North Korea, Changes and Continuities, 1900-2008
by Outlined here is an analysis as well as a discussion of the changes and the continuities, which have occurred within or otherwise affected North Korea since the turn of the 20th century.
Events that will be evaluated in order to fully appreciate the changes and the continuities within North Korea from the beginning of the Twentieth century through to the present day. That happens to include the affects of Chinese and then Japanese occupation, the partition of Korea at the end of the Second World War, not to mention the consequences of Communist rule from the late 1940s.
North Korea as part of a united Korea had a long history have been ruled by foreign powers, especially China and Japan. The Chinese control of Korea was ended by its defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 – 1895. The Japanese would remain in Korea until after the end of the Second World War.
As the colonial rulers of the whole of Korea the Japanese were keen to exploit the resources as well as the labour of that country and its population to increase Japan’s own wealth. The Japanese did not attempt to industrialise Korea at all with its economy remaining largely agricultural and largely undeveloped.
Perhaps the most obvious difference between 1900 and 2008 is that there is a North Korea in the first place. At the beginning of the Twentieth century Korea was still a united country whilst being a Japanese colony. The Japanese did not divide the Korean Peninsula up at all, and did not feel the need to do so. In 1900 the only change to the size or borders of Korea would potentially come from Tsarist Russia taking over as its colonial master. With the overwhelming Japanese victory over Russia in the war of 1904 to 1905 the possiblity of Russia taking control of Korea receded away for good. China the other country that might have challenged Japanese control of Korea was too weak to do so until the Communist take over in 1949. By that time the Korean Peninsula had already been divided into North Korea and South Korea.
After 1905 for the next forty what happened to Korea was dependent upon the fortune of Japan. The Japanese certainly aimed to keep Korea as its colony on a permanent basis. At no point was there any intention by the Japanese or the Koreans that resisted Japanese rule for Korea to become divided along the 38th Parallel on an apparently permanent basis. The division of Korea was a temporary measure brought about by Japan’s defeat in the Second World war.
The gaining of independence from the Japanese at the end of the Second World War inadvertently led to the most fundamental change between 1900 and 2008; the partition of Korea. The temporary partition marked the boundary between South Korea where American troops had accepted the surrender of Japanese soldiers, and North Korea where the Soviet Army had done so.
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