Joseph H. Chung Ph.D. Professor of Economics, Quebec University in Montreal (UQAM)

(지난 호에 이어)

Third, the North-South tension justifies the increase of the budget for the purchase of weapons made in Korea or abroad, especially the U.S. It is a known secret that a very large portion of this money goes into the pocket of those involved in weapon deals who are mostly leaders of the PJSKC group.

Story of PKSKL-North Korea

 If there are countries which desire peace on the Korean peninsula, they are the PKSKL and North Korea.

 The honest efforts to bring peace and prepare for the reunification of Koreas began honestly with the Sun-Shine policy of Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Rho Moo-hyun (1998-2008). These two presidents created a promising foundation for peace through Joint Agreements (2000 and 2007).

 But the conservative party of Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye did their best in destroying such foundation. By the way, these two former presidents are serving their prison terms for their abuse of power and corruption. But Park Geun- hye was pardoned by President Moon Jae-in for Park's poor health.

 Since President Moon Jae-in of the PKSKL group took over the power in 2017, he had three summits in 2018 and 2019 with Kim Jung-un, President of North Korea and agreed to end the war, eliminate the inter-Korea tension and resume North-South economic cooperation and prepare for the reunification of Koreas.

 Unfortunately, the lack of cooperation of Washington and the endless U.S.-led UN sanctions, the inter-Korea peace dialogue and cooperation have become impossible. President Moon has not succeeded in lifting the inter-Korean tension.

Story of Japan

 The Case of Japan is complex. To understand Japan's perception of Korea, in general, and North Korea, in particular, we have to understand the unusual characteristics of Japan's leaders.

 Since Kishi Nobusuke took power in 1957, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has ruled Japan for 58 years out of 64 years. Kishi Nobusuke was the maternal-side grandfather of Shinzo Abe who ruled Japan for 10 years in the 2010s.

 Remember this. Kishi was A-class war criminal and sentenced for 5-year prison but liberated after the Americans left Japan. Kishi was one of the most vicious violators of human rights in Manchuria.

 He was one of the worst racists; he compared the Chinese people with the Yangtze River which stinks.

 He was the right-had man of Tojo Hideki who attacked Pearl Harbour in 1941 without the declaration of War and who put the Japanese people into the hell of the Pacific War.

 Over the years, the LDP has become the center of a far-right wing political group which I qualify as the "Neo-Meiji Reformation Group", or NMRG which has strong attachment to the glory and power of the pre-1945 Japan, which was the continuation of the Meiji Era Japan (1868-1912)

 The NMRG has the following characteristics

•It does not recognize the Tokyo War Criminal Trial.

•It argues that Japan has never surrendered; Japan has signed the cease-fire. Hence, Japan is still in war the U.S. and its allies.

•Its religion is Shintoism in which the Emperor is god; the Japanese are Emperor's people, hence, they are divine people who could and did not commit such inhuman crimes as the sexual torture of 200,000 Korea girls, the Nanking Rape and labour slavery of Koreans.

•It still believes in the Hakko-Ichi-U, that is, Japan is destined to rule the whole world.

•It still has the project of the 1927 Tanaka Memorial which shows the roadmap of Japan's world conquest starting with the conquest of Korea followed by that of China, Southeast Asia and the U.S.

 In short, the ambition of conquering Korea and China is still there. But, to be ready for the eventual invasion of Korea and China, the LDP must remain in power eternally so that Japan can eliminate or modify Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution prohibiting Japan to make war. Here is the famous Article 9 of the Japanese constitution.

"Aspiring sincerely to an international order based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and threat or use of force as means of settling international dispute." (A part of Article 9 of the Japanese New Constitution of 1947)

 However, by virtue of an agreement with the U.S., Japan can join the American forces, if and when the U.S. is in war. In fact, Japan is suspected to hope for joining the U.S. forces attacking North Korea. This will allow the NMRG to satisfy partly its dream of re-conquering Korea and China.

 At any rate, Japan does not want peace on the Korean peninsula; Japan wants the North-South tension to continue, because it produces the following benefits.

 First, Japan needs North Korea as a threat to Japan, for it provides the occasion to unify voters in favour of the strong LDP. So, North Korea is a good electoral friend of LDP.

 Second, the presumed threat of North Korea justifies additional military spending, which helps to build up strong armed forces needed for future invasion of Korea and China.

Third, Washington wished to keep tension on the Korean peninsula. Japan being ally of the U.S. it has to go along with Washington's wish.

Story of China

 As for China, it also prefers the tension in the Korean peninsula for the following reason.

 First, for China, the North-South tension allows China to make North Korea dependent on China for the trade. As much as 90% of trade of North Korea depends on China so that China can exert great influence on North Korea.

 Second, for China, North Korea is a precious buffer zone protecting itself from the cultural influences of South Korea and the U.S. Moreover, if hostility occurs between China and the alliance of the U.S., North Korea can become even military buffer zone.

 Third, if peace is established on the Korean peninsula because of the removal of American sanctions, North Korea can become closer to Washington than to China. If this happens, North Korea could become a threat to China.

Story of Russia

 As for Russia, it has little geopolitical interest in Korea; it has rather geo-economic interests; it wants to build pan-Korea pipeline to sell Siberian gas. It prefers peace on the Korean peninsula.

Story of the U.S.A.

 Washington's North Korea policy is as ambiguous as its Taiwan policy.

 There could be several reasons why Washington has not solved the North Koreans issues, keep the armistice of the Korean War for 68 years and maintain the inter-Korea tension.

 The following reasons may be examined.

 First, the U.S. maintains tension on the Korean peninsula partly because of the lobby (bribe) diplomacy of Japan and PJSKC.

 It is a well known fact that Japan and the PJSKC spend billions of dollars to demonize North Korea. (다음 호에 계속)

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