The Korean Peninsula is an area in present East Asia, divided into two parts North and South following the surrender of Japan in World War II, on 2 September 1945, dominated by two superpowers of the time, the USA and USSR, and both parts of the peninsula adopted their respective master’s system of government to become a Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North), on 9 September 1948 and the Republic of Korea (South), on 15 August 1948.
As it was the phase of the Cold War in international politics, the two parts of the Korean peninsula went into war, heavily backed by the USA and the US respectively. The war began on 25 June 1950 and ended on 2 July 1953. Both parts became members of the United Nations Organisation (UNO) on 17 September 1991, and declaring the end of their internal conflict, agreed to open a new chapter in their relationship of peace, prosperity and reunification on 27 April 2018. The peninsula as a whole is bordered by China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast, separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan, occupying an area of 223,155 km with population of above 77 million, as estimated in 2017, with a density of 349.06 per square kilometer.
Most scholars admit that it was after a king ‘Koryo’ who ruled a large part of Korean Peninsula during Marco Polo’s time, but in the 19th century this name of the country became famous with the expanding of British and American trade, and today it is used by both North as well as South Korea. Historically, the Korean peninsula has been ruled mainly by three dynasties-Silla, Goryeo, and Joseon. The Silla began ruling in the 6th century, then the Goryeo dynasty was founded in 918, which replaced Silla and, in time, in 1392, the Joseon dynasty overthrew the Goryeo in a coup and defeated them; but throughout the period and even earlier, China wielded a powerful influence over the peninsula.
For the first time in the history of the Korean peninsula, Chinese influence was challenged in 1871 by Japan who began to exert equal or more influence in the peninsula which led the war between China and Japan, the China-Japan War (1894-95), resulting in the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki and as a follow up of its Articles, the Chinese Qing dynasty was bound to relinquish the traditional influence it availed earlier. From there onwards the region was opened for Russia, Japan, France, and the \USA, which all invested in the country and the nation began modernising in the sphere of the military, the economy, real property laws, the education system and industry.
As Korea was already under the occupation of the Japanese military, a suspicious treaty, the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty, was assumed to be signed, but not ratified properly by the competent authority. It, however, put the whole peninsula under Japanese control in 1910. The Korean people considered the treaty signed under duress, threat of force and bribes. It resulted in non-violent mass movements of the people beginning in 1919, followed by labour unrest in 1939 in which thousands of people were killed and in Korean history it was the phase of Japanese use of repression and force by the military. Although a significant number of Japanese also settled in Korea, they all returned to Japan after the second World War ended in 1945.
Situated on the southern portion of the Korean peninsula, the independent country, South Korea was an integral part of the peninsula before its division in 1945. Unlike North Korea where a Soviet-backed totalitarian government was formed, South Korea was heavily backed by the USA and formed a capitalist democratic country.
The year 1945 is very important in the whole history of Korea Peninsula for it was partitioned between two superpowers of the time, the USA and the USSR when Japanese forces surrendered in the aftermath of second World War, and as agreed, the North Of Korea came under Soviet occupation and the South Korea remained under the USA, resulting in the formation of a Communist-inspired government in hew north part while its opposition and pro-western government in south portion of the area. In 1948 they also became separate political entities having got their sovereignty. Along with basic differences between the two, they went into a declared war which lasted for three years (1950-53), but it did not end their claim to be the sole legitimate government of the region.
Provisional peace returned between them with the help of the Korean Armistice Agreement which brought about a peace and established a demilitarized zone, but no formal peace treaty was signed. Following the footprints of the Soviet Union North Korea is a one-party state with a centrally planned economy. In contrast to the South Korea, Article 1 of the state constitution of North Korea mentions it as an ‘independent socialist state’. Although it holds elections but described by observers as sham elections having a totalitarian dictatorship with an elaborate cult of personality around the Kim dynasty, of which the current leader is Kim Jong-un. The single dominant political party is the Worker’s Party of Korea, led and controlled by members of the ruling family. Likewise, according to Article 3 of the Constitution Juche is the official ideology of Korea which is translated as ‘self-reliant’ and it puts all means of production owned directly by the state or state-run enterprises and collectivized farms. Even in the constitution of 2016 there is no basic change ideologically. Since 14 August 2020 the Executive powers of the state is vested in the Cabinet of North Korea headed by Premier Kim Dok-hun who represents the government functions independently.
Situated on the southern portion of the Korean peninsula, the independent country, South Korea was an integral part of the peninsula before its division in 1945. Unlike North Korea where a Soviet-backed totalitarian government was formed, South Korea was heavily backed by the USA and formed a capitalist democratic country.
After its independence in 1948, and fighting a war with North Korea for three years (1950-53), it moved on the path of economic development and registered the fastest rise in average GDP per capita in the world between 1980 and 1990 and became one of the advanced democratic countries of Asia with a record of maximum freedom for press, it however, earned a bad name in corruption at highest levels. Even in last three-four years, corruption remained the main national issue, resulting in fallout of highest Executive of the country and mass demonstration at large scale across the nation. It has also witnessed a heavy loss of life due to the covid-19 pandemic for the first time in its history.
