Toggle search
Toggle menu
4.1K
4.1K
440
61.5K
ProleWiki
Toggle personal menu
Not logged in
Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits.

Republic of Korea: Difference between revisions

From ProleWiki, the proletarian encyclopedia
More languages
More actions
VisualWikitext
(History.)
Tag: Visual edit
m (Added excerpt on NATO)
Tag: Visual edit
Line 1: Line 1:
{{External article cleanup|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox country|name=South Korea|population_estimate_year=2019|population_estimate=51,709,098|area_km2=100,363|established_date1=1948 August 15th|established_event1=First Republic|official_languages=Korean|leader_name3=Park Byeong-seug|native_name=대한민국|leader_title3=Speaker of the National Assembly|leader_name2=Kim Boo-kyum|leader_title2=Prime Minister|leader_name1=Moon Jae-in|leader_title1=President|capital=Seoul|government_type=Plutocracy|currency=Korean Republic won|mode_of_production=Capitalism}}
{{Infobox country|name=Republic of Korea|population_estimate_year=2019|population_estimate=51,709,098|area_km2=100,363|established_date1=1948 August 15th|established_event1=First Republic|official_languages=Korean|leader_name3=Park Byeong-seug|native_name=대한민국|leader_title3=Speaker of the National Assembly|leader_name2=Kim Boo-kyum|leader_title2=Prime Minister|leader_name1=Moon Jae-in|leader_title1=President|capital=Seoul|government_type=Plutocracy|currency=Korean Republic won|mode_of_production=Capitalism|name=South Korea}}
The '''Republic of Korea''' ('''ROK'''), commonly called '''South Korea''', is a [[United States of America|U.S.]] puppet state on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. The northern part of the peninsula is governed by the [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)]], commonly called North Korea.  
The '''Republic of Korea''' ('''ROK'''), commonly called '''South Korea''', is a [[United States of America|U.S.]] puppet state on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. The northern part of the peninsula is governed by the [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)]], commonly called North Korea.  


Since the ROK is a bourgeois republic (a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, in Marxist language) is is riddled with corruption and political scandals. All four living former South Korean presidents have been sentenced to prison for various crimes ranging from abuse of authority to bribery and embezzlement.<ref name="aei">{{Cite news|url=https://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/asia/south-koreas-troubling-history-of-jailing-ex-presidents/|title=South Korea's troubling history of jailing ex-presidents|work=AEI|date=9 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com)|date=|title=Former South Korean president sentenced to prison {{!}} DW {{!}} 30 November 2020|url=https://www.dw.com/en/former-south-korean-president-sentenced-to-prison/a-55779280|access-date=10 February 2021|website=DW.COM|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/08/22/2013082201400.html|title=Ex-President Roh Tae-woo to Pay Remainder of Massive Fine|date=22 August 2013|work=The Chosunilbo|language=en|access-date=27 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=South Korea : President's impeachment on a background of political scandal|url=http://perspective.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/servlet/BMAnalyse?codeAnalyse=2320|agency=Université de Sherbrooke|website=Perspective Monde|language=fr|date=7 February 2017}}</ref><ref name="bbcsource">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45756561|title=South Korea ex-leader jailed for 15 years|work=BBC News|date=5 October 2018}}</ref>
Since the ROK is a bourgeois republic (a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, in Marxist language) is is riddled with corruption and political scandals. All four living former South Korean presidents have been sentenced to prison for various crimes ranging from abuse of authority to bribery and embezzlement.<ref name="aei">{{Web citation|date=2018-10-09|title=South Korea's troubling history of jailing ex-presidents|url=https://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/asia/south-koreas-troubling-history-of-jailing-ex-presidents/|newspaper=American Enterprise Institute}}</ref><ref>{{Web citation|date=2021-02-10|title=Former South Korean president sentenced to prison|url=https://www.dw.com/en/former-south-korean-president-sentenced-to-prison/a-55779280|newspaper=Deutsche Welle}}</ref><ref>{{Web citation|date=2013-08-22|title=Ex-president Roh Tae-woo to pay remainder of massive fine|newspaper=The Chosunilbo}}</ref><ref>{{Web citation|date=2017-02-07|title=South Korea: President's impeachment on a background of political scandal|url=http://perspective.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/servlet/BMAnalyse?codeAnalyse=2320|newspaper=Perspective Monde}}</ref><ref name="bbcsource">{{Web citation|date=2018-10-05|title=South Korea ex-leader jailed for 15 years|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45756561|newspaper=[[BBC|BBC News]]}}</ref>


