Defending Freedom: The Korean Peninsula

In March of 2010, a South Korean warship mysteriously exploded and sank a few mies off the coast of North Korea. In May, a team of international investigators released a report claiming that the only plausible cause of the explosion was a torpedo from North Korea. In the days since this report has been released, the international world has been scrambling to figure out what to do. The US has always thought of itself as the protector of freedom throughout the world. As such, America has stated its support for South Korea and condemnation of North Korea. But many complications confront South Korea and the rest of the world on how to deal with this recent crisis.

One day after the release of the report, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated the US's stance on the situation: "It is important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences". This message indicates that the US will support any reprimands that South Korea or the UN issues to North Korea. Including the recent trade sanctions against North Korea made by South Korea. This reaction makes sense in the myth of America as the defenders of peace. South Korea shares many similarities with the US (modernism, capitalism, democracy), and as such the media portrays them as the worthy victims in this incident. And on the flip side, the media portrays North Korea, the Communist, isolationist country, as the villain (as it has done in the past with North Korea's nuclear program).

But the problem with this approach of cutting off trade with North Korea and pursuing other countries to reprimand them is the poverty of the North Korean people. Starting in the late 90's, South Korean president Kim Dae Jung started the Sunshine Policy. This policy sought to ease relations on the peninsula by providing economic assistance to the North to promote peaceful coexistence, with the hopes that the North would ease its isolationist policies. However since the election of Lee Myung-Bak, the South has taken a harsher aid policy towards the North. And the recent sinking of the Cheonan, seems to indicate the end of this goodwill approach towards North Korea.

The myth of America as the defender of innocents and freedom has existed for years. And as a result, this myth affects how the media portrays events (as seen in the most recent conflict between North and South Korea). However, the reality of situations can be quite difference than the myth. The recent US supported trade sanctions made by the South against the North has been portrayed by the media as a positive. But the reality is that these reprimands could worsen the economic situation of millions of already impoverished North Korean citizens, while also destroying a decade of goodwill efforts.

Works Cited:

The New York Times "Attack Bares South Korea’s Complex Links to North"

The New York Times "Clinton Condemns Attack on South Korean Ship"

The New York Times "Pentagon and U.N. Chief Put New Pressure on N. Korea"

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