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Post by timmy on Nov 4, 2015 5:35:48 GMT
This is a very common topic to discuss if you attended a Korean middle or high school. As you guys saw what is happening in North Korea, it is apparent that there must be changes to be made. Though our donations and the external aid can help many North Koreans, the real problems in North Korea WILL NOT be fixed until the unifying happens. At the core of starvation and death, there is the North Korean government who are so greedy that they are willing to murder millions for the sake of materialism. Only when the two Koreas are unified under the South Korean democracy that the tragedy will come to an end. But let's imagine for a moment. What will happen when the Koreas are actually united?
First of all, it will be very chaotic. Look at Europe and America, and how they have failed with their immigration laws. There are so many immigrants from all over the world coming to Europe and America, and there is no denying that the cultural and racial differences are causing much havoc. We see cases where the denial happens- of how Muslim people who immigrate to Europe cannot become accustomed to the culture there, and of how Americans scold the immigrants on the bases that they are somehow superior. We often say how only the outsides are different for people all over the world, and how the insides are same. This is partially true. But the real thing is, different cultures cannot exist as one unless the other is destroyed completely.
I want to connect this to Korea. Though the two Koreas have been one in history, the two Koreas have been separated for a considerable amount of time. Different outside and inside. Imagine what will happen if all the people of North Korea come to South Korea. I can't even imagine the chaos that will take place. There will be a drastic increase in the crime rate, for many people of North Korea will be very jealous of the properties that South Koreans have. Also, I can see the picture of how South Korea will think themselves superior to North Koreans and look down at them. There will be great dissension between the two groupt.
At the same time, I think it is destiny that the two Koreas unite. The two Koreas share the same history and have certain cultural identity that makes them one- an identity built through thousands of years. Furthermore, the unification will make Korea strong concerning economics and military and let Korea be one of formidable nations among the world.
What do you guys think? |
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Post by andrewcho77 on Nov 6, 2015 13:24:14 GMT
Yeah, I believe that South and North Korea should unite because we are the same country. If we unite, we can give them a hand and help them out. It's hard to get used to a different environment because it takes a long time to get used to the environment. However, the leader of North Korea will not abdicate his powers. The leader is having a good life but if he united with the South then his powers will be taken away. People are greedy and they don't want to lose what they have so I believe that the leader of North Korea will never EVER unite with the South. Even though North and South Korea wants to unite and go back to those days when we all had a good time, the leader will be stubborn and not unite.
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Post by maysamyounis on Nov 6, 2015 15:25:21 GMT
Yeah, I agree with Andrew and with you that South and North Korea should unite because we are the same country and they same culture, first thing north Korea need help lots want they became freedom from them government. they will need education different way that they learn it from north Korea ideas they have it before must be change especially this wrong idea that they teach them that leader of North Korea he is god. and also if South and north Korea Unite it will cause very chaotic and crime problems , I Think this is normal just because North Korea people they are very behind , but this thing it will not Countie very long but south Korea need to take very big responsibility for this actions it happen. also North kore does not need necessary to unite With south Korea but they just need to have freedom and them own country with out dictatorial government. But still they will need help from South Korea by many thing.
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Post by anniee on Nov 7, 2015 10:25:56 GMT
When it happens, the rejoining of North and South Korea will be a difficult and gradual process. Though from the same roots, the two nations have grown drastically apart in the half-century that the DMZ has been acting as the barrier between the two, and so, reaching a compromise on lifestyle will probably be next to impossible. The conditions of how we live are prominently distinct: those begging for food on the streets or working in coal mines in the north wouldn't be able to imagine how children in the south go to karaoke, hang out at amusement parks, and become addicted to their newest smart phones. It will be hard to introduce the amount of technology and free will we possess to those who lived their whole lives without internet. Also, the government will be a huge issue, for who knows if we will continue with a republic or a dictator? Still, I think that as a former unified country, we should attempt to get over our differences and become one, in culture and nation.
Another thing I want to refer to, that you mentioned, is about North Korea in South Korean schools. The reunification of the Koreas is a common topic within Korean public schools, but what they learn about North Korea is extremely different from what we learn within our American-based curriculum. What we learn is that North Korea is a poor country where the common people experience hardships under the rule of the Kim family, the elite bathe in luxury while the lower cluncooles deteriorate, how we as internationals can help those suffering, etc. In South Korean schools, the subject of North Korea is educated to students on a much more negative note. North Korea has always been taught as the "evil" as well as separate country beyond the border. They don't find ways to join the Koreas into one once again, as we did in our school. They worry about the cost of reunification on their consumerist and advanced technological lives. They worry about how the South Korean government sends food and aid to North Koreans when they get nothing in return. They worry about bringing in the uncivilized North Korean refugees into South Korean grounds. In order for reunification to commence, the most valuable change needed is the attitude in South Koreans about North Koreans. They have to learn about North Korea from an American perspective, not the point of view they grew up with.
