South Korea: The Tragedy of Partition and the Response

Despite its long history and unique cultural traditions, Korea has long remained in the shade of China and Japan, never coming to the fore in world history, and it was not until the outbreak of a fratricidal war that its existence was known. Korea’s history is filled with suffering at the hands of external forces. It’s national power was depleted and its army disarmed after having paid tribute to the three Chinese dynasties, Yuan, Ming and Ching; the whole nation was left in ruins and a tenth of the population taken prisoner after six Mongol invasions, while the Japanese and Manchu invasions, in 1592 and 1636 respectively, further ravaged the country. During their invasions of Korea, the Mongols burned more than thirty ships, evicted residents from coastal islands, and banned foreign trade. Korea lost its sovereignty because of technological backwardness, an economic slowdown, and the absence of a global perspective. Korea was divided after falling victim to ideological confrontation. It is a country where 2.6 million people were massacred in the Korean War, and at the time of writing it is the only country where the Cold War still rages on.