Before students can completely understand the reasons behind the nuclear crisis in North Korea, they need to understand the history of the two Korean nations, said one OU professor emeritus.
Speaking at a brown-bag lunch sponsored by the Society of International Area and Studies Students, Sidney Brown, history professor emeritus, said the Korean Peninsula is larger in population than Great Britain, Italy and France, but is understood less than the three nations.
Unified from three kingdoms in A.D. 668, Korea is one of the oldest nations and did not spilt into the two nations until the start of the Cold War in 1948.
"Korea is a relic of the Cold War," Brown said.
During the past 45 years, North and South Koreans have worked toward unification, Brown said. The peace process toward unification was a large part of South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung's policy, known as the "sunshine" policy. Unfortunately for South Korea, North Korea tried assassination attempts and kidnappings to "entice" South Korea to join the north, Brown said.
During the whole conflict, including the Korean War, the problems surrounded the economies of both nations, Brown said. The differences in economy can be seen through satellite images of the Korean Peninsula, he said. Looking to South Korea, lights fill the country. North Korea is dark.
North Korea does have more military troops, said Jong Yoon Lee, business junior. Lee said he did not think North Korea had much power, but maintained enough to fuel its aircraft.
As North Korea suffers, South Korea has prospered, Brown said. This is one reason North Korea might be operating a nuclear proliferations program, he said.
Political pressure from China, North Korea's only real ally, has also played a role in the crisis, Brown said. This time, China is trying to convince the small communist nation to back down from its refusal to speak with other nations outside the United States.
With all the history behind North Korea and its continuing economic problems, it is hard to come up with a reason or solution to the nuclear crisis, said Matt McCorkell, East Asian studies senior.
"I really don't have near enough knowledge to determine a definite position on the matter," McCorkell said.
As the United States, China and North Korea come to the discussion table in Beijing this week, Brown said he is confident that the situation will be resolved without a war.
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