A country divided. Families split in half, siblings separated. This is the cruel reality of Korea’s 38th parallel, the dividing line between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (or North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (or South Korea). At the end of World War II, this line was created to divide the Soviet Union from the U.N. and the USA’s watch over South Korea. When communist troops spread beyond that line in 1950, the Korean War ensued. The war still continues today. In 1953, the two divided nations came to a ceasefire with a truce but never a treaty, and thus the North continues to threaten the South. That threat has extended to the South’s main protectors: the United States.
Under the communist rule of Kim Jong Il, North Korea has consistently provoked militia. In June of 2009, the North threatened to deploy a test missile at Hawaii. Though the attack never came to fruition, U.S. forces were nonetheless prepared for action. More recently, the North is believed to have destroyed a South Korean submarine, suggested as an act of war by many South Koreans. Still, the North denies its involvement.
But how big of a threat is North Korea to the United States? They have the world’s fourth largest army, despite having the 50th largest population in the world, making them quite the fearful force. North Korea is believed to be housing ballistic missiles in addition to nuclear technology; however, these ballistic weapons are years away from becoming intercontinental. In other words, the farthest their missiles could reach would be Alaska or Hawaii. Furthermore, there is a 90 percent or greater chance of America shooting down these missiles long before they can damage U.S. soil, says Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright.
In order to attack the mainland, North Korean forces would have to travel to the U.S., carrying the weapons in tote. And U.N. sanctions allowing searches of any vessel believed to be housing weapons of mass destruction make this process rather difficult.
The bigger threat the North places to the United States is in selling their current technology and weapons to enemy forces.
Regardless of what threat the North directly poses to the USA, it holds a great deal of leverage over U.S.-guarded South Korea. The tensions between the two countries run strong, and any further attack on southern soil or military could mean war, a war that the USA would ultimately be pressed into.
Today the threat is silent. North and South have agreed to open borders for 100 families on each side to meet on October 30. A similar event was held last year. South Korea, eager to unite their country, is hopeful that this event will become annual.
But with the rise of a new heir, will relations become tense, or will they heal? Jong Il is reported to have suffered a stroke within the last two years, and has awarded his third and youngest son the title of four-star general in addition to chairman of the military committee, the same positions offered to him by his father before succession. The boy, Kim Jong Un, has been hidden from the eyes of the public until his debut. He is believed to be in his late 20s and Swiss-educated. Jong Un bears a striking resemblance to both his father and grandfather, with stern facial features and a neatly-cropped head of black hair.
Tension runs deep in U.S. and North Korean negotiations, but with any luck a new ruler could change all of that. For now, we must wait for North Korea to act before we make any move ourselves. America is ready to go on the defensive, should the worst happen. Until then, all we can do is hope, for us, and for the divided families of North and South.