== History ==
==History==


=== US Occupation ===
===US Occupation===
After [[Kim Il-sung]] liberated Korea from the [[Japan|Japanese Empire]], Korea was divided across the 38th parallel by two American officers who had never been to Korea.<ref>{{Citation|author=Don Oberdorfer, Robert Carlin|year=2014|title=The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History|chapter=|section=|page=5|quote=|pdf=|city=|publisher=|isbn=9780465031238|doi=|lg=|mia=|title-url=|chapter-url=|trans-title=|trans-lang=}}</ref> The South was occupied by the United States and a [[Fascism|fascist]] dictatorship led by Harvard graduate [[Syngman Rhee]] was installed.<ref>{{News citation|journalist=|date=|title=Syngman Rhee|url=https://www.doopedia.co.kr/doopedia/master/master.do?_method=view&MAS_IDX=101013000746262|newspaper=Doopedia|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref>
After [[Kim Il-sung]] liberated Korea from the [[Japan|Japanese Empire]], Korea was divided across the 38th parallel by two American officers who had never been to Korea.<ref>{{Citation|author=Don Oberdorfer, Robert Carlin|year=2014|title=The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History|chapter=|section=|page=5|quote=|pdf=|city=|publisher=|isbn=9780465031238|doi=|lg=|mia=|title-url=|chapter-url=|trans-title=|trans-lang=}}</ref> The South was occupied by the United States and a [[Fascism|fascist]] dictatorship led by Harvard graduate [[Syngman Rhee]] was installed.<ref>{{News citation|journalist=|date=|title=Syngman Rhee|url=https://www.doopedia.co.kr/doopedia/master/master.do?_method=view&MAS_IDX=101013000746262|newspaper=Doopedia|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref>


=== First Republic ===
===First Republic ===
Syngman Rhee ruled for the entire existence of the first republic. In 1948, he crushed an uprising on Jeju Island, killing as many as 60,000 people.<ref>{{News citation|journalist=|date=2000-06-18|title=Ghosts of Cheju|url=|newspaper=Newsweek|archive-url=https://www.newsweek.com/ghosts-cheju-160665|archive-date=|retrieved=2021-21-30}}</ref> In 1950, when the DPRK attempted to reunify the country, Rhee's forces retreated and killed at least another 60,000 supposed communist sympathizers.<ref>{{Citation|author=Kim Dong-Choon|year=2004|title=Forgotten war, forgotten massacres--the Korean War (1950-1953) as licensed mass killings|chapter=|section=|page=|quote=|pdf=https://www.academia.edu/6417696|city=|publisher=Journal of Genocide Research|isbn=|doi=|lg=|mia=|title-url=|chapter-url=|trans-title=|trans-lang=}}</ref> In 1960, Rhee was forced to resign due to mass protests across the nation after the body of a student killed by police was found floating in the harbor.<ref>{{Citation|author=|year=|title=Cause of the 4.19 Revolution|chapter=|section=|page=|quote=|pdf=|city=|publisher=|isbn=|doi=|lg=|mia=|title-url=https://archive.ph/20120707225356/http://100.naver.com/100.nhn?docid=726618|chapter-url=|trans-title=|trans-lang=}}</ref>
Syngman Rhee ruled for the entire existence of the first republic. In 1948, he crushed an uprising on Jeju Island, killing as many as 60,000 people.<ref>{{News citation|journalist=|date=2000-06-18|title=Ghosts of Cheju|url=|newspaper=Newsweek|archive-url=https://www.newsweek.com/ghosts-cheju-160665|archive-date=|retrieved=2021-21-30}}</ref> In 1950, when the DPRK attempted to reunify the country, Rhee's forces retreated and killed at least another 60,000 supposed communist sympathizers.<ref>{{Citation|author=Kim Dong-Choon|year=2004|title=Forgotten war, forgotten massacres--the Korean War (1950-1953) as licensed mass killings|chapter=|section=|page=|quote=|pdf=https://www.academia.edu/6417696|city=|publisher=Journal of Genocide Research|isbn=|doi=|lg=|mia=|title-url=|chapter-url=|trans-title=|trans-lang=}}</ref> In 1960, Rhee was forced to resign due to mass protests across the nation after the body of a student killed by police was found floating in the harbor.<ref>{{Citation|author=|year=|title=Cause of the 4.19 Revolution|chapter=|section=|page=|quote=|pdf=|city=|publisher=|isbn=|doi=|lg=|mia=|title-url=https://archive.ph/20120707225356/http://100.naver.com/100.nhn?docid=726618|chapter-url=|trans-title=|trans-lang=}}</ref>


