Summary
North Korea gets public’s attention when they agree to South Korea’s proposal to allow family reunions between the two of countries. These family reunions have not yet taken place but if or when they do, the impact will be huge. Three years have passed since such an occasion has occurred, in the meantime families have longed for their loved ones who were separated from them during the Korean war of 1950-1953. The hope is to see North Korea and South Korea come to a mutual agreement to tolerate family reunions being held on a regular basis as a way to break the tension that has divided them for so long. This situation is more complex as North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-un took the life of his own uncle, Jang Song-thaek, who held second most powerful stance with the country as well as many others within his “father’s inner circle” and is now facing what the article calls a “power struggle.” Kim Jong-un has been head- strong on advancing his nuclear program and orders South Korea to disengage military drills with the US, but South Korea sees this as necessary preparation for future conflicts, particularly the North.
North Korea gets public’s attention when they agree to South Korea’s proposal to allow family reunions between the two of countries. These family reunions have not yet taken place but if or when they do, the impact will be huge. Three years have passed since such an occasion has occurred, in the meantime families have longed for their loved ones who were separated from them during the Korean war of 1950-1953. The hope is to see North Korea and South Korea come to a mutual agreement to tolerate family reunions being held on a regular basis as a way to break the tension that has divided them for so long. This situation is more complex as North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-un took the life of his own uncle, Jang Song-thaek, who held second most powerful stance with the country as well as many others within his “father’s inner circle” and is now facing what the article calls a “power struggle.” Kim Jong-un has been head- strong on advancing his nuclear program and orders South Korea to disengage military drills with the US, but South Korea sees this as necessary preparation for future conflicts, particularly the North.
Analysis
This
report highlights the way in which North Korea makes an extremely slow
direction toward some type of better relationship with their arch rival South
Korea but still puts more emphasis on maintaining dominant power. North Korea
has for decades continued to threaten South Korea and has caused controversy as
a result from the Korean War which in turn has created emotional wounds among
the divided families. There is obvious lack
of trust and sense of community between the two countries but if they commit to
making this movement toward reconciliation then an international peace would be
discovered as well a greater stability among the countries. It very crucial
that South Korea continues to be receptive to any possibilities of cooperation
as they are very few and far between with North Korea being so unpredictable.
Source: The New York Times newspaper on page A18. Date of newspaper: Monday February 3, 2014
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