Unification and Security on the Korean Peninsula

Abstract

The division of Korea was a product of the Allied victory in World War 2. Whether partition was a "finished" product of the Allied powers or a temporary military demarcation line, as the documents literally suggest, is still subject to debase. Likewise, whether "temporary" or "permanent" division was the price for Korean independence is yet unknown. The founding of the Republic of Korea in the south was the result of the futility of direct negotiations between the two occupying nations. The breakdown of negotiations ultimately resulted in the division of Korea into two separate political entities along the 38th parallel, thus depriving the Forean people of the opportunity for independence under a single government. In 1946, the United States brought the Korean question to the United Nations, and the General Assembly adopted a resolution proposed by the United States providing for Korean independence. However, North Korea's refusal to let the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korean perform the function of "the right to travel, observe, and consult throughout Korea," led to a total impasse. In 1948 the United Nations recognized the Republic of Korea(ROK) "as the only validly elected, lawful government in Korea. On the other hand, the Korean communists in the north under the auspices of the Russian military authorities held a general election of their own and promulgated the creation of "the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK)" on September 9, 1948.