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Post by Jooyoung on Nov 7, 2015 11:15:18 GMT
Honestly, I don't think Koreas should united unless the process happens gradually. If Koreas were to unite so suddenly Korea will go under economic crisis due to a HUGE gap between their economy. South Korea would have to spend A LOT of money to balance the economy of North and South. A good example of this is Germany. After East and West Germany united, Germany experienced economic depression. Yes, they did overcome it and became one of the strongest nation in Europe. However, South Korean and North Korea's situation is even more drastic. The economic gap is FAR MORE wider than it was between East and West Germany. In addition, Germany also took a gradual process. It did not happen quick. Another economic problem that Korea may face after reunification is job opportunities. The job opportunity which is already low will become even more competitive and difficult as population of North Koreans is added. Furthermore, as Annie mentioned, education is very different in South Korea and North Korea. It is very likely that North Koreans would have hard time adjusting to the South Korea's EXTREMELY competitive and rigorous education. As a result, they will have lower job opportunity for high-waged job or even a stable job. Therefore, I believe, the unification should be at least a century of gradual effort. To do so, communication between two Koreas seems ESSENTIAL.
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Post by jonah21 on Nov 7, 2015 11:35:22 GMT
I believe that North and South Korea will someday reunite. However, this process will take a LONGGG time to achieve. North Korea has a different view of the outside world compared to the South. The North believes that it is the strongest country in the world, when in reality, it isn't. However, through propaganda, people are brainwashed to believe so. Limits to the outside also makes them further believe so. Going back to the idea of people developing the idea they are superior to others, it's possible that North Koreans would believe they are superior. So even with the reunification of Korea, there would still be tension between South and North Koreans because of their different ideas.
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Post by Emily on Nov 7, 2015 15:13:13 GMT
I think that the two Koreas should unite one day, whether the process will happen gradually or very suddenly. Of course, economy-wise, gradually would be much better, and also better for the people themselves so that they can have time to adapt to the different lifestyles each side has led. However, I don't think that it is fair to compare North and South Koreans the way you compared immigrants to European countries and America. While immigrant countries (such as India) have had no physical contact with America (except for military forces and small educational factors), South and North Korea have once been attached together and functioned as a whole country. Therefore, there are certain factors which still remain the same now between the two countries, although one can argue more that there could be more differences than similarities between the two countries. Therefore, some people can see that there is a certain right for these two sides to one day unite and become the whole country they used to be before.
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Post by juliaj on Nov 7, 2015 17:41:13 GMT
I think it would be great if the two Koreas could unite, but it would be really hard. For the North Koreans, it would be hard for them to adapt to the culture and the technology differences, and also the stereotype some people might hold against them.
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Post by melody on Nov 8, 2015 4:32:57 GMT
Uniting the North Korea and the South Korea will help the North Koreans to survive, make us contribute to the society and the world as a better union. Not only that, we will also have an advancement on technology and other businesses due to our skilled IT and their abundant natural resources. It'll mitigate the sorrow of the split families and bring the society to peace. This is not my personal opinion, but actually a fact that we all know. However, we also know that these facts are hard to become real in the reality.
South Koreans contributed a lot of supplies the North Korea in order to save the North Koreans who are starving to death. We annually send lots of donation aids to them and this is not because we expect something from them nor afraid of them. It's because we still have our families there and we are always ready to see them back. Also, we still think we are families as the Korean race because we share the same culture, speak the same language. We always feel the sense of kinship to the North Koreans. There's going to be so much benefits for us if we actually unite, however, for a few decades, just like other countries, we are going to cause chaotic moments.
There's going to be lots of opponents due to the drawbacks of the two Korea reuniting but, here's my personal opinion that I still think we worth it and it's necessary to endure those problems. It's because it's hard for us to watch those separated families missing each other and die before they meet again. Also, the unifying will cause the two Koreas to advance the country's quality in a higher level. We need innovations and we need our Korean spirits back.
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Post by Jonathan on Nov 8, 2015 9:04:37 GMT
To begin with, South Korea and North Korea won't unite unless the world ends.
