The long road to Korean reunification - 21 Sep 07

[independentTW]

Wish for peaceful Korean reunification. Long road but you have to reach for the destination. Many difficulties. Do you think PRC want this unification? However you will win

[VitoAndoliniCarlayun]

check USSR ww2 army and air force video i made

watch?v=4Q1l8vAZ55U

[felex5000]

Reunification without foreign intervention. I long to see that in my lifetime. I cannot even begin to comprehend what Korea would be able to achieve unified.

[3dwardcullen69]

@felex5000 Korea unified will achieve a big fat.... nothing. Didn't you hear what he said in the video? the economic gap between the North and South is so great that if Korea unified it would bankrupt South Korea in 5 years (2:55). South Korea is a wealthy country, but its no western Germany. As even now, the effects of communist are obvious in eastern Germany. So while its good to be optimistic, in this case, its probably better to be realistic.

[eplayersus]

@3dwardcullen69 dont worrry, they have USA and JAPAN

[felex5000]

@3dwardcullen69 I know what you mean. Anyone can see that the immediate opening of borders would be suicidal. I meant to say that I wanted to see the process of reunification completed successfully. Economic equalization, political naturalization, and whatnot, after which total reunification can be completed.

[felex5000]

@3dwardcullen69 Yeah, anyone can see that immediate opening of borders would be suicidal. I meant that I wanted to see the process of reunification completed, which would include political, and economic naturalization.

[dafranx]

North Korea and South Korea should've been reunited since the collapse of the Soviet Union; the whole world knows the Soviet Union is dead. Germany and Vietnam were reunited into their whole forms, why can't Korea?

[sinkiller112]

@dafranx us south want to reunify but kim jong il is too drunk with power and luxury and all that also the chinese and NK have connections so if we try reunify they would try stop it

[Phead128]

@dafranx

The U.S.S.R. collapsed because of over-military spending in their military establishment, and unmanagable overseas committments (Afghanistan), as well as political and economic reform at the same time.

The U.S.S.A. collapsed in East Asia because of excessive indebtness, slow economic growth, and unmanagable overseas committments.

Sounds like USA already conceded Korea's future to China.

[TeamRedz]

all i want before i die is to see my country reunite into 1

[dingdongdicher0]

Its not just Kim Jong Il but the whole country is screwed. the govnmt. has brain washed the entire population with propraganda. To make things even more worst tension has recently been rising in the 2 Koreas. Pretty soon here North korea will go even more crazy.

[lumianic]

Many people misinterprete Hu Jin Tao,His true wish is to get NK under a more present china style adminisstration of people's republic but not with capitalism or democratic as korea peninsula is not a big nation like china and us so we can't use capitalism,but there is a way:CAPITALISM + COMMUNISM,CAN EVERYONE ACCEPT?!IF NO,THEN I AM SORRY!NO UNIFICATION

[athlonz2007]

Social democracy seems to be a good road, at least it doesnt has a big corruption rate.

[lumianic]

hmph,but your answer seems can't concinve me of what future will korea peninsula leads to,let themselves choose or they create a new style instead.Maybe this is the best way to get them administrated in a more balanced nation.

[BabyBang17datruth]

Reunification between these two aint gonna be easy. You've got a comm. and a dem. gov. Of course the US wants a Seoul run Korea, but does China want to get along?

[angelsi007]

I dont think S.Korean r the real Koreans anymore, American brainwashed em all in to be westernized to destroy Asian culture and influence over there, also ; Check out "Christianity in Korea", 1/3 of the population been brainwashed by American missionaries, while they were poor and war torn. Foreign religion is a tool on colonialism and imperialism, u invade or stationed in one country then u convert them into ur own, then u can control em like a puppet.

[wizzzer1337]

north koreans dont even know that there is a real world outside of north korea, and are struck in the soviet era. is that your idea of a real Korean? slaves for a single man, Kim Jong Il? that is your idea of real koreans?

FUCK YOU!

[southparkfan2717]

At this point its worse then being stuck in a Soviet era.

