August 15: Korea's Liberation?

 

August 15, 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from the Japanese colonial rule, yet it was not true independence as Korea was denied independent, self-government (as promised by the Allies during the wartime summits, and suggested on the US postage stamp shown above), but rather was suddenly divided arbitrarily in half without Koreans’ knowledge.

As the Pacific War of the WW2 was nearing its end, overseas Korean independence fighters and activists — of all political persuasions — were preparing to join their compatriots in Korea to build a new post-colonial nation. Fearing potential reprisals on its citizens, the Japanese colonial authorities even asked prominent Korean socialist leader to form an interim authority to oversee peaceful transfer of power to the Koreans.

But all these changed overnight because the US policymakers had a different design on Korea, based on US national interest and not in regard to the wishes of the Koreans. Rather than respecting Korea’s rightful quick transition to self-government upon liberation, the US wanted to establish its own sphere of influence in Korea (replacing Japan’s influence) in preparation for its own postwar planning for Asia. With the Soviet entry in the Pacific War and its quick defeat of the Japanese Army in Manchuria, it was logistically impossible for US forces to reach Korea before the Soviet forces to gain local control and influence.

Hence came an impromptu decision by Washington more akin to traditional colonial land grab (when colonial powers drew arbitrary lines on the map for areas of control) and political expediency rather than the immediate and stated military objective of accepting Japanese surrender in Korea. The US abruptly proposed on August 10, 1945 to divide Korea into two occupation zones (one Soviet and another US), for which the Soviets agreed without objection in deference to wartime cooperation. Therefore, the US got to gain a foothold in Korea and at least control a half of Korea, even though its troops were no way near Korea.

The euphoria of Korea’s liberation on August 15, 1945 turned into confusion, chaos and turmoil, as on one hand, Koreans were organizing local committees to peacefully disarm Japanese colonial forces and moving towards building Korean self-government, but on the other hand, the US forces arrived in Korea on September 8 (more than 3 weeks after Korea’s liberation), shot at welcoming Koreans, took over Japanese colonial government and military compounds, raised the US flag and not the Korean flag. So much could have been achieved towards Korean self-government in that three vital weeks. However, the US went on to disband and outlaw all independent-minded, pro-self government Korean entities and activities, and instead established a US military government in its zone, rehired colonial collaborators in the administration, and brought back Korean members of the dreaded Japanese colonial police force to harass the discontented and rebellious populace. Suddenly, the US forces were acting like new colonial overlords instead of liberators and guarantors of Korean independence.

Instead of fostering quick Korean self-government, the stern US military government rule created a toxic environment of political violence and turmoil (assassinations of Korean political leaders and wanton massacres of those deemed to be leftists). Although Korean governments, albeit two separate and competing ones, were formed in 1948 (eerily reflecting the two separate occupation zones in 1945), the policies and impact of the US military government in Korea, more so than the dynamics of the Cold War or internal Korean political strifes, laid the seeds of turmoil, discontent and volatility that eventually led to the Korean War and the continuing division of Korea, 75 years and counting.

From Korean War Armistice to Peace Settlement

Today marks the 67th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, and yet we still do not have the “final political settlement” inscribed in the agreement. So, technically the Korean War has not officially ended, lacking a peace treaty that will replace the armistice and the ensuing uneasy truce.

Political/diplomatic dynamics have drastically changed in many ways since 1953, with the end of the Cold War for example, but the logical players that need to initially seek the peace settlement in Korea are still the nations behind the signatories of the armistice: the United Nations Command (the US), the Korean People’s Army (North Korea), and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army (China).

South Korea did not sign the armistice in protest at the time (but did it regardless by being a part of the UN Command, and under the US command), but made several subsequent peace agreements with North Korea and is committed to inter-Korean rapprochement. The US and China normalized relations in the 70s. China (and Russia) normalized relations and made peace with South Korea. Both sides of Korea have become members of the UN and the UN has distanced itself from the UN Command in Korea, making it defunct in reality and making the UN incapable of being an arbiter in the resolution of the “Korea question.” The only remaining foreign troops in Korea are the US troops. And the only relation that has not changed after all these years is between the US and North Korea.

The talks between Washington and Pyongyang have again stalled, but they need to be resumed in light of the continuing uncertainty and volatility created by the absence of a peace treaty ending the Korean War. It is about time to put an official closure to the Korean War and chart a new path towards a meaningful peace settlement in the Korean Peninsula.

