An article by Mashuk Chowdhury Just a few weeks back North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un threatens the White House that they could declare war on them any time. The burning question is why? What made North Korea hate the US all these years? And more importantly, why is Korea divided? It was the year 1950 when the Korean War began with the North attacking the South. This Cold War took place after the Allied Force of the World War II weakened the Japanese Empire. Accordingly the Japanese lost their 35 year old dominance over Korea, which later as a consequence brought in the Korean War. The initiation of this War took place when the North provoked the South when the broke the 38th Parallel. South Korea was backed up by the USA, who were successful in driving the Northerners away from the South. The results were devastating as 3 million civilians died, most of which were from the North. The US had done a lot of destruction in this war. “The No Gun Ri massacre” in 1950 was one of them where US warplanes and army personnel took out hundreds of Koreans without any mercy. When the Associated Press interviewed dozens of retired military officials, who were in that war, one of the veterans recalled his captain saying, “Let’s get rid of all of them.” MacArthur, who led the UN Command during the conflict, wanted to drop 30 or 50 ATOMIC BOMBS across the neck of Manchuria that could’ve spread a belt of radioactive cobalt across the North just to win the war in 10 days. “It was butchery to the North when the US intervened in the Korean War”- says a North Korean civilian who witnessed the atrocity of the bloody war of 4 years. Now, North Korea under their supreme leader Kim Jong-un have been routinely launching nuclear missiles for “testing purposes”. They’re building their army stronger day by day in midst of maintaining low standard of living for the locale. They are an opposing threat and growing day by day. Donald J. Trump on the other hand, feels the need to sit with Kim Jong-un to discuss on friendly terms (cast aside the whole honor part). But with all that had happened almost 70 years ago, there is more likely a big “PISS OFF” sign or a BIG “NO” as reply to ask for forgiveness or judgment on war crimes as for all the devastation was done. The Czech-born novelist Milan Kundera famously wrote, “The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting,” Drawing down the curtains, we cannot but only hope and pray as a 3rd person country that the world may never see another brutality for there should not be more devastation and chaos. For the love of peace, harmony and justice, let not bloodshed be the answer. DISCLAIMER
The following article reflects the view and opinion of the writer only. It doesn't, by any means, reflects the view or opinion of NDIURC, Notre Dame College or any other affiliated organization/organizations. |
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