[Deutschland596]

@southparkfan2717 Too bad Soviet children had the best childhood in the world... Ну, погоди! NU POGODI!

[southparkfan2717]

@Deutschland596 LMAO!!!!!

[Deutschland596]

@southparkfan2717 I thought your comment was quite funny as well! :]

[Ironcabbit]

@angelsi007 Catholicism and Christianity were planted there long before the North/South divide. Until you quit seeing the squatter model of toilet in the places over there, I'm going to take the rest of your argument with a grain of salt.

[angelsi007]

South Korea still have 30k U.S Troops which is also a problem for unification & S.Korea is still a puppet government of the USA as the North was possibly one for the Soviets but free now.Many may be inspired to hate the North Koreans system influenced by your media, but you should also know that the South Korean politics is also a big joke a&current president is a Lapdog for USA.Kim doesnt just want power, he is Anti-USA, that why north&south is technically@war.

[603619]

kim is full of crap. i feel bad for north koreans. kim sees his country as his own personal property and the people as its slaves. all he cares is his stupid power. no country can function like this forever. something will snap.

[fas852]

i agree but when and china , russia and japn

and even u.s. may not want unification?

South korea has too many powerful enemies. North korea 's leadership does not want unification because they will lose

their power.

[bodonationalist]

If North Korea is interested to have re-unification of the country let a free UN sponsored elections be held on both the republics,so let people decide.But it is highly unlikely because reunification means to the dictators of the North end to the monopoly of power,reminds me of East Germany where they built a wall to prevent people from from escaping to west Berlin,Erich Honecker even said the wall would remain for hundred years.Reunification is possible only if North Korea Collapses.

[lumianic]

i agree,the same way Malaysia gain independent with this way,but what is the formula?

[Gkw95]

I'm afraid the disparity in culture between the two Koreas are growing further apart each day. Reunification at this point will certainly not be comparable to Germany's; it will probably be a long and bureaucratic process so as to preserve the economic capacity of the south while at the same time providing aid to the starving citizens of the north. Of course before all this the DPRK government has to accept compromise... which at this point is highly unlikely. :(

[PipoMadness1992]

Korea will eventually be reunited into one. They can't escape reunification. Sooner or later, who knows when it will happen? If West Germany and East Gernamy can reunite into one Germany, North Korea and South Korea can also reunite into one Korea too, a democractic Korea. North Korea looks like it's almost ready to fall apart. Jong Il got cancer, and I doubt his successor could hold the iron grip as well as Jong Il could.

[lumianic]

Pipo,are you so confident in democratic?!If you say like this north korea government will not be pleased to hear this,and this harden the process of unification,let themselves choose their own way of managing a country wihout the aid from outside's power like us and china and others,just let them settle their business all alone or otherwise they think the election will be controlled as puppet by other nation.

[PipoMadness1992]

I don't care much about the two Koreas nowadays. My opinion changed over time.

North Korea can complain and whine whatever they want like an imbecile child. They can slowly rot away with their dying economy and famished population.

[Mikeayoung01]

The leaders of North Korea doesnt want to join again wit the south because they hav absolute power in the north. If they were to join into one big Korea then which government would it be under? Its stuff like that that is keeping them from reunification. At the moment with all of the tensions rising in the area, it is unknown what is going to happen. Thier is probally another leader that is going to take Kim Jong Il's place but, with all the nuclear activities going on, will there be war?

[877hcz]

HU JIN  TAO LOVE KIM

[freedomofmymind]

No he doesn't. He has a great interest in taht region!

[applecan2]

It seems like Kim Jung Ill really want war I just read about how he will start war with ANY ONE WHO STOP THE SHIP FROM SHIPPING IN TO THE COUNTRY THEY WILL START WAR WITH and that's a sad thing for any country no war people

[fromdirttodustpro1]

Ok no one in Asia would let the ship dock and I dont see missiles flying. Kim Jung is full of shit. He just the annoying punk who thinks hes tough.

