On the Korean Peninsula, the drama continues to unfold. For the second time in the last year, the North appears to be provoking military action from the South Koreans. On Tuesday, two civilians and two military members died when the North launched artillery shells at a South Korean Island. This is the first time that an attack of this kind has been carried out since the early 1950s. Earlier this year in March, the North caused greater casualties when it sank a South Korean vessel with a torpedo, killing 46 sailors. North Korea has vehemently denied responsibility in public statements, claiming that the South Korean "traitors" fabricated the whole thing.
Assuming the North Koreans are in fact responsible all of the recent devastation, the South Korean government is in a tough spot. Do they retaliate and risk the potential for all out war, or do they sit back and wait for the next North Korean act of aggression? The route they take will likely be somewhere in the middle with a lot of non-verbal retaliation (public statements, sanctions, etc),
Given that the North and South Korean neighbors are struggling to coexist peacefully at this point, strategic allies such as China (ally to North Korea) and the US (ally to South Korea) are going to start playing major roles. This is alarming because the US already is sending an aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington to the Yellow Sea. The last thing we need right now is another foreign war. The wars in the middle east have already cost our country over 1 trillion dollars. Does anyone else think it is a poor idea for the US Government to jump in the middle of the Korean conflict? As with any political decision, their are costs and benefits. Calll me crazy, but I am fairly confident that the risk of war with North Korea and the risk of damaging our economic relationship with China more than outweigh the benefits of flexing our muscles in the Yellow Sea.
I see your point on the potential to damage relationships. However, I believe that U.S. sending naval forces to the region is more about the demonstration of support. Unsolicited attacks require this type of support.
ReplyDeleteThe context of the Korean conflict is very interesting. China has always shown support for the northern, communist state, whereas the U.S. has supported the southern nation. A large part of sending our naval forces there has got to do with context.
Really, it is amazing, when you look at the current situation through the lens of context.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War