North Korea Foreign Policy
Assess the impact of foreign involvement on North Korea’s foreign policy and isolation:
North Korea is, as stated by Bruce Cummings in North Korea – Another Country, “The Author of most of its own troubles”. The country is close to entirely isolated from the rest of the world maintaining only small contact with certain nations. Since the ceasefire of the Korean War, North Korea has become increasingly detached from the majority of the world; however what factors have led to this increased isolation? The heavy bombing of the North during the war, the continued existence of missiles aimed at the North, the fall of the Soviet Union, the Carter and Clinton governments steps on reconciliation with North Korea and the Bush Governments seemingly polaric policy re-opening tension with the nation, have all played a role in North Korea’s isolation but to what extent?
The Korean War was, as the Cold War of the same era, an ideological clash between the two main systems, Communism and Democracy. The North, as a communist country, was an enemy of the United States in this Ideological Clash however the Korean War was, as stated by Bruce Cummings in his 2004 novel, North Korea – Another Country, “A War fought by Koreans for Korean goals”. Bruce Cummings is the most prominent western historian to write about North Korea and several of his books are on required reading lists for subjects at the Korean University in Seoul. Cummings presents a sympathetic view to North Korea’s scenario as a “hermit kingdom” and with a large exposure to the country and despite his obvious bias towards the left, his works are extensively researched and heavily fact based. Therefore Cummings presents himself as an extremely reliable source on North Korea in general, as well as this Cummings presents works that are also useful sources in terms of analyzing an opinion on North Korea from the left wing of the political spectrum.
By the end of the Korean War, more napalm had been dropped on the
North Korea is, as stated by Bruce Cummings in North Korea – Another Country, “The Author of most of its own troubles”. The country is close to entirely isolated from the rest of the world maintaining only small contact with certain nations. Since the ceasefire of the Korean War, North Korea has become increasingly detached from the majority of the world; however what factors have led to this increased isolation? The heavy bombing of the North during the war, the continued existence of missiles aimed at the North, the fall of the Soviet Union, the Carter and Clinton governments steps on reconciliation with North Korea and the Bush Governments seemingly polaric policy re-opening tension with the nation, have all played a role in North Korea’s isolation but to what extent?
The Korean War was, as the Cold War of the same era, an ideological clash between the two main systems, Communism and Democracy. The North, as a communist country, was an enemy of the United States in this Ideological Clash however the Korean War was, as stated by Bruce Cummings in his 2004 novel, North Korea – Another Country, “A War fought by Koreans for Korean goals”. Bruce Cummings is the most prominent western historian to write about North Korea and several of his books are on required reading lists for subjects at the Korean University in Seoul. Cummings presents a sympathetic view to North Korea’s scenario as a “hermit kingdom” and with a large exposure to the country and despite his obvious bias towards the left, his works are extensively researched and heavily fact based. Therefore Cummings presents himself as an extremely reliable source on North Korea in general, as well as this Cummings presents works that are also useful sources in terms of analyzing an opinion on North Korea from the left wing of the political spectrum.
By the end of the Korean War, more napalm had been dropped on the