Some Afterthoughts on the “Parasite” Success

1) Director Bong Joon-ho (and actor Song Kang-ho who portrays the main character of the film) was one of many artists arbitrarily blacklisted by the former, conservative government of Park Geun-hye for “leftist tendencies.” Yet it is Bong who elevated South Korean cinema to global recognition and fame through his films touching on social themes and realities. The Candlelight Revolution that led to the downfall of the Park government (through impeachment) helped open up creative freedom that led to “Parasite.”

2) The second speaker who unexpectedly (or inappropriately) spoke in length during the Oscar Best Picture acceptance speech was Miky (Mi-kyung) Lee, vice chair of the CJ Entertainment and Merchandising, the investor/distributor of the film. It was inappropriate that she thanked her brother Lee Jae-hyun, the CJ Group chair, who was charged several times and imprisoned for financial crimes. She is granddaughter of Samsung chaebol (congrelemerate) founder Lee Byung-chul. Though her interest in cinema and the arts has helped fund and distribute films like “Parasite” and bring it to international attention, it is ironic that a superrich tycoon who lives lavishly in Beverly Hills is pitching a film about inequality of wealth. Better to have yielded the speaking opportunity to Song Kang-ho who appeared in many of Bong's films.

3) Korea has 100 years of cinema history, with many notable works. The success of "Parasite" is a vindication of long overdue international recognition of the Korean cinema. Hopefully with the impact of “Parasite,” South Korea will produce more films that reflect creative visions of directors and independent filmmakers. More great works are to come, for sure.

[An upcoming South Korean film “Emergency Declaration” deals with the abuses of the KCIA (Korea security/intelligence agency) during the repressive Park Chung-hee (Park Geun-hye's father) regime in the 70s and 80s.]

Trump's DMZ Crossing: Just a Photo-op or Opportunity for Progress?

Photo 1: On June 30, 2019, Trump crosses the raised concrete strip representing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) that divides Korea at Panmunjum (the Joint Security Area in the DMZ/Demilitarized Zone), becoming the first sitting US president to step foot on North Korea.

Photo 2: Kim Jong-un crosses the same line into South Korea (accompanied by South Korea's Moon Jae-in), becoming the first North Korean leader to do so, in April 2018.

Photo 3: South Korean college student Im Soo-kyung (who went to North Korea to participate in the World Youth Festival) crosses the line, at the same location, into South Korea in 1989, becoming the first Korean civilian to willfully cross that line (and not by accident, defection or espionage) since the Korean War ended in an armistice and the creation of the MDL/DMZ in 1953.

Symbolism matters in the DMZ, like the Berlin Wall. That concrete line in the DMZ, a highly recognizable -- and painful to all Koreans -- symbol of prolonged Korean division and the last vestige of the Cold War, is now casually crossed over -- by government/military officials and civilians on inter-Korean meetings or exchanges.

And history was made this past Sunday as Trump crossed the line, symbolically as a "peacemaker" (whatever his motivation may have been) in a business suit and not wearing the usual military attire that US presidents had done when visiting the southern side of the DMZ in the past. [Trump's overall antics aside, his unprecedented summits with Kim and this DMZ crossing showed a way besides the business-as-usual approach.]

But that casual crossing has not been the case always. In 1989, Im Soo-kyung (accompanied by Father Moon Kyu-hyun) risked long imprisonment in South Korea for crossing that line (she received five-year sentence for violating South Korea's draconian and archaic National Security Law), in a brave and unprecedented action to help bring about a breakthrough for peace and reunification of Korea.

With persistent efforts and sacrifices of many civilian activists like Im, the once-impenetrable wall dividing Korea began to crack and led to a series of inter-Korean rapprochement and cooperation towards negotiated settlement for peace in Korea.

Now, the US and North Korea must transcend historical hostilities and animosities (and skepticism of cynics) and translate this historical moment into real progress towards negotiating a lasting peace settlement in the Korean Peninsula.

From Pyongyang and Washington to Hanoi

The second US-NK summit is taking place -- of all places in the world -- Hanoi, Vietnam, where the US intervened and fought a brutal war, made peace, and then normalized relations. The US fought in Korea too, more than six decades ago, but never made peace with North Korea.

We now have a rare window of opportunity to move forward with a peace settlement in Korea and new relations. A cliche it may be, but let's "Give Peace a Chance."

