North & South Korea

Search

North & South Korea

Of course, there are arguments for a quick reunification based on reuniting families and friends, and on nationalism. The example of the quick reunification of East and West Germany is also used as a basis for rapid unification, but the German example does not readily apply to Korea. The collapse of the Soviet Union accelerated German reunification. But North Korea was not tied to the Soviet Union, but to China, which shows no signs of collapsing. The adverse economic consequences on West Germany was pointed out in a New York Times article (Dec. 3, 1990) which stated that "the balance of political forces may vacillate widely and frequently over the next four years...Mr. Kohl's challenges include an inevitable increase in taxes to finance the huge costs of rehabilitating Eastern Germany."

The high cost of rehabilitating or absorbing the North Korean economy would have an unhealthy affect on South Korea.

The Construction and Economic Research Institute of Korea, which is a think tank affiliated with the Ministry of Construction estimates that "the North Korean infrastructure is at around South Korea's 1975 level, and that it would cost more than $6 billion to bring it up to South Korea's 1990 level" (Noland, "Economics of National Reconciliation," 2000).

South Korean Minister of Culture and Tourism, Park Jie W

VIEW THE REST OF THIS ESSAY!

Cossa, R. (June 8, 2000). "Hope for the two Koreas." The Japan Times.

The three principles of national unification as stated in one of the first proclamations issued by the South and the North indicate that neither country thought in terms of a hasty reunification. The stated principles were: "advancing the reconciliation and unity, exchange and cooperation, and peace and unification of the people" (Korea Times, April 10. 2000). Obviously it would take time to work out these objectives. What appears to be called for is advancement of good relations between North and South Korea with the ultimate goal of reunification. This could best be achieved by a slow process of development rather than the hasty reunification model of Germany.

Cossa, R. (2000). "[A view from abroad] S-N Summit: cause for cautious optimism." The Korea Times, Opinion section.

on, has stated that the model of German unification, in which the economically stronger West Germany quickly absorbed the weaker East Germany "will not work on the Korean peninsula" (Sims, 2000). Park added that "South Korea's economy would not survive the high costs." Park, who was one of the major negotiators behind the historical Summit meeting, contended that a series of measured steps over the coming years would be the best way to "break down the ideological and economic barriers that have divided" the two Koreas for more than half a century. He pointed out that it would take a long time to brea

987

VIEW THIS ESSAY

SAVE PAPER


		Some topics in this essay

		South Korea's \| North Korea \| Marcus Noland \| North South \| South Korean \| South North \| York Times \| South Korea \| West Germany \| China Japan \| north south \| north korea \| south korea \| south korean \| noland 2000 \| north south korea \| south korea's \| korea times \| west germany \| york times \| south north \| conditions north korea \| april 10 2000 \| economic conditions north \| dec 3 1990 \|