=== Military rule ===
===Military rule===
After Rhee's resignation, bourgeois democracy was briefly restored under president [[Yun Bo-seon]].<ref>{{News citation|journalist=|date=|title=The Democratic Interlude|url=http://countrystudies.us/south-korea/12.htm|newspaper=Library of Congress|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref> On 1961 May 16, General [[Park Chung-hee]], the father of future president [[Park Geun-hye]] and former [[Empire of Japan (1868–1947)|Japanese]] collaborator, took power in a military coup. Park ruled as a military dictator for 18 years and sent 320,000 troops to support the [[Republic of Vietnam (1955–1975)|South Vietnamese]] puppet state in the [[Vietnam War]]. After Park's assassination on 26 October 1979, [[Chun Doo-hwan]] took power. In May 1980, protests against martial law began in [[Gwangju]], which were met with special warfare troops. Up to 2,300 civilians were killed in the [[May 18 uprising|Gwangju massacre]].<ref>{{News citation|author=K. J. Noh|newspaper=Hampton Institute|title=South Korean Dictator Dies, Western Media Resurrects a Myth|date=2020-12-02|url=https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/south-korean-dictator-dies-western-media-resurrects-a-myth|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519190752/https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/south-korean-dictator-dies-western-media-resurrects-a-myth|archive-date=2022-05-19|retrieved=2022-06-02}}</ref>
After Rhee's resignation, bourgeois democracy was briefly restored under president [[Yun Bo-seon]].<ref>{{News citation|journalist=|date=|title=The Democratic Interlude|url=http://countrystudies.us/south-korea/12.htm|newspaper=Library of Congress|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref> On 1961 May 16, General [[Park Chung-hee]], the father of future president [[Park Geun-hye]] and former [[Empire of Japan (1868–1947)|Japanese]] collaborator, took power in a military coup. Park ruled as a military dictator for 18 years and sent 320,000 troops to support the [[Republic of Vietnam (1955–1975)|South Vietnamese]] puppet state in the [[Vietnam War]]. After Park's assassination on 26 October 1979, [[Chun Doo-hwan]] took power. In May 1980, protests against martial law began in [[Gwangju]], which were met with special warfare troops. Up to 2,300 civilians were killed in the [[May 18 uprising|Gwangju massacre]].<ref>{{News citation|author=K. J. Noh|newspaper=Hampton Institute|title=South Korean Dictator Dies, Western Media Resurrects a Myth|date=2020-12-02|url=https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/south-korean-dictator-dies-western-media-resurrects-a-myth|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519190752/https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/south-korean-dictator-dies-western-media-resurrects-a-myth|archive-date=2022-05-19|retrieved=2022-06-02}}</ref>


== Rising anti-capitalism ==
==Politics==
 
=== NATO alliance ===
In June 2022, the South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol declared he will participate in the 3rd [[NATO Summit]] of 2022.<ref>{{News citation|newspaper=Kyodo News|title=Yoon to attend NATO summit, 1st time for S. Korean president|date=2022-06-22|url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/06/968e985e4c76-yoon-to-attend-nato-summit-1st-time-for-s-korean-president.html}}</ref> The director of the National Security Office Kim Sung-han declared not much later that South Korea will establish a "diplomatic mission" to NATO in Brussels to coincide with President Yoon Suk-yeol's participation in the Summit. According to Sung-han, this mission will make South Korea "able to increase information sharing and strengthen our networks with NATO allies and partners and establish a Europe platform that is worthy of our [global] status".<ref>{{News citation|newspaper=Korea JoongAng Daily|title=Korea to open diplomatic mission to NATO|date=2022-06-22|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/06/22/national/politics/Korea-Nato-Summit-Yoon-Sukyeol/20220622191349616.html}}</ref>
 