(Photo courtesy of Nobel Women's Iniative which sent a delegation to Hanoi in support of peace settlement in Korea.)

The Breakthrough Moon-Kim Summit

A picture speaks a thousand words .... Remarkable photo, among many, of the historic inter-Korean summit that took place at the Panmunjeom/Demilitarized Zone, symbolizing the will of the two sides of Korea to officially end the Korean War and to propel towards a long-lasting peace settlement in the peninsula.

The border crossings at the Panmunjeom reminds of the famous words "Whose land is this, if Koreans cannot move back and forth [between the south and the north] in their own land?" -- popularized after the artificial division of Korea after the World War II.

Now, Koreans have taken the bold initiative in formally ending the Korean War and breaking down barriers to a lasting peace settlement.

In normal times, all those wishing to cross the border line at the Panmunjeom need to get permission from the US commander in charge of the nominal Korean War-era UN Command role. The two Korean heads of state ignored that archaic protocol by casually stepping back and forth on the border line. In fact, during the summit, no US soldiers were in sight at the Panmunjeom.

Koreans have taken ownership of the narrative of their own future. The world should respect that and ensure that true peace prevails in the Korean Peninsula.

Renewing Thaw in the Korean Peninsula

Ten years have passed since the last thaw in inter-Korean relations, brought about by the "sunshine" policies. This photo shows a child in South Korea painting on a railroad track that intended to connect the two sides of Korea by rail, but that never materialized due to two successive conservative South Korean governments that put cold war on the thawing relations. Now, another opportunity has risen that gives renewed hope for a peaceful resolution in the Korean Peninsula.

The Two Sides of Korea March Again at the Olympics

The two Korean teams (South and North Korea) marched together side by side, under one symbolic flag (unifed Korea) at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea on February 9, 2018. The last time that the joint entry at the Olympics opening ceremony occurred was thirteen years ago, during the "sunshine policy" period of inter-Korean thaw and cooperation.

Moreover, North Korea seem to have swallowed its pride and is attending the games held in its arch-rival South Korea, together with unprecedented attendance of high-level government/party officials (including nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam and Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong) -- perhaps suggesting its flexibility and willingness to resume negotiations for inter-Korean rapproachement. The question is, are Washington and Tokyo willing to seize this apt opportunity to pursue a path of negotiated peace settlement in the Korean Peninsula?

Sunken Sewol Ferry Recovered

The sunken Sewol ferry has been raised from the bottom of the sea, near the third anniversary of its tragic sinking. Many questions still remain to be answered. The captain and crew got prison sentences for negligence, but it remains to be seen the true nature of the former Park Geun-hye's government in handling (or mis-handling) this incident and (delayed and disorganized) recovery efforts. Perhaps the current prosecution of Park Geun-hye will shed some light on this.


Hopefully the remains of the nine missing passengers will be found and some closures can be made for the families of the victims (304 bodies were retrieved, mostly high school students from one South Korean school on a school trip). The families went through tough ordeal because the government had portrayed them as being anti-government even though they were simply demanding answers.

The People Have Spoken

Koreans in South Korea have a long history of massive street protests that resulted in changes of governments. The April Student Revolution of 1960 led to the downfall of the Syngman Rhee dictatorship. The Bu-Ma Mass Protests of 1979 triggered a series of events that led to the end of the dictator Park Chung-hee's repressive regime. The June Democratic Uprising of 1987 brought democratic political reforms, including direct presidential elections.  Now, massive candlelight protests of Winter 2016, which was carried out peacefully with remarkable order, have prompted the impeachment of Park Geun-hye. 

Amidst popular outcry, the Park dynasty has come to an end. Park Chung-hee, a former officer in the Japanese Imperial Army who went after Korean independence fighters, made himself a president after staging a coup d'état in 1961, ruling with iron fist while suppressing popular dissent with acute brutality. Park's seemingly-endless reign ended in 1979 when his own Korean CIA chief, fearful of massive bloodshed of protesting people, assassinated his boss.  Park Geun-hye, the daughter of Park Chung-hee, was elected to presidency in 2012, under some suspicions of voting fraud and irregularities of government interference. Yet, the Park Geun-hye's demise was her own doing, as the corruption and cronyism surrounding her inner circles finally caught up with her. It can be said then that both the father and the daughter were removed from the president's office, in large part, by the popular will and action.

