Garrett 대 희 “Dae Hee” Edmark 

Oct. 12, 2023, 7:33AM

A Tale of Two States

A Brief History

During Imperial Japan's siege of the Peninsula and the easternmost portions of China, the northern portion of the peninsula aided Mao Zedong’s China in their defense from Imperial Japan during the Second World War; in the war's wake, A debate of congruent ideologies amongst the United States-occupied southern portion and the Communist-backed northern portion led to a three-year active conflict (The Korean War, 1950-1953.) Through the Korean Armistice which was reached in 1953. The peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel.  On the southern side of the 38th parallel, The United States has maintained a military, political, economic and diplomatic presence within South Korea from the state's inception in 1949 to the present. The Northern state was established and backed by the Soviet Union and its Chinese neighbors under an autocratic style of governance. Throughout the years, both states have shared the 200-kilometer peninsula but have experienced completely separate independent economic, political and cultural growth.

North and South Korea both sit polar to each other on a political spectrum. The current South Korean state operates executively under a presidential democratic-republic, whilst North Korea operates under an autocratic military-dictatorship style of executive governance. 

The Republic(s) of Korea

Prior to the sixth (current) republic of South Korea, the state struggled immensely with stabilizing itself and establishing an identity comparative to their Northern counterparts. In 1948, the United States Army Military Government relinquished governing power to the southern portion of the peninsula. The state's first republic was initially established under a democratic system of governance. During this time, Syngman Rhee, the first president of Korea systemically consolidated a monopolization of political power. Simultaneously, South Korea remained scarred from the outcome of the Korean War. With heavy reliance on United States aid and nationally intensifying riots (Seth, 2011); Widespread discontentment of Syngman Rhee’s corrupt administration resulted in United States forces having to extract him from South Korea as protesters violently stormed the Blue House. (Wilson, 1965)

In Syngmans disappearance, South Korea revised its constitution a second time under a Parliamentary style of governance. The second republic of Korea spanned from April 1960 to May 1961 before an insurrection led by General Park Chung-Hee resulted in his assumption of power as the Military-President, a constitutional revision, the establishment of the third republic of Korea and a shift to a de-facto autocratic military-dictatorship where Park reigned for 16 years before he was assassinated by K.C.I.A. director Kim Jae-Gyu. (Wilson, 1979)

In his death, Choi Kyu-Hah assumed the presidency. Choi served as president for just one year before having to relinquish his position. The fourth republic of Korea rose from the ‘12.12 Insurrection’ led by Chun Doo-Hwan. Months later, Chun then became the de-facto dictator of the state following the May 17th Military insurrection. Chun’s Military regime reinforced and intensified the state's militarized style of governance; however, Chun decentralized state power by dissolving multiple autocratic policies enacted by Park Chung-Hee. (Wilson, 1987) Martial law was dissolved in 1981 and Chun indirectly assumed the position of President. Six years following the dissolution of Martial Law, and an additional revision of the constitution, Roe-Tae Woo became the first legitimately elected president of South Korea after Park was unable to extend his term indefinitely as his successors had.

South Korea has undergone multiple regime changes stylistically before their establishment as a presidential democratic-republic. The South Korea known today is unrecognizable from the South Korea of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Meanwhile on the northern side of the 38th parallel; North Korea has remained a military dictatorship throughout, with three changes in leaders all within the same bloodline. In 1953, Kim Il Sung ‘founded’ the state as a military regime. The principles that sit at the foundation of the state are ‘Juche’ (State-Reliance) and ‘Songun’ (Military-First Politics) and after 70 years, these principles have remained centerpoints to their governing system.  Il-Sung's regime was characterized by its focus on the consolidation of power through populism. 

The Power of the North

In Kim Il-Sung's wake, his eldest son, Kim Jung-Il assumed power. Under Kim Jung-Il, the regime maintained a focus in the consolidation of domestic power over its citizens. Additionally, As a fan of the arts, the Supreme Leader focused on the replacement of foreign media, art and literature in exchange for domestic, state produced media, art and literature. In 1966, Jung-Il became the first Supreme Leader to serve as the Director of the Motion Pictures and Arts division in the Propaganda and Agitation department. In 1978, famous South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-Ok and his (renowned actress) wife Choi Eun-Hee were kidnapped in Hong Kong and taken to Pyongyang. They were instructed to begin the development of North Korea’s cinematographic industry for the usage of both international recognition and domestic propaganda usage. Shin and Choi produced multiple films for the North Korean state before defecting in 1986. (Evans, 2015) Jung-Il’s (propaganda-centric) infusion of the arts into the state unequivocally played a massive role in the state's accelerated consolidation of social coercion and ‘juche’ principles. 

Following the death of the former ‘Supreme Leader’ Kim Jung-Il in 2011, His third eldest son, Kim Jung Un assumed power. In 70 years the Korean regime has experienced three dictatorial changes over three generations within the Kim bloodline; each regime has served as a towering figure in the consolidation of domestic power (in their own unique respective styles.) 

While North Korea's “electoral” system is straightforward, South Korea operates as a presidential republic. In the current institution, South Korean presidents are elected to 5-year terms, while separately legislators and local representatives are elected to 4-year terms in the same election cycle.The dominant parties of the state are the democratic party of Korea and the United Future Party of Korea which operate as traditional left-wing and right-wing parties. In 2020, the democratic party led National Assembly voted towards the restructuring of legislative seating. Now, the national assembly consists of 300 seats but only 253 of them are constituent seats while 47 of the 300 are distributed proportionately to minority parties who attain above 3% of votes to maintain equal ideological representation within the national assembly.

Analyzing the Phenomena

Verbiage is powerful. South Korea has undergone six revisions of their constitution, operated under a de-facto military dictatorship, parliamentary and presidential system. The verbiage in the early iterations of the constitution allowed multiple corrupt leaders to illegally retain power. When evaluating the constitutions of the two states; in the case of North Korea, the fundamental needs of the general public are codified to come second to the state. (Korean [Democratic People's Republic of] Constitution. Art. I-LXIV.) Despite the state's economic woes, the accelerated development in North Korea’s nuclear program serves as a testament to the prioritization of state needs over public needs. Nearly 25% of the country's GDP is allocated to the military, nuclear and defense. For reference, The average military defense expenditure sits at 5.9%. (SIPRI, 2022) Through years of insurrections, nationwide rioting and constant regime changes, South Korea’s constitution sits at the foundation of the current system and its citizens are empowered through it, rather than any governing figure or institution.  (Korean [Republic of] Constitution. Art. I § cl. 1.) 

South Korea was born from the ashes of war, underwent multiple insurrections and corrupt presidents before it established a functional political system and identity. When comparing North Korea to its Southern neighbors it seems analogous to life. Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale of Two Cities, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” (Dickens, 1859) In 2021, South Korea reported a GDP of $1.709 Trillion whilst North Korea reported $16.331 Billion in that same year. (UNData, 2021) While North Korea hasn’t experienced insurrection, nationwide riots and public uprisings they haven’t experienced the same economic and diplomatic success that the southern state has. South Korea’s early struggles may have been a prerequisite to ‘rising from the abyss.’ The North and South share 200 kilometers but their respective stories, political climate and they’ve developed completely separate and independent of each other.