[triumphelf]

Communist China is Communist Korea's, only Trading Partner,Fuel,Aid,Medicine,ARMS­!!,-China will never Sanction, North Korea,Doing so would mean Collapse!! Of The North Korean Communist,Government,A Big Korean,Refugee Problem For China!China will alway's support Communist Korea!

[incheon]

Although technically you are right, but about the refugee problem. Yes the policy is to deport them back to N.K.But have you seen the result when the media gets involved?

[eetmaishit]

I've seen one part of my heritage reunited, now I want to see it happen in Korea. But, I do feel that American presence in Korea is a good thing. Although I feel the 2 Koreas should do it on their own, America's presence helps insure the peace.

[Phead128]

@eetmaishit

It's actually American presence impeding reunification to be very quite honest.

China will never let a Pro-American state take charge of a country that is historically been China's backyard.

[hairybeast101]

i heart dprk

[XxWestPopxX]

As long as N Korea have a stupid leader, N Korea will suffer. Unification plz

[Trumpet1324]

Korea should be unified,

communism is over.

[azqz12]

not in china not in romania not in cuba

[Trumpet1324]

Just Korea

[pickles1717]

not in romania?

where the fuck are u living dude?

im from romania

[BigKthe1]

the us must concede to the will of the korean people and let them work out there differences. I am from korea i left many years ago. my father was serving in the us military at the time but i am korean by birth. s koreans are peaceful and very capable people. occupation has occured in the past and korea has regained its lands and it will happen again.

[BigKthe1]

there is no military solution to reunification fo korea. it must be done with transparency and diplomaticaly with agreed upon terms and sacrifices from all parties. the decision should rest solely in the hands of the people of both koreas. America should simply facilitate the process and interfere as little as possible. a polocy of noninterference no matter what the loss to the US. humanity must move forward but i fear this will not occur any time soon with the current political climate.

[HistoryBuff75]

The problem is that ever SK government supports the US military in SK. So do many South Koreans. They see the US as a buffer to possible Chinese exapansion. So the responsibility really falls on South Koreans.

[itechno101]

Some people will say alot to discourage Reunificaton of Korea

[EriTenshi]

Korea is one... should unfinied in a peaceful way...

Nowadays It seems really hard.

cuz S.korea got really conservative anti peace president...

but should try it... especially young people don't really care about this...

Germany got unification... all the sudden...

but it was not sudden...

Germany tried in many different ways...

Korea... especially S.Korea should do something.

Do not listen too much USA's opinion...

especially in militery way...

[davevontexas]

EriTenshi: remember, they danced on the Berlin wall.

The Koreans *deserve* to be unified, and they could. Hu and the rest of the Chinese politburo aren't stupid, and for the first time in a very long time, the American leadership isn't either. The latest idiocy in the south China sea notwithstanding, I have a lot of hope. Even if I'm a 90 year old man when it happens, I'll buy you a beer in Panmunjeom when the wall comes down.

[Profsportster]

That twerp Kimmy boy runs a dead nation,... starving fools.

[Jurassic0Al]

Yes... things are so bad in the DPRK, the entire nation has extreme problems with simply feeding the people and supplying electricity to the cities. Meanwhile, the 'Dear Leader' rides around in an armored train(?) and indulges in so many selfish, extravagant practices he alone must account for at least 5% of the DPRK's yearly expenses.

[thosjsldjselfjweofjs]

typical chinese response, Disgusting. you wish other country happen something bad, and I know that is the typical chinese attitude. But bad thing will be happen in china first then anything else.

[hcn9]

and u fuckin americans dont give a shit about other countries. everything u do is for your own interest. fuck america and fuck u too muthafucka

[Jurassic0Al]

Oh, yes, that is very true. America doesn't care about anything but itself. That's why we fought in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and a long list of others. In Korea, our boys entered that country to fight for a free, democratic Korea, and more than 36,000 of them never came back alive. Thousands of Americans have died in foreign lands aiding other nations because hey, we don't care about anybody else. What a crock of ****.

[hcn9]

pff fuck america

[Jurassic0Al]

What, Bubba? Sounds like you ran out things to say. The old fallback- when all else fails, curse. Can't you do better than that?

