BACKGROUND
North Korea, a highly secretive communist state, is ruled by one of the world’s longest- running dynastic dictatorships. The Korean Peninsula was temporarily divided along the 38th parallel by the United States and Soviet Union after Korea was liberated from Japanese control at the end of the Second World War. This division resulted in the formation of two countries: North Korea (supported by Soviet Union), and South Korea (supported by the U.S.). Years later, tensions developed between North and South Korea leading to the Korean War (1950).
When North Korea invaded the South, the United Nations and the United States entered the war to defend the South. China also joined the war as China and North Korea were bonded by their shared Leninist-socialist ideologies (the Soviet Union also clandestinely supported the North.) After three years of fighting, the war ended in a stalemate with the border between North and South Korea near where it had been at the war’s beginning.1 Technically, North and South Korea are still at war as they never signed a peace treaty, but instead ended the war with an armistice signed by military commanders.
China is North Korea’s most important trading partner and main source of food and energy. It has helped sustain the regime of North Korea, and has opposed harsh international sanctions on North Korea in the hope of avoiding regime collapse.2 Despite extreme poverty in North Korea, its spending goes primarily to the military and the development of its ballistic missile and nuclear program, severely drawing off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair because of years of underinvestment, shortages of spare parts, and poor maintenance. From the perspective of North Korean leaders, however, nuclear weapons are the ultimate guarantor of the regime’s survival, since North Korea is surrounded by powerful rivals and adversaries including South Korea. It was the only way for North Korea to avoid regime change, such as the U.S.-led or aided invasions of Libya and Iraq.3
North Korea has changed its diplomatic strategy since the beginning of 2018, as Kim Jong Un declared that the state’s primary emphasis will be on economic development. He conveyed his interest in meeting with the U.S. President Donald Trump, and the two leaders held the first summit on June12, 2018, in Singapore. North and South Korean leaders also held historic meetings and they confirmed their determination to formally end the Korean War. This change presented Kim’s strong intention to develop North Korea’s economy, and the North is now seeking relief from economic sanctions in return for concessions on its nuclear program.4
LET’S THINK ABOUT IT
Your SWAC leader will prompt you with questions concerning the same idea:
North Korea presented its willingness to give up on nuclear and missile capabilities, only if the United States lifts the economic sanctions and removes American troops from South Korea. The U.S. suspended some of its annual military drills with South Korea but has refused sanctions relief until North Korea takes concrete disarmament steps. If you were the U.S. Secretary of State, how would you handle this negotiation? Express your thoughts and contribute to discussion with your SWAC peers!
(room to write your thoughts)
This lesson plan is meant as an aid for the Faculty Sponsor, President or Vice-President to lead their respective SWAC chapter in the discussion of this two weeks’ focus: North Korea.
Kahoot! Introductory Quiz
Kahoot! is an online Quiz platform. This small five-question quiz is to test the student’s prior knowledge of North Korea and introduce them to the discussion to come. The quiz does not require the proctor to have a Kahoot account in order to start. Students will use an electronic device in order to answer. The link is below; click START NOW and select Classic mode. After the Game PIN is generated, students will be able to join the session by accessing kahoot.it on their computer or mobile device. Begin the quiz once all students have joined! This activity shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.
LINK: https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/55645f48-672e-4984-b703-6521e8d2c648
Lesson Handout
Now is when the handouts should be passed out to students. This handout will cover an analysis of North Korea’s integration into the global economy. It is recommended that the handout be read aloud as a group instead of individually. Take some time after the document has been read to cover the material with the students and make sure that its been generally understood. Ask questions to students; get them to summarize what they’ve read and make sure that the students are engaged and understanding. The reading shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes.
Video Resources
We have two video resources below that will go over in more detail the current event portion of the handout and expand upon it. Following each link we’ve included a description of the video and possible questions that you can ask students to see what they’ve taken away from watching the clips. Each video clip is between 3 and 6 minutes; coupled with questions this segment should take no more than 15 minutes.
- HOW THE KIM DYNASTY TOOK OVER NORTH KOREA
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56c6W8EGfcA
- This 6-minute video shows how North Korea has been reshaped and transformed over the years from a peaceful monarchy into an oppressive dictatorship. What will be the next model that Kim Jong Un is looking for in order to achieve economic development?
- HOW NORTH KOREA COULD RESHAPE SOUTHEAST ASIA
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWkWyfp_QtI
- This video explains that North Korea’s integration into the global economy could have a profound impact on regional development and growth. Should the International community withdraw economic sanctions and cooperate with North Korea despite the fact that North Korea denuclearizing was always highly unlikely?
DISCUSSION
- The international community underscored the need to raise human rights concerns in negotiations with North Korea. Should US address the human rights issues or put the priority on denuclearization as it is closely related to its national security?
- In terms of reunification, what do you foresee for relations between South Korea and North Korea? (Debated options are: a federal arrangement like the “one country, two system” agreement that has governed Hong Kong; a Korean version of the EU; and absorption by the South that would result in liberal democracy like Germany after the fall of the Berlin 5
(This shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes – total estimated meeting time: no more than 1 hour.)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BBC News Editors, (May 06, 2016), North Korea profile – overview, Retrieved October 29, 2018, From BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15258878
Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein and Patrick M. Cronin, (July 16, 2018), How the North Korean Economy Should – and shouldn’t – be used in negotiations, Retrieved October 29, 2018, From 38 North: https://www.38north.org/2018/07/bksilbersteinpcronin071618/
Dave Mosher, (January 21, 2018), North Korea is not building nuclear weapons to destroy the US – the real reasons are much more surprising, Retrieved October 29, 2018, From Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/reason-north-korea-needs-nukes-deterrence-vs-expansion-2018-1
Dick K, Nanto and Mark E. Manyin, (December 28, 2010), China-North Korea Relations, Retrieved October 30, 2018, From Congressional Research Service: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41043.pdf
Eleanor Albert, (July 19, 2018), North Korea’s Power Structure, Retrieved October 29, 2018, from Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/north-koreas-power-structure
Eleanor Albert, (March 28, 2018), The China-North Korea Relationship, Retrieved October 29, 2018, From Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-north-korea- relationship
History.com Editor, (August 21, 2018), North Korea, Retrieved October 29, 2018, from HISTORY: https://www.history.com/topics/korea/north-korea-history
John Power, (October 27, 2018), Could Hong Kong’s ‘One country, Two systems’ Work For Korea?, Retrieved October 30, 2018, From This Week in Asia: https://www.scmp.com/week- asia/geopolitics/article/2170456/could-hong-kongs-one-country-two-systems-work-korea
Kelsey Davenport, (October 2018), Chronology of U.S. – North Korean Nuclear and Missile Diplomacy, Retrieved October 30, 2018, from Arms Control Association: https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/dprkchron
Khan Academy Editors, (2018), The Korean War, Retrieved October 29, 2018, From Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/1950s-america/a/the-korean-war
The World FactBook, (2018), East & Southeast Asia: Korea, North, Retrieved October 29, 2018, from Central Intelligence Agency: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/kn.html
Sandeep Gopalan, (June 12, 2018), What is next for North Korea after the Singapore summit?, Retrieved October 29, 2018, from Aljazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/awaits- post-summit-north-korea-180612081611260.html