The Age-Old Question: Why Is Korea Divided?

From rjkoehler.com (The Marmot's Hole):

The age-old question: Why is Korea divided?


by robert neff on June 21, 2010



in Korean History,Korean Media,ROK-US Issues,South Korea



On October 18, 1945, this article appeared in the Korea Times.



Why A Dixie Line in Korea?



In the early colonial days two distinct seeds of ideal and institutions were planted along the coast of North America. From these seeds sprang up two irreconcilable concepts which culminated in the Civil War in America. The Dixie line is an approximate demarcation of the South and North. the gulf of these two regions has not been entirely filled up even by the precious sacrafices of human lives during the civil war. The Dixie line is still the sore spot in the American national life.



Why A Dixie line in Korea? This inquiry does not come from our complaints, but from our gratitude. We are grateful to the Allies who have liberated us; we are grateful to the Ally diplomats who promised in the Cairo Declaration that in due course Korea should become free and independent; and we are grateful to the Ally forces who have come to us and established the military government. With all the sacrifices and lossess of invaluable human lives the Allies liberated Korea and divided her into two distinct regions. Joyful and grateful as we are, it is very difficult for us to understand why Korea has been divided into two. They say ‘half a loaf is bettter than no bread.’ Indeed, it is so. But this dictum is only a compromise where there is no better alternative. In the case of Kroea there are more than one way of getting out of it. The division of Korea is a ‘tragedy of the post World War No. II.’



Why a Dixie line in Korea? The inquiry comes not merely from the wailings of millions in the Northern part of Korea, but from common sense and statesmanship. Korea has been racially and culturally homogenious. Under no circumstances Korea was ever divided into two during the last thousand years. The new Korea – the Free Korea – with a stupendous task of building up an independent nation is divided into two. We are reflecting to see what wrongs we have done to receive such a punishment. We were weak and helpless to be any assistance to the noble causes of the Allies. But this could not be the cause of such a curse.



Why a Dixie line in Korea? This inquiry comes from hard economic factors. The Free Korea is economically crippled. The North Korea beyond 38 degree is larger than the South in area and has the most important natural resources and industries, while the South is the granary of Korea. The communications and transportations between the two regions are paralized and the travel from Seoul to Pyengyang, a distance of 150 miles, is harder than the one from the capital city to Tibet in the normal days. Coal mines, gold mines, timber, electric power plants, orchards, chemical fertilizer factories of the North are not available in the South. The winter is approaching. Unless some sagacious statesmanship is displayed in solving this tragedy the Koreans are bound to starve and freeze this winter. So long as the division of Korea lasts, an inconceivable amount of miseries would visit ‘the Land of Morning Calm’ where the day of hope and freedom is dawning. Let the ray of hope stay on and remove the dark clouds so that there may be sunshine and happinessin Korea. Let there be no Dixie line in the Land of the Morning Calm.









Source: http://www.rjkoehler.com/2010/06/21/the-age-old-question-why-is-korea-divided/