This is not the first time that candlelight protests and impeachment played out in conjunction in South Korea. Former president Roh Moo-hyun was also impeached in 2004, on a minor charge of electioneering that was amplified by the conservative opposition party legislators based on political motivation. During that time, candlelight protests called FOR THE RESCINDMENT of the impeachment and gave support to Roh.  In the end, the Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment and Roh returned to power.

Though the impeachment of Park Geun-hye will not be finalized until the decision of the Constitutional Court is made in coming months, the impeachment decision will likely hold due to the extent and gravity of the charges. Moreover, currently only 3% of South Koreans support Park Geun-hye and many are beginning to see the fallacies of her failed policies, such as the revision of history textbooks, agreement with Japan on the "comfort women" issue, agreement with the U.S. to place the THAAD anti-missile defense system, and the neglect and incompetent handling of the Sewol ferry disaster. The people have spoken -- coming out to the streets in millions, in six consecutive weekends.  Now, the people await the transition of power to a new government.

2015: A Watershed Year for the Korean Peninsula?

2015 is the 70^th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, and sadly, the same anniversary of Korea’s unexpected and unwanted division into two entities by external forces in August of 1945.  Koreans give a special meaning to 70^th anniversary, as 70^th birthday of a person is celebrated with special honor and awe in Korea. So it is no accident that Koreans of all walks of life are expressing a strong desire for a drastic and optimistic change in the status quo of the Korean division in 2015. 

President Park Geun-hye of South Korea, facing political troubles and unpopularity at the domestic front, is warming up to the idea of approaching North Korea for renewed contacts and exchanges. Chairman Kim Jung-un of North Korea, bent on implementing economic reforms and modernization, is also eager to engage with South Korea and did not rule out a summit meeting in his New Year’s address. Furthermore, Korean activists in Korea and overseas are gearing up for major events and projects in 2015 aimed at fostering peace and reconciliation of the Korean Peninsula to a next level.

Yet the Obama administration is lukewarm to the idea of renewed inter-Korea engagement and has in effect thrown cold water to these developments. No doubt, tensions remain high between Pyongyang and Washington over nuclear weapon development, ballistic missiles, war games, sanctions, and human rights issues, exacerbated by the recent comical fracas over the film “The Interview” and the Sony Pictures hacking incident, but both sides may realize that dialogue/engagement is the only viable option that can prevent escalation into renewed conflict or unthinkable war. With Washington's recent move to normalize relations with Cuba, there is no reason not to move in similar direction, even for first few steps, with North Korea, America’s last remaining Cold War adversary -- before time runs out.     

Military Spendings on the Rise in East Asia

According to the latest report ("Trends in World Military Expenditure") from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the global military spending has gone down 1.9% from the previous year, yet it is still a staggering figure of $1.74 trillion.

The spending by the U.S. has decreased due to its internal cuts in military spending, but the U.S. remains as the top spender with $640 billion. This amounts to whopping 37% of the total global military spending, equaling the combined spending of the next 14 nations after the U.S.  Despite worries expressed over the rising military power of China (second in military spending, 11% of global spending) and Russia (third in spending, 5% of global spending), the U.S. remains as the undisputed sole global military superpower, pouring huge sums of money in military spending despite domestic economic problems and the growing federal budget deficit.  Despite its proclaimed self-defense military, Japan is 8th in global military spending.

With the exception of North America, Western Europe and Oceania, all regions of the world have seen dramatic increase in military spending, reflecting ongoing military tensions and political volatility. Southeast Asia saw 5% increase and Northeast Asia got 4.7% jump in military spending.

South Korea's spending increased to $33.9 billion, jumping from 12th place to 10th place in the global scale. This amounts to 2.8% of South Korea's GDP and 15% of government's budget. Despite portrayal of North Korea's military threat, Pyongyang's military spending amounts to $6 billion (25% of state budget), a mere 18% of South Korea's military spending. The continued tensions in the Korean Peninsula diverts much needed funds away from South Korea's domestic social program spending and North Korea's economic development.

Globally, there is a need to drastically cut down on military spending, freeing funds that can go towards programs aimed to curtail poverty, economic disparities, and environmental degradation.

Park Geun-hye Becomes South Korea's President

Park Geun-hye, the eldest daughter of the late dictator Park Chung-hee (18 years of iron-fisted, repressive rule), has assumed the presidency of South Korea. She has returned to the Blue House (South Korea's presidential residence/office) after 34 years, having served as the First Lady after her mother was assassinated.

