[Kim Seong-kon] How to prevent the second Korean War

Korea Herald

17 hours ago

The Korean War broke out 75 years ago on June 25, 1950. Those who fought in the war, if not already dead, would now be in their mid-90s, and those who were born at that time are now at least 75 years old. That means that today, no one under 75 in Korea experienced the atrocity of the Korean War. In that sense, the Korean War has become a 'forgotten war' not only internationally, but even in Korea, too.
However, we must not forget the soldiers, both domestic and foreign, who fought for our freedom during the war. It was not an easy war because soldiers had to fight in mountainous terrain with conventional weapons. One thing that foreign soldiers especially recollected was the severity of the Korean winters. Many of them got frostbite or even died of hypothermia while fighting in the snow-covered, icy mountains at night. This is just one example of their noble sacrifice, without which today's South Korea could not have existed.
The war was over in 1953. The postwar landscape of war-ridden Korea was barren and bleak. Refugee camps were ubiquitous, jobs were scarce, and mothers had to borrow rice from neighbors for their family's supper. People were destitute and impoverished: parents had to make their five or six children live in a small, rented room and crippled war veterans were reduced to begging for coins or food on the street because the government was not capable of compensating their sacrifices.
Today, however, South Korea has become a fully developed, affluent country in a very short span of time. As a result, other countries want to learn the Miracle on the Han River and foreign young people want to get a job at Samsung, LG, or Hyundai. Furthermore, K-pop, K-dramas and Korean film have many ardent fans overseas, and Korean food, too, is popular at restaurants overseas.
Looking back upon the Korean War 75 years later, we realize that we cannot afford another war on this soil. A second Korean War, if it broke out by any chance, would surely annihilate everything we have accomplished for the past 75 years. Even though we might win, it would take another 75 years for our country to restore and rebuild its present level of stability and prosperity.
To make matters worse, no one would come this time to help us. Among other things, America, our long-term ally, has changed lately and is no longer 100 percent reliable when we are in trouble. Today's America is reluctant to interfere with international conflicts unless they are vital to its interests or national security. Unfortunately, South Korea does not seem to be that important to the US these days.
Given that reality, we would have to defend our country on our own, and that would not be easy. The best option is obviously to prevent another war from breaking out in the Korean Peninsula. Begging for peace with flattering gestures is not a viable option. So how, then, can we do it?
First, we must have an invincible army and weapons of cutting-edge technology. Of course, we will be relatively safe while the US troops are stationed in our country. However, when and if the US government decides to pull out its troops from Korea, we will be vulnerable to foreign invasion immediately
Second, following experts' advice, we need to benchmark NATO and implement a similar organization in Asia and join it as a safety measure. Aggressive countries would not dare to attack a member of the Asian NATO. Therefore, the membership will surely protect us from foreign aggression, even when the US government would not want to interfere.
Third, we must put an end to chronic ideological warfare inside South Korea immediately. It is not only nonsensical but also dangerous that we are divided Left and Right in the South, especially while there are aggressive left-wing politicians in the North seeking an opportunity to unify the Korean Peninsula under the flag of socialism. If we do not stop our internal scuffles, North Korea might misjudge the situation and attempt to invade.
When I entered elementary school right after the Korean War had ended, I found some of my classmates had lost their fingers due to the sudden detonation of artillery shells that were scattered all around at that time, having failed to explode during the fighting. At school, we learned a song about the Korean War: 'Oh, how could we forget the day when our enemies invaded our country/ We had to fight back with our bare hands and red blood.'
As the older generation that experienced the Korean War fades away, soon no one will remember the tragic war. However, we cannot forget the war that devastated the whole country and cost so many precious lives of soldiers and civilians. At all costs, we must not let another war break out on our soil.