North Korea versus South Korea and the USA

Harm en Cindy op reis

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North Korea versus South Korea and the USA

The anti-American feelings

When you visit North Korea, you see the anti-American feelings everywhere. The South Koreans are not blamed, they are occupied by the Americans and have the same blood as the North Koreans. The hate against the Americans is spoon-fed. For example, we visited a fun-fair where the children played games like "shooting the Americans" and "throwing grenades at the Americans (with missing limbs)".

 

In other places that we visited we also noted the anti-American ideas. We were at the war museum where you can find lots of "evidence" on the agressive Americans who started the war. A lot of trophies captured during the was are presented, amongst which tanks and planes.

 

Another trophy is the US Pueblo, an American ship captured in the 70s. We visited this as well.

 

Korean war

The Korean war between the North and the South started as a civil war in June 1950 and ended with a sieze fire in July 1953. The Korean was a weaponed conflict during the cold war.

Since a very good and interesting article on the Korean war can be found at wikipedia, we refer you there for more information: Wikipedia page on the Korean war. This article describes the western view of what went on. We will describe the North Korean view below.

North Korean view

South Korea is occupied by the American who have as primary goal to dominate the world. They try to turn South Korea into a military base. The American want to turn the communist nations into democracies, which was the main purpose to attack North Korea. The South Korean gouvernement and her military staff are used as puppets by the Americans. The Americans do not want to reunion Korea and make it independent. They want a democracy.

  • On January 21, 1949, the South Korean army inform the press that they hope that the South Korean army will attack the North. This to reunify Korea. The USA let know that they support South Korea.
  • Starting on May 27, 1949, the South Korean army intrudes the North at different locations, but they were defeated by the North Korean army. The Americans had to come up with a new plan.
  • Documents were found in which Kim Il Sung (North Korea) concluded that South Korea tried to capture the north.
  • In December 1949, the South Koreans, supported by the UN and the US, let know that is is their duty to reunion the south and the north by their own force.
  • The Americans finished their preparations for an agressive war. President Kim Il Sung said that the Americans together with Japan want to start an agressive war against North Korea, China and the Sovjet Union.
  • Because of the American domination a political and economical crisis existed in South Korea.
  • At June 18, 1950, Japan, The US and South Korea have a big meeting on attacking North Korean.
  • Supported bij the UN (suppressed by the US) the Americans and the "puppets" of South Korea attack the North at June 25, 1950 all over the border at the 38th parallel.
  • Since the beginning of the war, the Americans used inhuman methods of war including biological weapons.
  • The Americans are forced back, after which they come with a new offensive.
  • This ended by the strong defence of the brave North Korean army (Juche consciousness).
  • The Americans lost 78.000 soldiers in three counter attacks, resulting in the Americans to sign the sieze fire. North Korea won the war, as Kim Il Sung said.

Demilitarised Zone (DMZ)

Whatever the truth is, a seize fire caused Korea to be split in two parts again. In between the North and the South you can find a 6 kilometer (about 4 miles) wide strip, where no military activity is allowed to take place. At the border, a "Joint Security Area" is created where soldiers from the North and the South literally face each other.

When we arrived here, you could feel the tense all over your body. The idea that at any time the situation can escalate makes it really stressful and instable. At the border you find seven small buildings that were used during the peace meetings. Some of them are used even today. The buildings of the UN are completely (UN-)blue, even the curtains. We were surprised by the number of American soldiers at the south side.

Why is the US army at the south side of the border if not the US but the UN guards is? Is the South Korean army not able to do this itself?


The buildings in which the peace discussions took place
The table at which the seize fire was signed

The buildings at the border where the meetings currently take place
Harm in North Korea, Cindy in South Korea

The 50cm wide concrete strip is the actual border

 

  • A movie made at the Joint Security Area

    • We also inspected "the Korean wall" using binoculars from a military base at the border of the DMZ. According to North Korea, a concrete wall is built at the South Korean border which is 5 to 8 meters high. This wall is not visible from the south side. The existence of this wall is denied by both South Korea and the US. When we were there, we were convinced that we saw a wall, the pictures however do not really prove it...


    South Korean army base (and wall?)
    South Korean army base(and wall?)