South Korea has changed drastically since her last stay in the Blue House, as hard-earned democratization took a firm hold on the Korean society and politics, with a 5-year, single-term presidency in place.  She has been elected in a free election, thanks to the conservative base, with a promise to rejuvenate the economy and implement some welfare programs, despite her being the most conservative candiate of the presidency. She has also promised to pursue a different approach to North Korea than the confrontational approach of her predecessor Lee Myung-bak -- this will be tested in coming days as tensions mount with North Korea.

Much are expected from her presidency, as she needs to shed the legacy of her father's authoritarian rule in order to avoid the label "daughter of dictator" and pursue receptive policies that will bring together the fragmented and politically polarized South Korean populace.

Former President Roh Moo-hyun's Legacy Lives On

May 23 was the third anniversary of the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea. In traditional Korean custom, a third anniversary of death marks the end of mourning period and brings forth a sense of renewal and hope. In this light, those around the world who marked this occasion combined somber ceremonies with merrier cultural festivals. The photo above shows an event in Annandale, (Northern) Virginia. The legacy of Roh Moo-hyun lives on with the spirit and dedication of activists and citizens who have vowed to help create "the world where people live" (sa ram sa neun sae sang) -- a phrase often used by Roh in pursuit of social justice and fairness.  To the participants, this year is more significant as the South Korea's presidential election in December will test whether a government in line with Roh's legacy may resurface.

Political Party Realignments in South Korea

As South Korea prepares for the general election (the National Assembly) in April and the all-important presidential election in December, all political parties across the political spectrum have been busy transforming or merging in order to have bigger impact on the elections. On the ruling, conservative side, the Grand National Party, which has been losing popular support (especially to younger generations) due to unpopular and lame-duck President Lee Myung-bak, has been renamed New World Party (Saenoori Dang) and its platform on North Korea somewhat softened from a rigid, confrontational approach. Its chairperson, Park Geun-hae, the daughter of the late dictator Park Chung Hee, has seen her front-runner approval rating slipping lately vis-a-vis the likely opposition presidential candidates.

On the opposition side, the Democratic Party, which has also been losing support due to its limited support base and lack of generational change, has merged with the Citizens Unity Party and members of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions to become the Democratic United Party (Minjoo Tonghap Dang), with former prime minister Han Myeong-sook as its party leader, thus gaining broader appeal and support from the democratic/progressive/reformist and grassroots citizen's groups. The likely presidential candidate from this camp is Moon Jae-in (photo above), the former chief of staff to late President Roh Mu-hyun.

Other progressive parties have merged into United Progressive Party, incorporating the Democratic Labor Party, the People's Participation Party and a faction of the New Progressive Party. However, its proposal to merge with the Democratic United Party did not materialize, thus preventing a fielding of single opposition candidates to the ruling party candidates in the general elections.

Another key figure that may influence the outcome of the presidential election is Ahn Cheol-Soo, an independent figure with no declaration of running for public office but who has garnered immense popular support in polls of favorable presidential candidates.

Another possible dimension impacting this year's elections is the first-time incorporation of absentee ballots from overseas Korean citizens-residents, students and public officials. Despite a large number of possible registrants -- due to difficulties in the registeration process-- the registration level has been low and the process is marred by a possibility of fraud in transporting of ballots and difficulty of monitoring. Indeed, the Korean elections of 2012 will be closely watched -- in Korea and overseas.

Korea Enters 2012

The Korean Peninsula enters 2012 with both sides of Korea in flux. North Korea, with a recent transition of power, will be celebrating the 100th birthday of its founding leader Kim Il Sung in April. South Korea will be holding crucial elections in 2012 -- parliamentary elections in April and presidential election in December, with opposition forces eyeing for a transfer of power. China, Russia, and the US will be holding presidential elections or transfer of power as well.

With these expected changes and infusion of new players, an opportune moment may come in 2012 for a renewed and refreshed start of the peace process in the Korean Peninsula, with amending of relations between the two sides of Korea and a resolution of security issues. Let's hope for the best in 2012.

[Photo by AP: Sun rises in Pyongyang. With the AP now operating a bureau in Pyongyang, news stories and photos abound.]

