The question of the reunification of south and North Korea is a difficult one as it hinges on many factors. About sixty-five years after the split, the two states have become totally opposite of each other ( Macdonald, 2018) . On a humane perspective, a reunification of the two states would do good, especially to the people of the north. Even then, many people from either side may not be welcoming the idea of reunification. The North invaded the South in 1950, initiating the Korean War that lasted up to 1953. After the war, the 38 th Parallel was drawn and separated the South from the North. Since then, South Korean, through the US, adopted a democratic government and an open market economy. The North adoptedSoviet policies and localized its economic operations. It also adopted a dynastic totalitarian system of government. By the end of the twentieth century, South Korean had grown to great heights economically while the North registered a very sluggish growth. The south has focused on exports, engineering and tech products while the North has been largely agrarian up to date. The North has for decades, prioritized on military power and nuclear power. The North, however, has plenty of untouched wealth which attracts many a foreign investor. The south, in contrast, does not have many natural resources but is highly developed.
A reunification of the South and North hinges on a variety of factors. The people of South Korea enjoy democracy as well as a high standard of living. Issues such as employment, however, still exist in the South. Collectivism characterizes life in the North. The Supreme leader is almost a god to the North Koreans as people never question his actions. The government regulates every aspect of life. Recent events have hinted on a possible reunification of the two states. The two leaders of the states have met and discussed possible reunification in the future. Also, the North Korean Supreme leader has held meetings with Donald Trump in recent times to discuss North Korea’s denuclearization. However, unity may be or may not be possible or advantageous to both states given the circumstances. There are political, security, and socioeconomic issues that may stand in the way of reunification or present themselves after the reunification occurs.
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Is Unity possible and advantageous to both Sides?
The possibility of the unification is one thing and whether it will be advantageous to all parties is another. Current events and efforts made by both states and other external powers such as the United States and Russia have shown that reunification may be possible ( Roberts, 2019) . There is a belief that one major issue that determines the possibility of unity is the denuclearization of North Korea ( Cha, 2016) . It is the focus of the United States in recent times. People also believe that if the Korean Supreme leader sufficiently agrees to denuclearization, then the unification of the peninsula is highly inevitable ( Mansbach & Taylor, 2019) . If the reunification finally occurs, the form of government that the nations would create is another talking point. Perhaps it would take the form of China and Hong Kong. The two states may retain their political and government approaches but still observe peace and unity. The people would be able to travel or work on either side of the peninsula without any restrictions. This the possible outcome gave the fact that Kim Jung-Un may not be willing to do away with his dynasty.
Experts say that the unity of North and South Korea may produce a nation greater than many developed countries such as Germany and France ( Nam, 2019) . People may not realize the benefits immediately, but in about thirty years, the peninsula would be unstoppable. The North has an abundance of youthful population yearning for jobs. It also has a lot of economic potentials. It is however very low on development as compared to the South. The south has the necessary technology to help transform the North. The South lacks natural resources and relies on exports. Converging these qualities would produce an excellent economy in a few decades. The North would benefit from technological changes and developments, improvement in education and other socioeconomic sectors, and job opportunities ( Terry, 2014) . The South would benefit from more job opportunities, more natural resources within its reach, and more space for development ( Terry, 2014) . Also, the unification may prompt the North to amend its leadership structure and give more freedom to the people. In such a perspective, the unification of South and North Korea would be quite advantageous for both parties.
What are the Political and Security Repercussions?
A lot of political and security issues present themselves when it comes to the question of reunification. There are about forty thousand US troops in Japan and over twenty-five more in South Korea. The US has continued to keep the troops in the area in fear of the North Korean threat as it is known to many people ( Mansbach & Taylor, 2019) . The question that lingers in the lips on many is what would happen if there is no longer a North Korean threat. In the natural sense, if reunification occurs, the two states would live in peace and unity, and there would be no threatening activities in the area. As such, the US troops have no agenda in the area. North Korea’s military assets is another problem. North Korea has about seven million troops, including reserves and a standing army. It also has several military vessels, machines, weapons, and aircraft. It also boasts of over five thousand rocket launchers, thousands of intercontinental-range missiles and about sixty nuclear bombs. What would happen to these assets is not clearly known.
North does not prioritize on education, but it has lots of nuclear and missile scientists and professionals. The denuclearization alone would render lots of people jobless. The unification would allow such individuals to get into the south in such for jobs. The fact that they cannot qualify for other professions due to their low quality of education as compared to the Southerners would render them jobless. With their knowledge and even possession of powerful weapons, they may pose a great threat to the peace and security of the region. They may sell their skills to terrorists or use the skills to make weapons for sale.
