What is more, a large section of SKoreans yearn for the reunification. Presumably, there are many in the North that feel the same. This is one of the problems with Governments getting to be the "mouthpiece" for an entire society. Given the way "democracy" works, you tend to get overly solvent, largely isolated ideologues as your representatives. These folks come exclusively from the wealthiest families, and are therefore more inclined to maintain the status quo.
Regardless of the posturing of both sides governments, Korea is one country with a grievous split artificially placed between the two by the warring strongmen placed in their positions by superpowers with limited or non-existent information about the native culture.
I would also like to point out something we tend to forget here. The losses on both sides (excluding UN/Americans) were immense. The climate, terrain, and technology coincided to create massive casualties and widespread suffering. After a shaky armistice, the US just kind of left, but the war never ceased. We as typical Americans feel as if bygones should be bygones (we tend to be best friends with the countries we fight... afterwords, of course), but we oftentimes fail to take into account the massive list of dead.
Anecdote: i was hanging out with a Vietnamese friend from high school and we were (unaccountably) watching Rambo 7 or something (whichever one is the newest/most embarrassing) and we ere both growing increasingly uncomfortable. I kept making comments about cinematography and acting, whilst my buddy just grew more and more aghast. Finally we turned it off. I went on at great length about all the technical reasons i thought the film was poor. Finally, my friend pointed out the amount of Filipino extras that were slaughtered by that 'roided asshole with the wrecked face. And that was it. That was "all" that bothered him. I never really realized before that moment just how callus American storytelling is to the lives of Asians and their struggles. "We" literally killed so many Koreans and Asians in certain battles that left stacks of dead higher than a man stands. Untold numbers were left to die from maneuvers alone.
I do not say this to inspire guilt or launch a recriminatory flame war, but i think it is important that we all consider why the North is so damned sullen and obnoxious. The ear of blaming everything on "communism" needs to end.
Regardless of the posturing of both sides governments, Korea is one country with a grievous split artificially placed between the two by the warring strongmen placed in their positions by superpowers with limited or non-existent information about the native culture.
I would also like to point out something we tend to forget here. The losses on both sides (excluding UN/Americans) were immense. The climate, terrain, and technology coincided to create massive casualties and widespread suffering. After a shaky armistice, the US just kind of left, but the war never ceased. We as typical Americans feel as if bygones should be bygones (we tend to be best friends with the countries we fight... afterwords, of course), but we oftentimes fail to take into account the massive list of dead.
Anecdote: i was hanging out with a Vietnamese friend from high school and we were (unaccountably) watching Rambo 7 or something (whichever one is the newest/most embarrassing) and we ere both growing increasingly uncomfortable. I kept making comments about cinematography and acting, whilst my buddy just grew more and more aghast. Finally we turned it off. I went on at great length about all the technical reasons i thought the film was poor. Finally, my friend pointed out the amount of Filipino extras that were slaughtered by that 'roided asshole with the wrecked face. And that was it. That was "all" that bothered him. I never really realized before that moment just how callus American storytelling is to the lives of Asians and their struggles. "We" literally killed so many Koreans and Asians in certain battles that left stacks of dead higher than a man stands. Untold numbers were left to die from maneuvers alone.
I do not say this to inspire guilt or launch a recriminatory flame war, but i think it is important that we all consider why the North is so damned sullen and obnoxious. The ear of blaming everything on "communism" needs to end.