Saturday, December 17, 2022

Peace on the Peninsula

Top View White Dove Symbol Peace Red Background Stock Image

 Recently, in the North/South Korea Reconciliation Column of the Catholic Times Weekly the Bishops' Reconciliation committee director gives us his thoughts on some problems faced in attaining peace.
 
He mentions reading an article by a military expert who suggested securing '10,000 missiles' as a response to North Korea’s nuclear weapons. He brought up the name of Yulgok the minister of defense from history who wanted to raise an army of 100,000 against a Japanese attack. By some, his worry was well founded for after his death, Japan invaded Korea in 1592-1596. The military expert "proposed to secure 10,000 powerful and sophisticated missiles within 10 years."
 
Although there is controversy over its authenticity in the academic world, the 100,000 soldiers trained in preparation for foreign enemies, is a familiar story to the Koreans. In the past, the spirit of Yubimuhwan (有備無患) (the state of being prepared and worry-free). of Yulgok often appeared in history books and educational cartoons that children read. While listening to Yulgok’s '100,000 theory' during class, the students learned that the reason they went through the Imjin War was because of Korea's insensitivity to security.

However, the North Korean authorities, which possess nuclear weapons, also claim the purpose of strengthening their military power is for security. The missile launch tests continue in response to the large-scale ROK-US joint military training. "No matter how precious peace is, I will never beg for it." As the lyrics of a North Korean song say: "There is peace at the end of our guns and spears."

North Korea, as well as South Korea and other countries, believe that peace can only be guaranteed through a strong national defense.The accelerating arms race in Northeast Asia is the epitome of a Security Dilemma. In the context of the security dilemma, if one country feels security anxiety and increases its military power, the opposing party will also strengthen its military power, which inevitably increases the security anxiety of the hostile parties. In this process, the dilemma intensifies as both sides define their own military power for defense and the other side's military power for attack.
 
No matter how many state-of-the-art weapons one side has, security concerns will not be resolved. Immanuel Kant, who longed for peace while watching the international society and its law of the jungle, left us the following words: in  'Politics,' "be smart as snakes", and with morals, "be as pure and guileless as doves."... The proposition that 'honesty is better than any policy is not disputed and is in fact regarded as an indispensable condition. Children of God who believe in the peace of Christ must overcome the 'idol of realism' and find a new way of peace.
 

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