Another big political issue involves Kim’s dynasty and the different forms of government that exist in either state. The democratic nature of the South Koreans was recently manifested in the actions to impeach and send a sitting president to jail for fraud. Kim, on the other hand, never has to take any responsibilities for his actions or dealings. The Southerners are free, and each individual works to uplift themselves. The Northerners are collectivized and hold their Supreme leaders with high regards. It highly unlikely that Kim would be willing to destroy his dynasty and change his leadership in order to meet the demands of the unification. If he does not do away with the dynasty and the totalitarian government, it is not clear what the unified state would look. The unification, therefore, greatly depends on the possibility of denuclearization activities and a change in the political systems and forms of government.
What are the Socioeconomic Repercussions?
The socioeconomic systems of South and North Korea are entirely different ( Senker, 2012) . North Korea has a population of about twenty-five people. The population is youthful with a median age of about thirty-five. A man has to serve in the army for ten years. North Korea’s economic output per annum is about forty billion dollars. Its GDP today is about one percent of South Korea. The economy is mainly agrarian and localized. China is the leading exporter and importer, taking in over eighty percent of North Korean’s exports and supplying over eighty percent of North Korea’s imports. The people operate in a collectivized society in which the government regulates every aspect of life. North Korea does not invest much in education.
The situation the south is a complete opposite. The population of the South is about twice that of the North. The population is however not as youthful as that of the North. The median age is forty-two. In the South, an individual has to spend two years in the army. South Korea is highly developed in comparison to the North. It ranked fourth in Asia and eleventh globally. It specializes in technological and engineering products such as machines, engines, and mobile phones. South Korea the second longest work hours in the world. Children have to spend sixteen hours a day in school just to be able to gain entry into the top three universities. The society is described as a ‘dog-eat-dog’ society where there is a constant active completion ( Hogarth, 2012) .
Bring these people together may prove to be such a huge challenge. The different values and norms would prove to be quite a challenge. Also, the huge gap in the economies of each state presents as a great obstacle to the unification. Billions or trillions of dollars would be required to build up the North and improve sectors such as education. Those from the North may not have what it takes to survive or compete with people from the south. The Northerners’ slow pace and levels of education would also prove to be such a problem. On the bright side, the youthful population from the North would be able to offer cheap and available labor. The highly educated folks from the south may help educate and develop the North. Also, the abundance of unexploited resources in the North would benefit both states.
Conclusion
The unification of South and North Korea is possible and may bring forth lots of benefits for the region ( Macdonald, 2018) . It is also possible that the unification may bring forth more problems for the region that would take decades to mitigate. On a humane view, the unification would help liberate North Koreans from a totalitarian leadership. It would also liberate a majority of the North Koreans from poverty. On the current, however, North Koreans still regard their Supreme leader with much respect and loyalty. The unification hinges on political, security, and socioeconomic factors that exist currently. It depends on denuclearization commitment from North Korea ( Mansbach & Taylor, 2019) . A refusal to show commitment would mean that the unification would never happen. Other political and security factors such as the forms of government, military assets, nuclear and missile scientists and the North Korean dynasty also stand as obstacles for unification or stability after the unification. The different socioeconomic factors also present as challenges for the unification and may also cause problems if the unification occurs ( Senker, 2012) . The question as to whether the unification would be possible and advantageous to both parties also present another point of thought. It is, however, possible and in certain perspectives, advantageous to both parties ( Terry, 2014) .
References
Cha, V. D.,(2016). The North Korea Question. Asian Survey , 56 (2), 243-269.
Hogarth, H. K. K.,(2012). South Korea’s Sunshine Policy, reciprocity,and nationhood. Perspectives on Global Development and Technology , 11 (1), 99-111.
Macdonald, D. S.,(2018). The Koreans: Contemporary politics and society . Routledge.
Mansbach, R. W., & Taylor, K. L. (2019). The North Korean Crisis: Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Threat of Nuclear War. In Contemporary Issues in International Political Economy (pp. 113-148). Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.
Nam, S. W.,(2019). Challenges and Vision for Advanced and Unified Korea. In South Korea’s 70-Year Endeavor for Foreign Policy, National Defense, and Unification (pp. 249-291). Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.
Roberts, T.,(2019). An analysis of inter-Korean relations and sports diplomacy leading up to, during and following the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea (Master's thesis).evidence. Journal of East Asian Studies , 10 (1), 127-154.
Senker, C.,(2012). North Korea and South Korea . The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Terry, S. M.,(2014). A Korea Whole and Free: Why Unifying the Peninsula Won't Be So Bad After All. Foreign Affairs , 93 (4), 153-162.