August 15th: Korea's Liberation Day

August 15th is the Liberation Day in Korea, when Koreans celebrate its independence from Japanese colonialism. But since the Allied powers (mainly the US and USSR) had strong hands in liberating Korea, the end result was the "temporary" division that led to an eventual war, prolonged division and yet-unresolved tension in Korea. One of the last surviving members of Korean independence fighters said that "the true liberation of Korea would happen when the two sides of Korea reunite."

To many, the real history of Korean division is shrouded in Cold War-era mentality and narrative, especially amongst Americans whose government had been and are deeply involved with Korean affairs (for example, how many Americans know that Korea was under direct U.S. military government for three years after the "liberation"?) Some do understand it, as expressed keenly by an American expat teaching English in South Korea.

Inter-Korea Relations Hit Rock Bottom

Inter-Korea relations, once thriving and promising to bring the two sides of Korea closer toward reconciliation and some form of integration, has hit rock bottom, with return to mutual animosities of the Cold War era. Many avenues of inter-Korea contact and exchange set up during the two previous administrations of South Korea, in agreement with North Korea, have all but disappeared, with the joint economic venture in Kaesung being the sole remnant. North Korea even took over the operations of the Geumgang Mountain Resort area from Hyundai group and is trying to attract Chinese tourists. Border has been closed, cultural exchanges have stopped. South Korean authorities banned any food aid to North Korea and is considering prosecuting a South Korean NGO for sending food aid to North Korea.

Recently, North Korea has announced that it will sever all contacts with South Korea and revealed a secret inter-governmental meeting between Pyongyang and Seoul, which contradicts the Lee Myung-bak government's public stance of no dialogue with North Korea. Both sides are emphasizing military readiness.

All these developments have blown away many accomplishments in inter-Korea relations of the last decade. To ensure peace and stability in the penindula, both sides will need to start from scratch again and build trust and confidence gradually.

US Troops Dumped Agent Orange in South Korea

Since the revelations by former US soldiers stationed in Korea that they buried toxic defoliant Agent Orange in a US base in Korea, more and more related revelations are surfacing, making this issue a tip of an iceberg of potentially massive environmental disaster (the photo shows soil testing in the US base for possible contamination). US troops may have secretly buried the Agent Orange tanks in several base locations, and has sprayed the chemical over the DMZ near the border with North Korea to clear foliage (the Demilitarized Zone is touted as a pristine, undisturbed natural preserve, but that may be only true on the northern side as the southern side's forests have been sprayed with defoliants). In an affront to Koreans, it was revealed that the actual spraying of the dangerous chemical was done by Koreans, with US soldiers monitoring and supervising the operations from far away.

This scenario is alike the situation when US troops practiced deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Korea prior to their removal in the early 90s. A standard war exercise involved South Korean troops carrying backpacks filled with small nuclear weapons and moving closer to the field where likely North Korean troops would have amassed, with US soldiers staying far away, holding remote controls that would detonate the nuclear bombs. It clearly showed an unequal relationship between Americans and South Koreans.

Although the US military authorities have acted quickly this time and agreed to a joint investigation with South Korean authorities, this incident will not likely quell anti-US sentiments of South Koreans, as Koreans will see US getting away with another misdeed (since the current Status of Forces Agreement [SOFA] will likely preclude any prosecution of US military wrongdoing in Korea).

What Will 2011 Bring to the Korean Peninsula?

The tumultuous year 2010 in Korea has passed and a new year has arrived (Korea time). What will the new year bring to the Korean Peninsula?

After the Yeonpyeong Island artillery incident, South Korea went on a near-war mode as it revived civilian air raid drill (regularly-occuring drills that were cancelled during the past decade when inter-Korea relations were warmer), held live-fire artillery exercise in the disputed area despite warnings from North Korea, and engaged in massive naval and joint military exercises as a show of force. China and Russia expressed their weariness on the U.S.'s show of force in the region and announced their own joint military exercises in the region.

Despite escalating military tensions and war hysteria, both sides have cooled down. North Korea blasted South Korea-U.S. maneuvers, but it did not retaliate further. South Korea's hawkish stance must have backfired as Pres. Lee Mying-bak's popularity is spiralling down and it is now calling for the revival of the six-party talks aimed at North Korea's nuclear disarmament. The Obama administration must have gotten some indirect assessment of North Korea's stance via Governor Bill Richardson's recent visit to Pyongyang. All these point to negotiated settlement as the only viable option towards peace settlement in the Korean Peninsula -- all concerned parties need to work on it in 2011.