Korean Job Discussion Forums

pkang0202 · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

Economically, its not going to happen for a while. Someone touched on it earlier, the North is broke as a joke and the South has its hands full with their own economy. South Korea is in no way able to shoulder the burden of reunification. Of course, I'm sure the US would be more than happy to lend a helping hand. That gets us in to the Political issues.

China does not want a very close US ally right at their doorstep. North Korea is the buffer between China and US influence. If reunification DID happen, the US would be right there to lend a helping hand. Not only to gain brownie points from the rest of the world, but also to gain a strategic edge. You can bet that along with money, the US is gonna drop a couple military bases in North Korea. China will do everything they can to prevent that.

Also, on the surface Koreans want reunification but I know deep down they would like to maintain the status quo. The people who can remember their families in the North are all old and dying. The new generation doesn't have the emotional or familial ties to the North.

Finally:

If, and this is a BIG if, reunification is successful then in the long run Korea can be as successful as Japan. Korea can serve as a pivotal international trade hub. Look where it is geographically.

MissSeoul · Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Location: Somewhere in America

Korea will united one day, but first we have to wait KJI to die, then old military leader will take over power in North and we have to wait this guy to die, then the next leader will be much younger/new generation and this generation will look at the possibility of unification more realistically, this will be just begining.
How long it will take from here to actual unification, that's not sure.

United Korea will be much close to China than U.S and maybe U.S not happy for that, U.S can become x-factor of unification of Korea.
I want U.S military leave korea one day and U.S influence on Korea be minimize before true unification process start.

Yo!Chingo · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: Seoul Korea

The fact that there will be millions of starved and unemployable people literally falling all over themselves to get the "Golden" South has been touched on by other posters here. There's no way that the South could or every would be able to help a quarter of them. Again they have their own problems. Unification can only happen when KJI is long gone, and the NK people b/c much more educated/employable than they are right now.

If unification would happen before then SK would go straight down the drain Crying or Very sad

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

Alyallen · Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 10:52 pm Post subject:

YoshaMazov · Joined: 10 May 2007 Location: Suwon

While the North currently boasts one of the worst economies in the world, reunification would bring billions upon billions of dollars (pounds, euros, etc) of aid almost instantly. And, of course, despite all the aid, the North would still be facing an uphill climb thanks to Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung. Continental Europe was in ruins following World War II, yet the Marshall Plan helped rebuild the western half.
And although I'd largely agree that China wouldn't be gung-ho about a united Korea, I don't see the US installing military bases near the Yalu. There simply isn't any strategic advantage. America won't go to war with China, as their economies are becoming more intertwined every year.

Alyallen · Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 11:37 pm Post subject:

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

Well NKeans aren't quite as uneducated as people make out, they can at least read and write and the elite has a good bit of education.

Also I'm not sure if China wants NKorea, it would just be a masstive money sink for them as much as anyone. China probably likes the status quo just fine (its cheap, its a good buffer and having KJI on a leash gives them a good bargaining chip wit hthe US). If KJI dies I'm sure they'll support some random general and pay what it takes to prop him up and the South will probably go along since the South doesn't want 10 million North Koreans living in ghettos around Seoul.

The ideal would probably be a high but manageable level of immigration southwards (50,000/year?), a relatively sane military government in the north and enough aid to keep the northerners from starving.

YoshaMazov · Joined: 10 May 2007 Location: Suwon

The Nazis brainwashed the German people throughout the 1930s and 40s, yet there wasn't much of a post-WWII Nazi resurgence, and the Hitler salute remains illegal in Germany to this day.
Once the North Koreans actually see what the rest of the world is like the cult of personality will begin to disintegrate (of course, a free press is critical to this happening, hence all the censorship in DPRK). The years after reunification will undoubtedly be an exceptionally trying period for the Korean people, but eventually things will improve. While I don't have much confidence in any government, whether it be American, Korean or Chinese, I have to think the world won't let what happened to Russia happen to North Korea.

safeblad · Joined: 17 Jul 2006

MissSeoul · Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Location: Somewhere in America

merkurix · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Location: Not far from the deep end.

The little piece of land north of South Korea called North Korea is the first step to restoring Korea to its former splendid glory. And someday:

Newbie · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

I would love to see it happen. Just so those whiney, immature Korean punks on the net (not all Koreans fit this bill. Not even a good number of em), can all eat crow when they realize that the South's success was indeed a result of American influence and that, despite what they read on the internet, a united Korea would not be a world power.

It would seriously bring a much needed levity in pride to this country.