Lanoira Duhart
AVID
Mrs. Trepte
29 April 2013
United States vs. North Korea At this time, the United States and North Korea have reached a low point in their relationship but there have been different situations that have led up to this point such as the Korean War. By looking at the situation the United States and North Korea are in right now it is evident that their future relationship will not only progressively get worse but also lead to the involvement of other countries as well. The major conflict between the United States and North Korea started in 1950 with the Korean War. In 1894-1895, China and Japan both sent troops to Korea. Japan proposed that China and Japan co-operate to reform the Korean government, the Chinese refused. Japan felt that Korean attempts to block reform left it weak and at the mercy of other powers. Japan regarded any foreign domination of Korea as a threat to Japan. The Japanese deposed the government and instituted program of reform, abolishing slavery in all forms, reforming the legal system, promoting education and introduced the use of Hangeul on government documents. Their victory over China made Korea officially independent, and freed it from Chinese rule. After the United States bombed Japan, Japan lost their territory of Korea and that is when the United States and Soviet Union split Korea into North and South where the United States owned the south. Soviet Union turned North Korea into communist while the United States gave democracy to the South. On June 24, 1950, the North Koreans invaded South Korea and that’s when the United States took aid to South Korea and convinced the United Nations to send military aid because they didn’t want the spread of communist in the South. Due to the United States actions it has led to North Korea threatening to attack the US. “Most people in Seoul, South Korea think North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is bluffing, but the question is “why?” Experts say Jong-un is in the process of consolidating power and planning to eliminate his rivals” (NBC News). The reason why North Korea is threatening the United States is because the United States led the successful push for sanctions at the United Nations to punish North Korea for its nuclear test in February. In the past the United States administrations and South Korean governments managed to tamp down tensions with North Korea by offering concessions, which included aid, in the return for the North’s promising to end its nuclear weapons program. What North Korea might be trying to accomplish with threatening the United States is to receive more aid or even to be known as a nuclear state. If North Korea was to attack the United States with nuclear bombs what would that mean for the United States and the rest of the world? If North Korea possesses a nuclear bomb powerful enough to reach the U.S. and they follow through with their attacks, the outcome would most likely result in what is commonly referred to as mutually assured destruction. Meaning if they nuke us, then we nuke them. Kim