A Chasm Between Two Koreas

Published 10/06/2022 in Scholar Travel Stipend

Written by Irene Kim | 10/06/2022

Visiting South Korea showed me the power of pop culture in world politics, the lasting effects of U.S. foreign policy from the Cold War, and how navigating diplomatic relations is complicated and often doesn’t have an easy solution.

With the rise of Squid game, BTS, and Korean barbeque, certain elements of Korean culture have become mainstream and popular here in the United States, making me feel more connected to the “Korean” part of my Korean-American identity. This pride and connection to my Korean heritage have never come easily to me growing up, especially when I was one of few Asian-American students in my class and keenly aware of the differences between me and my peers. As a result, I’ve found this new reality to be one I openly welcome and celebrate. And in my quest to learn more about my heritage and family history, I wanted to spend some time in South Korea diving into the history of the country and thinking about other elements of being Korean-American, beyond simply enjoying the delicious cuisine or its entertainment.

For me, as a student studying international relations and national security in college, I became interested in learning more about the international politics of the country, namely the existence of two “Koreas” - one so drastically different from the other. One a dictatorship isolated from the rest of the international community. Another a beacon of modernization and economic development. When I visited Seoul, this description of South Korea rang true and it made me realize truly how different these two states were. As I walked around the streets of the metropolitan city with my parents who had immigrated from Korea thirty years ago, they remarked on how much of it had changed since the last time they lived there. With towering skyscrapers, electronic billboards, and a modern transportation system, the Seoul of today drastically differed from the home that they knew and left – evidence of the economic growth that has transformed the country. Seeing the urbanization and modernization of the country made me ponder about the questions posed by reunification. How will this modern country be able to come together with a state characterized by isolation and totalitarianism? My visit to Korea reinforced to me that the chasm between the two countries will only grow more vast with time and will be riddled with challenges. When thinking about next steps for both North and South Korea, especially in the context of unification, it will be important for policymakers to consider how to bridge this divide not just by name, but in actuality.

Although some would say going to the DMZ – the demilitarized zone separating the North and the South – is touristy, I found it to be a meaningful experience that taught me a lot about the division between the two places. One of the Milken Institute’s mission is to help people pursue an effective education, and visiting the DMZ was an excursion that gave me a new perspective on the division of the two countries. Through the landscape roof binoculars, I could see the flag of North Korea waving in the wind just a short distance away. It was a chilling experience thinking about what a life I would live if I were just a few miles on the other side. The stories about the human rights violations in North Korea often get lost in mainstream media, but North Koreans continue to live under the threat of execution, imprisonment, disappearances, forced labor, malnourishment, and poverty among other dangers. Across the barren land where everything looked desolate and ominous, I thought about these individuals who lived in a constant state of isolation and repression. As the rest of the world has reckoned with the consequences of a global pandemic, North Korea has further isolated itself from the outside world and restricted its communications. Ultimately, it is the individual citizens in the country who will face the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to the economic sanctions put in place.

Physically occupying the space and seeing for myself just how little of a separation between the two countries were also made me realize that it is often easy to lose perspective of the news when I’m sitting at home. Seeing how close the two countries were at the DMZ conveyed the danger that’s always existed with North Korea next door, contextualizing the frenzy that occurs after a missile test or why the U.S. military alliance with South Korea is still important to this day. As I got on the tram that took us deep into the tunnels, I learned about the incursion tunnels the North Koreans dug as a potential military invasion route in the early 70’s. With missiles and today’s cyber weapons, the threats posed by North Korea through these “tunnels of aggression” are antiquated. Yet, many years later the threat and danger posed by North Korea persists. Although former President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un held high-level summits as a mark of diplomacy, nothing has transpired since then and North Korea continues to ramp up its missile testing and build its nuclear capabilities. When contemplating geopolitical dynamics and the problems faced by
the international community, one cannot forget about this pariah state in the Indo-Pacific region. As the U.S. grows more concerned about the rising influence of China, China’s close relationship with North Korea is also of importance. And for South Korea, its behavior on the international stage is impacted by recognizing this relationship between China and North Korea – something that was part of the national dialogue and everyday conversations when I was there. Although China is a top trading partner of Korea’s and is integral to the success of its growing economy, there is growing negative sentiment among the public towards China for various reasons. South Korea will continue to have to balance these opinions while considering what’s practical or necessary for its geopolitics.

My trip to South Korea was enlightening and one that will carry with me as I think about foreign policy and international relations. It showed me the power of pop culture in world politics, the lasting effects of U.S. foreign policy from the Cold War, and how navigating diplomatic relations is complicated and often doesn’t have an easy solution.