The once united nation of Korea broke into two conflicting sides that have been a wound to many citizens in the region. As one approaches the gated boarder strip that separates the North and South Korea, you can feel the military presence in the area. However, the natives have a very different perception of the events that took place before the establishment of this boarder line. The rising tensions between the two sides have been the center of the unification process (Liston par. 13). Currently, it is very difficult to tell the willingness of either of the two countries to unite.
Both countries are covered by a cloud of paranoia and distrust to a point where it is almost impossible to reach to a consensus. Although there is a possible futuristic unification possibility, the process has taken too long to star. The unification process began in 15, June 2000 (Branigan par.14). This was the first time that the two countries had a meeting and decided to work towards achieving and restoring peace between them. The agreement was followed by months and years of diplomatic consensus aimed at reaching g a common ground for the two to coexist.
However, this process has always been derailed by the political and economic differences between the two countries (Kim par. 20). The six decades of separation have been very difficult for the two countries hence the heavy military presence at the border where they are both separated. However, there is a seemingly positive gesture considering the Post-Korean war. The two countries though their governments have initiated fresh plan to reconcile the two nations and form a unified notation. According to the governments in both sides, the only goal that they have is to have Korea unified as a single state in the near future.
The two countries have made it clear that they were committed to the unification process and this has been backed by several guidelines aimed at ensuring that the process is purely Korean. One of the conditions that is very important in order for the process to move forward is that it has to be purely a Korean initiative without any external interference or influence (Kelly 18). Among the conditions and guidelines, the two countries agreed on a peaceful unification process (Kelly 20). This process according to the guidelines must not be coercive or may not involve any form of forceful aggression to agree to any terms.
All forms of slander and defaming each other have been cited as one of the most demoralizing factors in the process of unification. Therefore, the two sides have agreed to avoid any kind of bad mouthing in order to foster and enhance trust among the two nations. However, the Korean peninsula faces great challenges even with the clearly laid down procedure to achieve unity between the two countries. Critics are skeptical as to whether a middle ground will be reached especially after the recent North Korea’s rhetoric and military threats against the south.
It is still too early to tell the direction that this place will take in the near future considering that the process has been a long journey that has not bare any fruits yet. Nonetheless, we cannot rule out the possibility that the two countries can be united and form a single country in the near future. This is a possibility that the entire world will be watching and monitoring every closely.
Works Cited
Branigan, Tania. Korean unification: dreams of unity fade into past for young South Koreans. 2013. Web.
Kelly, Robert E. “Chinas Interests in Korean Unification: How Much Longer is the.” The Korean Journal of Security Affairs (KJSA) 19.2 (2014): 4-21. Web.
Kim, Soo. Is South Korea Ready for Reunification?. 2013. Web.
Liston, Enjoli. North and South Korea: can Seoul’s plans for reunification work?. 2014. Web.