South Korea Politics essays

South Korea Politics essays I believe that the Republic of Koreas (ROK) location is a paradox in that it is both advantageous and disadvantageous in their dealings with neighboring countries. The ROKs position at the center point of three major economic powers China, Japan and Russia - allows for excellent trade opportunities. It has also served to stimulate industrial, technological and agricultural markets across the ROK. Further, the ROK is poised, politically, to assume the traditional Confucian elder brother role to North Korea, should reunification come about. The disadvantage to this geographical positioning is that the ROK must increase its defense capability to ensure political and economic stability. Two of the four remaining Communist regimes surround the ROK and one former Marxist regime is within strategic striking distance. With the deployment of United States (US) forces to the Iraqi theater of operations and with the recent announcement of a withdrawal of 12,500 additional troops by Decemb er 2005, the ROK must be fully ready to assume an increasingly larger self-defense role. While the ROK has enjoyed, to a large part, the financial freedom to limit its defense spending an increase of 2.5%-3% against its gross national product will not devastate a now stable and growing economy. I tend to agree with the author that the Yi dynasty was in a downward spiral in the last two hundred years of its reign. Mr. Kim presents statistical information that is irrefutable. Even though the census numbers do not account for vagabonds, I refuse to believe that two-million people became wanderers during the 19th century alone. The only alternative explanation to the empires decline that follows a logical progression is the industrial revolution, which was sweeping the globe and making the world a smaller place. While Korea was an isolationistic monarchy it could not help but be affected by the world outside its b...