==Rising anti-capitalism==
In recent years, the term '''"'''[[Hell Joseon]]" or "Hell Korea" (Korean: 헬조선) has become popular to describe the social anxiety and discontent surrounding high unemployment and poor working conditions.<ref>[http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/739886.html Lashing out at “Hell Joseon”, young’uns drive ruling party’s election beatdown]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/young-south-koreans-call-their-country-hell-and-look-for-ways-out/2016/01/30/34737c06-b967-11e5-85cd-5ad59bc19432_story.html Young South Koreans call their country ‘hell’ and look for ways out] by the [[Washington Post]]</ref>  
In recent years, the term '''"'''[[Hell Joseon]]" or "Hell Korea" (Korean: 헬조선) has become popular to describe the social anxiety and discontent surrounding high unemployment and poor working conditions.<ref>[http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/739886.html Lashing out at “Hell Joseon”, young’uns drive ruling party’s election beatdown]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/young-south-koreans-call-their-country-hell-and-look-for-ways-out/2016/01/30/34737c06-b967-11e5-85cd-5ad59bc19432_story.html Young South Koreans call their country ‘hell’ and look for ways out] by the [[Washington Post]]</ref>  


Line 25: Line 29:
Labor militancy is also on the rise as 500k South Korean workers walk off in a one-day [[general strike]], protesting against rampant [[exploitation]] by the [[Gig worker|gig economy]], high costs of housing, and the highest annual working hours in the OECD.<ref>[https://therealnews.com/half-a-million-south-korean-workers-walk-off-jobs-in-general-strike HALF A MILLION SOUTH KOREAN WORKERS WALK OFF JOBS IN GENERAL STRIKE] on [https://therealnews.com/half-a-million-south-korean-workers-walk-off-jobs-in-general-strike The Real News Network]</ref>
Labor militancy is also on the rise as 500k South Korean workers walk off in a one-day [[general strike]], protesting against rampant [[exploitation]] by the [[Gig worker|gig economy]], high costs of housing, and the highest annual working hours in the OECD.<ref>[https://therealnews.com/half-a-million-south-korean-workers-walk-off-jobs-in-general-strike HALF A MILLION SOUTH KOREAN WORKERS WALK OFF JOBS IN GENERAL STRIKE] on [https://therealnews.com/half-a-million-south-korean-workers-walk-off-jobs-in-general-strike The Real News Network]</ref>


== References ==
==References==
[[Category:Countries]]
[[Category:Countries]]
<references />
<references />

Revision as of 01:59, 23 June 2022

South Korea
대한민국
CapitalSeoul
Official languagesKorean
Dominant mode of productionCapitalism
GovernmentPlutocracy
• President
Moon Jae-in
• Prime Minister
Kim Boo-kyum
• Speaker of the National Assembly
Park Byeong-seug
History
• First Republic
1948 August 15th
Area
• Total
100,363 km²
Population
• 2019 estimate
51,709,098
CurrencyKorean Republic won

The Republic of Korea (ROK), commonly called South Korea, is a U.S. puppet state on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. The northern part of the peninsula is governed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly called North Korea.

Since the ROK is a bourgeois republic (a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, in Marxist language) is is riddled with corruption and political scandals. All four living former South Korean presidents have been sentenced to prison for various crimes ranging from abuse of authority to bribery and embezzlement.[1][2][3][4][5]

History

US Occupation

After Kim Il-sung liberated Korea from the Japanese Empire, Korea was divided across the 38th parallel by two American officers who had never been to Korea.[6] The South was occupied by the United States and a fascist dictatorship led by Harvard graduate Syngman Rhee was installed.[7]

First Republic

Syngman Rhee ruled for the entire existence of the first republic. In 1948, he crushed an uprising on Jeju Island, killing as many as 60,000 people.[8] In 1950, when the DPRK attempted to reunify the country, Rhee's forces retreated and killed at least another 60,000 supposed communist sympathizers.[9] In 1960, Rhee was forced to resign due to mass protests across the nation after the body of a student killed by police was found floating in the harbor.[10]

