Relaxation of International Tensions : Special Reference to the Korean Peninsula

Abstract

The Korean peninsula has had a central place in the politics of East Asia over the past hundred years. Partitioned after World War 2 by a combination of ignorance, inadvertance and great power design, the hatreds created by local power struggles(backed by outside support for rival Korean governments) and intesified by the Korean War make it the scene of one of the most bitter cold-war rivalries facing any of the divided nations. In spite of the efforts at dialogue in the last few years, the fierce antagonism between North and South Korea remains; the Korean peninsula represents one of the world's most dangerous potential flashpoints for large-scale conflict. Any outbreak of hostilities could involve the U.S., China and the U.S.S.R., all of whom are bound by separate treaties to the defense of the two Koreas, in direct armed confrontation. Despite some easing of tensions in recent years, there remain many uncertainties and explosive possibilities involving this sensitive and heavily armed area, which has over 1,000,000 men under arms out of the approximately 50,000,000 people on the peninsula. Moreover, each has large reseve units, and a militia larger than its regular and reserve forces combined.