[hcn9]

u americans shud stop pretending like u care about the world. u fight for ur self interest and ur fake democracy. who gives a fuck about ur soldiers they deserve to fuckin die. thats what happen when u interfer with the business of other countries. 9/11 is what u get for fuckin with the middleeast

[Jurassic0Al]

Jesus H. Christ, Bubba- all I heard was a ton of ugly words. You're gonna need a Kenworth to carry all that bull****! You must love the DPRK, my friend, and all those vindictive, violent little countries in the Middle East. Every time one of those idiot countries attacks Israel they get their nuts handed to them on a silver platter. And we like Israel. Don't forget that Saddam's boys got backsides handed to them by a US-led UN force. Two times.

[hcn9]

yea u can only fuck with da weak countries who has crap millitary. thats how the whole world knows how much of a pussy america is. u too scared too mess with china and russia. u scared to mess with iran too. why? becuz u know russia has her back. and u can keep suckin those dirty jews dicks.

[Jurassic0Al]

I'm done talking to you, Bubba. You're a really dumb, boring guy and you really ought to try writing two sentences without swearing forty-five times. Have fun getting chummy with Kim Jong Il while he continues to torture and starve the people of North Korea.

[hcn9]

have fun eating pretzels with george bush and drinking the blood of innocent iraqi women and children

[Jurassic0Al]

What's wrong with pretzels? Dunno what that's all about. I didn't vote for George Bush and in America we don't drink *nobody*'s blood. I really don't know what you're talking about, Bubba, and I thought I said I was done talking to you. Go away, will you?

[hcn9]

u mean u dont remember ur dear old george bush choking on a pretzel? and yes americans drink the blood of innocent women and children in iraq

[Jurassic0Al]

Ha ha, George W. Bush choked on a pretzel once? I didn't know about that, but that's kinda funny. I wouldn't want the President of the USA to die, though, not even Bush. No, we don't. Blood drinking in general is frowned upon in civilized nations.

[turduckens4u]

Have fun fucking your sister while your dead beat daddy beats of your your forehead.

[turduckens4u]

Please get off the sofa you sleep on in your parents basement and go get a job. Please? I dont want to have to start send your country food aid as well.

[antisocialism]

共产主义及社会主义是注定失败!现在全世界只有五个名字叫共产主­义国家的国家.有多少个正在搞资本主义呢?大家心照明白!在共产­国家的人民.个个做牛做马.共产党的幹部就大鱼大肉.当年毛泽东­的肚子那麽大.中国人民个个都骨瘦如柴. 大家心里就明白了.西方的共产主义和社会主义是不适合中国的!中­国共产党应该取消共党专政! 中国才有希望! 人权! 民主! 自由! 平等!

[antisocialism]

奴隶制(共产主义)，奴隶主(共产党)拥有奴隶(人民)的制度。­奴隶(人民)须为奴隶主(共产党)干活，无报酬，且无人身自由。­法律确认奴隶为奴隶主的私有财产，共产主义跟奴隶制也一样，国家­所有财产归共产党。人民跟本不可能享受自己生产所得的回报。奴隶­主(共产党)对奴隶(人民)握有生杀予夺的权力，可随意奴役、杀­害。奴隶(人民)没有独立的人格，没有任何自由和权利。

[spazn3905]

GOD WHY CANT WE JUST GET ALONG!!!

ENOUGH WITHHH WITH THE STUPIDDDD MILITARY SHITT..

I Want a unified korea

[Jurassic0Al]

Such a naive statement. The DPRK, set up by the USSR who naturally wanted a communist Korea, attacked the ROK and started the Korean War. The ROK was saved from destruction by its own brave soldiers and the assistance the American-led UN forces provided. I want a unified Korea too, but the DPRK is still a dangerous nation and must be watched carefully. Unification will take time.

[JasonKuangz]

Reunification is unlikely. If a military conflicts starts, China will be ready to back the DPRK cuz they signed a defense treaty with the North back in the 1960s. Besides, North Korea's only hope for reunification under their flag is war.