Military rule

After Rhee's resignation, bourgeois democracy was briefly restored under president Yun Bo-seon.[11] On 1961 May 16, General Park Chung-hee, the father of future president Park Geun-hye and former Japanese collaborator, took power in a military coup. Park ruled as a military dictator for 18 years and sent 320,000 troops to support the South Vietnamese puppet state in the Vietnam War. After Park's assassination on 26 October 1979, Chun Doo-hwan took power. In May 1980, protests against martial law began in Gwangju, which were met with special warfare troops. Up to 2,300 civilians were killed in the Gwangju massacre.[12]

Politics

NATO alliance

In June 2022, the South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol declared he will participate in the 3rd NATO Summit of 2022.[13] The director of the National Security Office Kim Sung-han declared not much later that South Korea will establish a "diplomatic mission" to NATO in Brussels to coincide with President Yoon Suk-yeol's participation in the Summit. According to Sung-han, this mission will make South Korea "able to increase information sharing and strengthen our networks with NATO allies and partners and establish a Europe platform that is worthy of our [global] status".[14]

Rising anti-capitalism

In recent years, the term "Hell Joseon" or "Hell Korea" (Korean: 헬조선) has become popular to describe the social anxiety and discontent surrounding high unemployment and poor working conditions.[15][16]

South Korean media has also increasingly included narratives of class antagonism which have been poplar successes for Western audiences, with films such as Snowpiercer (2013)[17] and Parasite (2019)[18] and the popular TV show Squid Game (2021)[19][20][21]

The bourgeoisie media (in South Korea and in the US) carefully ensures that all criticism of capitalism stops just short of providing concrete solutions, lest people become interested in socialism and its various successes around the world.

Labor militancy is also on the rise as 500k South Korean workers walk off in a one-day general strike, protesting against rampant exploitation by the gig economy, high costs of housing, and the highest annual working hours in the OECD.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "South Korea's troubling history of jailing ex-presidents" (2018-10-09). American Enterprise Institute.
  2. ↑ "Former South Korean president sentenced to prison" (2021-02-10). Deutsche Welle.
  3. ↑ Ex-president Roh Tae-woo to pay remainder of massive fine (2013-08-22). The Chosunilbo.
  4. ↑ "South Korea: President's impeachment on a background of political scandal" (2017-02-07). Perspective Monde.
  5. ↑ "South Korea ex-leader jailed for 15 years" (2018-10-05). BBC News.
  6. ↑ Don Oberdorfer, Robert Carlin (2014). The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History (p. 5). ISBN 9780465031238
  7. ↑ "Syngman Rhee". Doopedia.
  8. ↑ Ghosts of Cheju (2000-06-18). Newsweek. Archived from the original. Retrieved 2021-21-30.
  9. ↑ Kim Dong-Choon (2004). Forgotten war, forgotten massacres--the Korean War (1950-1953) as licensed mass killings. [PDF] Journal of Genocide Research.
  10. ↑ Cause of the 4.19 Revolution.
  11. ↑ "The Democratic Interlude". Library of Congress.
  12. ↑ K. J. Noh (2020-12-02). "South Korean Dictator Dies, Western Media Resurrects a Myth" Hampton Institute. Archived from the original on 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  13. ↑ "Yoon to attend NATO summit, 1st time for S. Korean president" (2022-06-22). Kyodo News.
  14. ↑ "Korea to open diplomatic mission to NATO" (2022-06-22). Korea JoongAng Daily.
  15. ↑ Lashing out at “Hell Joseon”, young’uns drive ruling party’s election beatdown
  16. ↑ Young South Koreans call their country ‘hell’ and look for ways out by the Washington Post
  17. ↑ THE TRAIN IS CAPITALISM- SNOWPIERCER AND CLASS CONSCIOUNESS
  18. ↑ Parasite and Capitalism: What the Film Says About the Pursuit of Wealth
  19. ↑ Squid Game & The Rise Of Anti-Capitalist Entertainment
  20. ↑ “The Squid Game”: Anti-Capitalism and Netflix
  21. ↑ “Squid Game” Works Because Capitalism Is A Global Scourge
  22. ↑ HALF A MILLION SOUTH KOREAN WORKERS WALK OFF JOBS IN GENERAL STRIKE on The Real News Network
Retrieved from "https://en.prolewiki.org/index.php?title=Republic_of_Korea&oldid=13366"
Last modified
This page was last edited on 23 June 2022, at 01:59.
This page has been accessed 31,394 times.