I believe that Korea would fail with the unification of South and North Korea. I was thinking about Germany's situation with their unification (and JY already wrote about it yay). The unification of the two countries would either bring success to both or total failure. North Korea has lots LOTS of resources that can't be developed with their current technology. It is the technology that South Korea can survive. Also, the great amount of people would bring a huge number of workforce and a stronger military. However, it is true that the unification would bring total chaos. South Koreans and North Koreans are the same people but with such different culture. This will bring totally chaos and lead to Korea fail as one of the most poor countries in the world. This is when other counties and world peace organizations such as the UN should come in to help. I don't expect the North Koreans to live like South Koreans or the other way around but just improving the North Korean life qualities will help the millions that suffer from the dictator that should land in Dante's hell.
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Post by jin794 on Nov 8, 2015 9:50:29 GMT
It is very unfortunate for some of people from North and South Korea, but it will be very hard to make unification of North and South Korea. It will eventually go to a difficult process. Even though North and South Korea are from same country, the two nations have been separated for a long time by the DMZ, which has been acting as a barrier among two nations. Since they have grown drastically different cultures and set of mind, even though the two nations are combined, it will bring a total chaos. There might be another war due to these cultural differences. Even though two nations are combined, who is the leader of new country? Furthermore an education gap will be too big for North Korea students to catch up.
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Post by chris9280 on Nov 8, 2015 9:53:20 GMT
It would be great to unite North and South Korea, but not now. North Koreans are way further behind than South Koreans in technologies,economics, and more. In the case of Germany, formal West Germany had to put up billions of dollars to support formal East Germany for decades. However, despite their set back, they have made it happen and they became a proud one united country. As you mentioned, yes, I strongly believe that we will go through the chaos for period of time but it is the sacrifice we must face in order to obtain more powerful and stronger nation. If it is to happen, I think it should happen sooner than later. South Korea has been one of the fastest developing countries in the world. We have proven to the world and ourselves that we are the country with much potential. If we can add that to the resources and men power of North Korea along with money we waste on the military just to keep the North Korean Army away, we will soon become a country to lead the world.Yes, like everything in the world, finding the right time is very important in unifying two countries. Yet, just like the Germans did, rather than comparing pros and cons, since we both are the people of Korea having same ancestors, we should try to give up little more and take extra steps to understand more of each others.
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Post by christopher on Nov 8, 2015 10:30:21 GMT
I really don't know. It would be great if the North and South can unite again. But it would take a lot of effort, money, and patience to make a stabilized united country. It took quite some years for Germany to be united. So Korea would also take quite some time to be unified. If the two countries are unified, I think that there will be a lot of chaos and instability within the society. The two country's perspective of each other are very different. Technology and education gap is also a problem. Most of all, because the two country's system is very different, so will the people themselves be. It will take huge effort and time to make a stabilized country. So there is pros and cons.
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Post by Jessica (Yeeun) Kim on Nov 8, 2015 11:24:03 GMT
It would be great to hear a news about reunification between North and South Korea. However, the process will be very hard and will take a long time. Personally, I want reunification because North and South Korea once were one country and we have shared same culture and history. At the same time, I worry about economic corruption in Korea after the reunification. Although South Korea has a market economy that ranks 11th, it is impossible to cover the economic gap between North Korea. For this reason, there are many people who disagree the reunification.
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Post by jungseunghoon16 on Nov 8, 2015 11:35:29 GMT
Well, If South Korea and North Korea unites, then.. I don't have to go to the military!! (HURRAY!!)  To be honest, I don't think it is next to being impossible for the two very distinct countries to unite because after all, we are both "Korea" and we were together once. Although the major developments of technology and architecture, and the very different society from North Korea would probably give the North Koreans a hard time adjusting to our culture and society. However, it would also be hard for us to become adjusted to their customs and the North Koreans' culture and technologies. I think that the most difficult barrier to break in reuniting is the exaggerated stereotypes of both North Korean and South Koreans. Here in South Korea, many people dislike the North Koreans. Ask them why and a majority of them will answer because they are evil or because they are North Korean. What is the meaning of that? is being a North Korean a bad thing or an evil thing? Just because their government system and how their country is different from ours doesn't make them evil. Considering some events that Kim Jung Eun has made some troubling events in the past, yet there has been no major disaster. Whereas in South Korea, there has been several major disasters such as the Sewol Ferry, and the most biggest current problem in South Korea, the low interest rates that are crushing the economy of Korea, and the people. It is a very hard time for everyone. I agree with the majority of the people that added a comment to this thread, I do think that it is possible for us to become one united country, but through a slow and progressing process. We may encounter fights over power in the government, and in changing the stereotypes of both sides of Korea, but the best part of reuniting? NO MORE MANDATORY MILITARY SERVICE!! YAY |
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