Abstract
For the past 70 years since 1945, the Republic of Korea has been built, maintained, developed, and turned into a proud democratic republic by the people of Korea. This chapter provides an introduction to this book and takes a general view of our achievements, particularly in the fields of foreign policy, national defense, and efforts for unification made along the journey toward “nation building”.
The author of Our Republic of Korea: Proposals for a Brighter Future, International Politics, Security and Unification of South Korea, and many other books.
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Notes
- 1.
Yang, Ho-Min writes extensively about the political and diplomatic efforts made in the process of establishing the Republic of Korea against the Soviet Union’s resistance. See Yang, Ho-Min, One and a Half Centuries Conflict in the Korean Peninsula: Interaction of Power, Ideology, Nation and International Relations I, II, Hallym University Press, 2010, pp. 309–401.
- 2.
See the followings for ROK’s diplomatic efforts for winning the recognition from the international community. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy of the Republic of Korea for the Past 40 Years, Seoul: MOFA, 1990, pp. 14–29; Kim, Jung-Won, Development of Korea’s Diplomacy, Jimmoondang, 1996, pp. 85–91.
- 3.
As for ROK’s UN diplomacy associated with the Korean War, see Kim, Jung-Won, ibid., pp. 91–106. For the cause, progress, and the result of the Korean War, sees Kim Hak-Joon, The Korean War, Bak Young Sa, 2003.
- 4.
As for the economic assistance from the United States and allies during the Korean War and the post-war reconstruction period, see Kim, Jung-Won, op. cit., pp. 110–117.
- 5.
Rhee, Sang-Woo, Our Republic of Korea: Proposals for a Brighter Future, Giparang, 2013, pp. 89–92. Inter-governmental organizations are listed in Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2007 Diplomatic White Paper, Seoul: MOFA, 2007.
- 6.
For the evolution US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty including Korea’s diplomatic efforts for security, see Appendix no. 1 of Defense White Paper, 2012, pp. 268–275; For recent developments of ROK-U.S. alliance, see Defense White Paper, 2016, Chapter IV, Section I,II, pp. 62–75.
- 7.
Overview of the economic development of Korea, see Lee, Young-Hoon, The History of the Republic of Korea: Tracing the Course of Nation Building 1945–1987, Giparang, 2013.
- 8.
For overview of economic diplomacy since establishment of ROK until 1987, see Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chapter IV, “Economic Diplomacy”, Foreign Policy of the Republic of Korea for the Past 40 Years, Seoul: MOFA, 1990, pp. 147–196. For Korea’s recent economic policy and economic indicators, see Troy Stangarone ed., Korea’s Economy 2013, Washington, DC: Korea Economic Institute of America, 2013; For evolution of economic development, see Lee, Ju-Young et al., Chapter VI, “Rapid Economic Growth and Leap Toward an Industrialized Nation”, Understanding the Modern History of Korea, Kyungdeok Publishing, 2007, pp. 237–275.
- 9.
For changing security environment in Northeast Asia and ROK’s response, see Rhee, Sang-Woo, “Reshaping Order in Northeast Asia and Our Response”, Foreign Policy No. 108, Korea Council on Foreign Relations, 2014, pp. 25–40.
- 10.
For better understanding on “Chinese Dream”, see Joshua Kurlantzick, Democracy in Retreat, 2003, p. 133. In an opinion poll conducted by professor Chu, Yun-Han, majority of intellectuals in East Asian countries answered that the Chinese-style authoritarianism emerged as counterforce of western democracy. Chinese Dream has been developed based on the ideas of Chinese intellectuals over time. It is not a policy initiative laid out by a couple of Chinese leaders. For understanding on intellectual background of Chinese Dream, see Orville Schell & John Delury eds., Wealth and Power: China’s Long March to The Twenty-First Century, New York: Random House, 2013.
- 11.
For Japan’s “Dynamic Defense” Policy, see Japan’s Ministry of Defense, National Institute for Defense Studies, Chapter VIII “Establishment of New Defense Plan: Introducing Dynamic Defense Concept”, East Asian Strategic Review, 2011, pp. 217–243; Chapter VII “Strategy for the Establishment of Dynamic Defense Concept”, East Asian Strategic Review 2012, pp. 213–243.
- 12.
The Empire of Korea pushed ahead with military modernization and established Korean Empire Armed Forces. However, the armed forces were disbanded based on Seven-point Treaty signed forcefully by Japan as of August 1, 1907. There were strong resistance movements and guerilla warfare by the discharged soldiers against Japan for 3 years. Over 2800 combats continued sporadically. Some fled from Korea to Manchuria and continued their resistance against Japan. During the 3-year resistance movements, a total of 16,700 disbanded armed forces died, Korea Defense Daily, July 31, 2014, p. 2.
