I read the same news about NK showing the World Cup competition. Funny thing though I was coming to work today and went by Flushing in NYC. There a large Korean population there. In any event they closed off a street in the center of Flushing and had a big screen tv broadcasting the World Cup. There was a herd of people just staring at the tv in the middle of the street since 7am. Oh well too bad SK lost.
Considering a pre-emptive strike and annoucing a pre-emptive strike against NK are too entirely different things. This isn't the bible where one's thinking of sin is the same as committing sin.
Your bias to thinking that the USA is justified in their action is also as ridiculous. Would it make you feel better that this president we have has not given an much thought to our foreign policies before coming to office. He has thought about domestic affairs. The worlds recent conflicts are directly reflective of their ungrounded anti-Clinton foreign policies. "If Clinton did this it must be bad" was the first 6 months of Bush's administrations.
AC Dropout
Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 10:28:49 (PDT)
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