Monumental Conflicts by Derek R. Mallett

Author:Derek R. Mallett [Mallett, Derek R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781351346702
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2017-11-13T00:00:00+00:00

Conclusion: The recomposition of anti-communist hegemony and the continuing struggle over the Korean War past (2007–present)

For those hoping that a rethinking of the Korean War past would lead to reconciliation between the two Koreas, the past decade has been a bitter disappointment. With the sabotage and collapse of the “Sunshine Policy,” the hopeful period of the early 2000s now seems like a mirage. On the geopolitical front, deterioration has defined the arc of the past ten years, as we have witnessed a series of cross-border confrontations and threats, and a radical erosion of inter-Korean solidarity. With some justification, the North Korean regime and its increasingly formidable nuclear arsenal have been painted as the culprits for this impasse. However, these developments must be measured carefully within the context of a rising China, increased armament across East Asia, a surge of right-wing power in South Korea and Japan, and the United States’ expansive and erratic post-9/11 behavior on the world stage.51 At the time of writing, North Korea was poised to launch its sixth nuclear test, with the recently elected US president Donald Trump verbally vacillating between threats of war and suggestions that he would be “honored” to sit down with the North Korean leadership.52 Meanwhile, the now departed South Korean defense minister openly declared in the fall of 2016 that the ROK has detailed plans for the assassination of Kim Jong-un.53

The domestic situation in South Korea has, until recently, been likewise discouraging. The conservative regime of Lee Myung-bak (2008–2013) rapidly terminated the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, leading to an incomplete, and at times compromised, final set of reports.54 Likewise, the tenure of Park Guen-hye (2013–2017) has seen the first banning of a political party since 1987, curtailment of artistic expression, a sustained assault on organized labor, and deep corruption leading to political paralysis. Most worrying, perhaps, is the recent move by the government to take over the production of textbooks and remove incidents such as the Kŏch’ang massacre from historical education.55 Indeed, the repression under Park has been severe enough to receive the condemnation of international agencies such as Amnesty International and has led some scholars to conclude that Korea has entered a period of “post-democratization.”56 With Park’s recent impeachment, the reins of power have now been handed to the nominally “progressive” government of Moon Jae-in, who has suggested that he will adopt a less confrontational approach to the North than his predecessors. The impact of this development, however, remains unclear, as the situation is fluid, and currently threatening to spin out of control.

Developments have not been entirely unidirectional, though. The breaking of the taboos surrounding state-sponsored massacres has led to numerous acts of catharsis and intercommunal reconciliation at the local level.57 Meanwhile, a transnational historical redress culture has blossomed throughout the Pacific Rim, and a sustained rethinking of the Korean War past, beyond stable national frameworks, has been vital to these endeavors.58 The political power of these latter groups remains scant. However, the groups’ transnational structure and

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