[Raymasaki]

jason - Very True its very sad & pathetic

south koreans & chinese think Kim jong il will automatically give up his empire

just to reunify

[Jurassic0Al]

The ROK wants to reunify peacefully, but I'm afraid the bigshots in the DPRK will delay or prevent it entirely merely because of their own selfish desire to remain in power. If a war starts, the US will no doubt back the ROK and China the DPRK. I want to see the Republic of Korea, a democratic, free nation, one day rule the entire peninsula, even if another war must be fought to achieve that.

[darkuser999]

Reunification should have happened a long time ago when there was no economic and cultural gap. The longer they leave it, the harder reunification will be, particularly when the next generation of Koreans are raised and differing education standards leads to a further cultural divide. The problem is that American hardliners don't believe in a peaceful solution. They want to see Kim Jung Il and his rigime collapse and they want the Chinese to work with them on this. This will never happen!

[Jurassic0Al]

The ROK owes the USA a good lot- in a nutshell, we saved that nation from the DPRK aggressors during the Korean War. We could have kept at least as far North as Pyongyang, but tried to take it all and kept only half after the Chinese intervened on the DPRK side.

Your statement about reunification is interesting and correct, but I disagree on your view of the USA. We want a unified Korea as much as anyone, but we want one Korea under the ROK flag, not the DPRK's.

[380800]

Poor North Koreans soldiers at the DMZ, standing streight for a LONG time and getting tortured from "ichyness" and their tired body. They must be thinking: Dam I wish Kim Jong Il dies so I don't have to stand streight here for so long!!

[1stBucket]

Its very sad. We can hope that they are taken off state sponsors of terrorism list and are allowed aid and financial support. This would allow a strengthening of the economy and a possible decrease of financial gap that is seen in this report as a hindrance towards unification.

[ubernathan]

i agree up untill the bin laden part, that is too far dude

[cinnamoncluster]

how about a UNIFIED KOREA.

however, keep the borders closed to stop illegal immigration.

then, South Korea can start capital investments in NK. build labor intensive factories and pay low wages...good for SK (cheap labor) and good for NK (more employment opportunities).

In time, NK would be able to regain themselves financially and hopefully turn into a Democracy, as their people begin to realize that Kim Jon-Il was nothing more than a tyrant and brainwasher.

[quius]

I totally agree with you. That's exactly what I was thinking.

[kyotaku]

North and South Korea on essentially even terms when it comes to the military.

With re-unification? The army doubles in strength.

Damn.

[IAmAGiantDorito]

Massive NK armed forces + SK modern armed forces = second largest army in the world and one of the more powerful ones at that

[JasonKuangz]

not really it might be similar to what happened to Germany: They get rid of most of the Communist Forces and demoted most of the troops that were retained.

[weldone1223]

I think that South Korea and North Korea should reunite! US should stay the hell out of this attempt of reunification. (especially with that moron Bush in office)

[Jurassic0Al]

Of course the two Koreas should unite. But the only united Korea most of the world wants is the ROK. Having the DPRK run the whole peninsula is something the USA will never accept, and I don't think the ROK would want that either. The USA wants a united Korea as much as the ROK does, but it reunification efforts need to be made carefully.

[lighthammar]

Unification when US troops leave?

Yeah, that'll happen.

[TAMARLANE]

Things would only get better, not worse, for the North Korean people is reunified with the South. Kim is a megalomaniacal misfit and holds 20 million people hostage from a decent life.

It wouldn't be easy for the South to accomadate the North's peoples, but it would be worth it.

[gerry301]

The crime rate in the South would skyrocket. Millions of jobs would be lost to those who will work cheaply. Gangs of youths, and thugs would abound. The backlash would be rioting in the streets. Same people divided by 70 years of differing cultures.

[DST911]

reunification is very very unlikely

if it does happen 20 million badly educated poor northerners will go to the south and the south will be overwelmed with refugges and will be bankrupt

Kim joung ill will never give up power

[msgg81]

for this senario if the 2 koreas can be reunited ... it would be great

... economic formulas can be worked out latter as there will always be a remedy 4 that.