- 13.
The Liberation Army was founded by the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai on September 17, 1940, and it fought against Japan in China along with Republic of China Armed Forces. However, U.S. occupation forces did not recognize the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea as a legitimate government, and the Liberation Army was also not recognized as ROK’s armed forces. Former members of Liberation Army as well as those who served for Japanese Armed Forces and Manchurian Armed Forces later took part in the establishment of the ROK Armed Forces. The ROK armed forces inherited the spirit of the Korean Empire Armed Forces that had been upheld by “Righteous Army”, “Independence Army”, and “Liberation Army”, which fought against Japanese forces in China.
- 14.
For history of expansion of the ROK Armed Forces after the Korean War was quoted from Korea Defense Daily, July 15, 2014, 2013; statistics were quoted from Defense White Paper, 2013.
- 15.
The development of ROK Armed Forces since its establishment up until recently is directly and indirectly linked with military cooperation with U.S. For the history of evolution of ROK Armed Forces, see Cho, Sung-Hoon, Formation and Development of R.O.K-U.S. Military Relations, Institute for Military History, MND, 2008. Statistics about South and North Korea’s defense power were quoted from 2012 Defense White Paper.
- 16.
For the pertaining statistics of the Korean War, see Rhee, Sang-Woo, Our Republic of Korea: Proposals for a Brighter Future, Giparang, 2013, pp. 31–36.
- 17.
ROK Armed Forces has maintained rank of the world’s 5th in terms of defense spending and size of armed forces since the beginning of the twenty-first century. See Rhee, Sang-Woo, International Politics, Bak Young Sa, 2005, pp. 418–420.
- 18.
For the number of nuclear warheads North Korea has produced, see Kwon, Tae-Young, Roh Hoon, Park, Hui-Rak, Moon, Chang-Ryeol, North Korea’s Nuclear and Missile Threat and Response, Book Korea, 2014, p. 159.
- 19.
For the detailed explanations about “Defense Reform 2030”, see Roh Hoon et al., Chapter VI, “Policy Guidelines of the Reform Projects”, Defense Policy 2030, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, 2010, pp. 257–332.
- 20.
For the UN member states who came to the aid of the ROK during the Korean War, see Ministry of Defense, Appendix III, 2012 Defense White Paper, pp. 282–285.
- 21.
For the evolutionary history of unification policies, see Ministry of Unification, 2013 White Paper on Korean Unification, 2013; Korea Institute for National Unification, Understanding Unification, Korea Institute for National Unification, 2013; Rhee, Sang-Woo, Security and Unifications of Korea, Nanam, 1995.
- 22.
Korea and Germany were two countries that were divided after World War II. Germany was reunified on October 3, 1990, when five provinces of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) joined the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). Reunification of Germany gives us valuable lessons. Since the early stage of division, Germany has made it clear that the reunification of Germany should be led by West Germany. The Adenauer government laid down the principle of “realizing the unified government representing the desire of German people” and held fast to the principle that West Germany would accept East German government as negotiation partner only when it reflects the will of East German people. With the goal of democratization of East Germany, West Germany pursued a policy of small steps (Politik der kleinen Schritte) and realized a peaceful reunification of Germany. See Yum, Don-Jae, Process and Lessons of Unification of Germany, Institute for Peace Affairs, 2010.
- 23.
For the “Unification through Communal Integration Plan”, see The Presidential Commission of the 21st Century, Era of Unification in the 21st Century, Donga Ilbo, 1993; Rhee, Sang-Woo, Security and Unifications of Korea, Nanam, 1995.
- 24.
President Park Geun-Hye announced the “Initiative for Peaceful Unification on the Korean Peninsula” during her speech at Dresden University of Technology, Germany on March 28th, 2014. The so-called Dresden Initiative is the Park Geun-Hye government’s policy towards unification which focuses on building a system for coexistence based on trust-building and laying foundation for political integration between the two Koreas by expanding inter-Korean cooperation while providing assistance to North Korean people. The initiative is a unification policy focused on realizing a unified Korea where both South and North Korean people can enjoy co-prosperity. For President Park’s Dresden Declaration and Dresden Speech, see Institute of Unification Studies, “Report on the 1st Unification Forum”, The Dresden Initiative and a Happy Unification, April 30, 2014.
- 25.
See Rhee, Sang-Woo, Chapter VIII “The Future of the Republic of Korea”, Our Republic of Korea: Proposals for a Brighter Future, Giparang, 2013, pp. 170–193.
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Rhee, SW. (2019). Introduction: South Korea’s 70-Year Endeavor in the Areas of Foreign Policy, National Defense, and National Unification—Retrospect and Vision for the Future. In: South Korea’s 70-Year Endeavor for Foreign Policy, National Defense, and Unification. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1990-7_1
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