Korea...North and South...Two Countries - Two Systems

On a very recent visit to South Korea I was struck by an air of calm in Seoul that I had not witnessed on previous occasions immediately following a period of North Korean sabre-rattling. As a general rule, when you are living in a capital city less than 30 kms away from someone with whom you are still technically at war, you are bound to get nervous. And on this occasion there had been some actual rockets fired.

The reason for the apparent calm was explained to me as being a result of the strong support being shown to the South by the USA in particular. A comfort that foreign powers were going to keep a close watch on behalf of the M B Lee Government. In addition, China has appeared less inclined to side with the North as they may have done previously. Recognising, perhaps, that they too are now probably as much at risk from a madman's possible mistakes as South Korea.

The North has clearly tried to "up the stakes", but is this an act of desperation disguised as bravado? Perhaps they are concerned that its starving population might just get enough combined strength together to create "difficulties" for the Kim dynasty, although it is hard to see how this might happen in the repressive communist state. Or maybe this is Kim Jong-il trying to "appeal" to the Americans, or anyone else for that matter, to let him have some money... or else! If so, he's got a darn funny way of going about getting any kind of support. 

Or is he, for some reason other than a mental meltdown feeling somehow rather confident? How, for example, is he getting enough money to build new weapons of mass destruction? I am sure there are many people out there who have access to more possible answers than I have, but at the front of my own thoughts is the question - who else might be willing to lend a hand in creating nervous tension in the region? It would have to be somebody with money, and a desire particularly to destabilise any potential western influence in the region. And here I keep coming back to Iran as a potentially willing collaborator. Food, perhaps, for thought if not for Mr. Kim's starving population.

Whatever the North wishes to do politically, undiplomatically or whatever, the rather unusually calm South nevertheless has had its own issues to deal with, but the support coming from external forces takes some of the heat off needing to focus solely on the North.

The South's focus has, therefore, continued to be more business oriented, and I must tell you that, although it may not yet be apparent to the outside world, there remains a strong commitment by the Lee Government to open up the market to foreign companies and investors.

This Governmental commitment is not always reflected within South Korea generally where businesses still have some way to go in accepting the overall concept of more open markets. Market protectionism, which features in many of M B Lee’s speeches as being something that must not be pursued by Korea, nevertheless suits many if it protects their own industries and jobs – and it is a fact of life that it is a common theme in many countries. But you cannot have it both ways. You cannot close your markets to others, yet expect markets elsewhere to remain open to your goods and products.

By the same token, therefore, is it okay to close your markets to foreign business yet be willing to openly accept foreign support against a potential aggressor? Okay, so the USA has a security interest in being somewhere in the region, and Korea is a large presence for them, so their willingness to support the South may not totally altruistic. But it nevertheless remains an argument.

So what is the point of all this?

North Korea is becoming increasingly and worryingly belligerent, possibly supported by outside forces and maybe concerned about the plight and possible reaction of its starving population. South Korea on the other hand, is pressing ahead with plans to open up its economy, and is being allowed to do so as it faces less pressure from the North.

So what about in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons arsenal, North Korea opens up to foreign investment in the same way that its communist neighbour, China, has done so successfully. Step by step. But guided by the South. They speak the same language. They have the same ethnic background. They could follow the format of another experiment further south, of One country – Two systems. It would be a start, but perhaps it will take a real change of attitude, or leader, in the North to come anywhere close.

Comments

[Alex Hofford]

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[Noah Webster]

Sir,

Yes, it is okay to openly accept foreign support against a potential aggressor. The first responsibility of a government is the protection of its citizenry.

Further to your point in the same vein, one would would be hard-pressed to find a sensible individual who would profess seriously that the US' global military posture is the result of "totally altruistic" motives. Of course, it is the US' national interests, as it perceives them, that is foremost in determining its foreign policy.

Fortunately for many countries, not least quite a number of Asian ones, the US perceives supporting it allies with more than just empty rhetoric (did someone just say "European Union"?), and fostering democratic forms of government, respect for human rights, and freedom of navigation of the seas, as being in its national interest.

[Bob]

An interesting & informative inside analysis! Could it be that an appropriately placed 'person' could take note!! Let us hope so!

The possibility of Iranian involvement, particularly alarming! Let us hope that incompetence, rather than ruthless irrational malevolence occurs, should that be the case!

But, as is implied, with 'Mental Meltdown' (such a wonderful phrase), the situation is very unpredictable.