[gerry301]

Its not the economics as much as it is the culture. North Korean refuges to China and Russia have shown to be difficult if not almost impossible to work with. Why, a lifetime of bribery, theft, cheating and lying to survive. It doesn't change in two years or even in 10. It will be generations before the corrupt values are changed.

[josephstafrace]

I think that both Koreas should take a close look at the agreement between China and Britain regarding the anexation of HongKong. It has worked well and Hongkong still enjoys a relative democracy. What is needed is more trust between the two states!

[ladebbie]

Maybe if the North Koreans allowed their people to travel freely into South Korea before reunifying, the North could gain some prosperity without harming South Korea's economy.

I assume that North Koreans aren't generally allowed to leave--isn't that the communist way?

[gerry301]

NKs aren't allowed to travel because they would see how the rest of the world lives and bring that knowledge home. Recent NK diplomates were told at least one child would have to remain in NK while they lived in other countries to insure no defections.

[yerffoeg007]

Socialism is one thing, totalitarian control is another. Will a man like Kim 2 ever seriously consider giving up one single ounce of control over his demesne? No. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Open up North Korea and the horror of what those people have long been subjected to would pour out and Kim would likely be held accountable for human rights crimes agasint his own people as he should be.

[helixdq]

What exactly do you know about him ? He's not the guy who set the system up, he just inherited it, and from the reactions of the regime lately it looks like he wants to slowly change, he just dosen't want the country to break appart.

The problems there are primarly economic. I know, i've lived under a similar communist regime as a child, and blaming it on one scape-goat is how the typical US propaganda works, but far from the truth.

It's a failed system. Not an evil boogie-man.

[gerry301]

Some info gained while working field exercises in South Korea. Kim is a fan of Daffy Duck comic books. He was shown executions early in life by Dad, and gets great "Joy" in watching them.

[ladebbie]

Hong Kong reunifying with China has helped China along the path to democracy in my opinion, but at what cost to Hong Kong?

It's a difficult situation in both China and the two Koreas. The South should not join with the North unless it can be in control I think.

[bbproductionsLA]

Unity! that would be awesome, I pray for them

[annarboriter]

The obstacles to unification are beyond the scops of the posters here. The report only hinted hinted at the economic impossibility. West Germany has enormous reserves to match East German marks with parity. SK has none. North Koreans now speak a different language, purged of Chinese words by the regime. Reunification is a pipedream now. Better that we focus on opening NK to the rest of the world and debrainwashing its people.

[Lyserge]

The gap wouldn't be so large were it not for the demonization of socialist ideals. Unification is a policy of equalization. Equalization is a policy of socialism. Peace!

[Kirbytime]

Ron Paul 2008!!!!

It is called KOREA, not America. Let's defend AMERICA, and leave Korea for KOREANS.

[ContraWagner]

I don't understand why you are downmodded? Ron Paul would make a great president.

[Kirbytime]

I don't know.

[mo98183]

Vote Ron paul 2008! at least he's prepared a total troop withdrawral from over 100+ countries of the world.

[arshadsyed]

IT IS against american interests in Oriental Asia.

[sgelles]

the biggest obstacle to unification and peace on the korean peninsula is not kim jong-il. it's uncle sam.

[maranelloboy]

True that!

[Jurassic0Al]

Oh, such a bold statement, but so naive. So untrue.

But in a way you're right- if Uncle Sam and the UN had stood idly by when the DPRK launched a war of aggression against the ROK, Korea would certainly be united- under Kim Jong Il's dictatorship.

Uncle Sam is the only reason one half of Korea is prosperous and democratic. Kim Jong Il and his kind are what stands in the way of a united Korea, if only because a united, democratic Korea would gain them nothing.

[brainskewer]

wowzors

[eaglepies]

The fact that they are still strictly at war is ridiculous. America should stop interfeering with other people and other countries, at least until they've sorted their own problems out at home, like racism, massive poverty, no universal healthcare, etc. Arrogant, hypocritical bastards.