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Home , History of South Korea

National Security Council of the Republic of

BACKGROUND GUIDE

CHAIR: Jackie Osaki

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Dear Delegates,

Welcome to PacMUN! My fellow staffers and I are so excited to work with you all in committee to foster debate that may solve the relevant issues facing our committees. My name is Jackie Osaki and I am happy to be your chair for the Republic of Korea, or as it is most commonly known. A bit about myself, I am a junior at Stanford University double majoring in biology and comparative literature. I was first introduced to MUN in college, and have been an active member on Stanford’s MUN team ever since. This coming school year, I will serve as captain of Stanford’s MUN team. I am so excited to be a part of bringing this joint crisis world at PacMUN to life this year, and I look forward to working with all of you! What first drew me to MUN was the open forum of debate, where I could seriously engage with my peers to address international issues. I am most looking forward to fostering that same engagement in committee. It is of course essential to do research on a committee’s topic beforehand, but the purpose of MUN is to use that knowledge to enact meaningful change. Now more than ever, issues surrounding the South Sea and need to be solved. I cannot wait to see what serious and creative solutions you all reach in committee, as well as all the interesting things that happen in crisis. As staffers, we will be working hard to integrate crisis and the work delegates do there into the committee, making it along with in committee directives relevant parts of the JCC universe. Finally, I am happy to be a part of shaping South Korea over the course of PacMUN. Politics on the Korean Peninsula are very complex and involve many different international players. I was drawn to this nation due to the relevancy of the problems it is facing. It is fun and important to reenact historical situations, but researching and understanding a current issue is not only meaningful in committee but outside of the simulation as well. I would also like to note, while this background guide is meant to be a resource for delegates, it is not the only resource available to delegates. I would recommend further online research that is relevant either to the committee as a whole or to specific positions. If there are any questions about the committee or conference, feel free to contact me at [email protected].

Sincerely, Jackie Osaki

Overview of South Korea In 1945, at the end of the Second World War, the Korean Peninsula was removed from Japanese occupation, and the (UN) divided it along the 38th parallel, with the in control of the north and the in the south. Their respective influences in the north and south of Korea set the foundations for the stark differences between both nations observed today.

After its first democratic election, the UN recognized The Republic of Korea (ROK), South Korea, as the only legitimate government on the Korean Peninsula. The nation has gone through many governments, both democratic and autocratic, and is currently under what historians call the Sixth Republic, which has “gradually stabilized into a liberal ” after the fall of the former in the late 1980s. Since then, South Korea has moved towards increasing dealing with various domestic and international issues.1 Domestically, South Korea faces a plethora of political issues in the aftermath of impeaching their former president from office in March 2017. Park Geun-hye was a leader for the conservative establishment and a strong advocate for “pressing a hard line against North Korea’s nuclear provocations.” After impeachment, she faces prosecution for “bribery, extortion and abuse of power in connection with allegations of conspiring with a confidante… to collect tens of millions of dollars in bribes for conspiring with companies like Samsung.”2 In the wake of her removal, the liberal Democratic Party front runner, Moon Jae-in, was elected president. He has been wildly successful dealing with domestic politics, presenting strong leadership and maintaining a 73-84% approval rating, the highest rating for a president in the nation’s history. Moon’s biggest issue is creating a plan to deal with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korea, as he has been sluggish in any coherent responses to northern aggression.3 Despite recent success with domestic issues, there are still long-term questions, especially in regard to the economy.

Internationally, South Korea is most immediately concerned with its relationship with the North. Under the Kim Dae-jung administration, the ‘’ was adopted to foster positive relations with the North, encouraging voluntary denuclearization. While South Korea’s recent policies have been more conservative, elements of the Sunshine Policy are still in place.4 Despite any efforts to reach reconciliation, North Korea still maintains nuclear ambitions. Aside from North Korea, South Korea’s most important foreign relationships are with China, the United States, , and Russia, due to geography and economic influence.5

1 “,” New World Encyclopedia, 26 February 2014, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/History_of_South_Korea 2 Chloe Sang-Hun, “South Korea Removes President Park Guen-hye,” New York Times, 9 March 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/09/world/asia/park-geun-hye-impeached-south-korea.html 3 John Delury, “Backseat Driver: Moon Jae-in’s Struggle to Revive Intern-Korean Relations,” 38 North, 29 August 2017, http://www.38north.org/2017/08/jdelury082917/ 4 Jesse Min, “The Sunshine Policy of South Korea,” 13 March 2017, http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph241/min2/ 5 http://dfat.gov.au/geo/republic-of-korea/pages/republic-of-korea-south-korea--brief.aspx Understanding the domestic and international situation of South Korea is important to resolve relevant issues and maintain a stable and prosperous nation. National ROK Government Structure The constitution of the Republic of Korea “calls for a liberal democratic political system” where all power is vested in the citizens through voting rights. Every five years a new President is democratically elected and allowed to serve for only one term. The President serves as the head of state, chief executive of government (enforcing all laws passed by the legislature), and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces (with authority over military policies and the ability to declare war). The President keeps a State Council, or Cabinet, of fifteen to thirty members which serve as an advisory board. Under the President is the Prime Minister, who is chosen by the President and approved by the national assembly. The National Assembly holds all legislative power within the government and is comprised of 299 members serving four year terms. The National Assembly’s responsibilities include “[approving an annual budget], audits of the administration, foreign relations, declaration of war, the dispatch of armed forces abroad and impeachment.”6 Political Corruption Corruption in South Korea’s political system has existed nearly since the nation’s conception. However, it has not always been detrimental. President Park Chung-hee (the father of Park Guen-hye) used a corrupt system to grow the economy. He made deals with select Korean capitalists to provide them “cheap credit from state-owned banks and monopoly privileges to local markets.” These capitalists were “expected to meet government-mandated export targets” to gain more privileges or face loss of access if these targets were not met. Park later used these connections to “finance election campaigns, buy-off supporters and enrich [himself].” While this did grow the economy, it created the , family-owned business conglomerates that have significant control over the economy today.7 However, the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye has left South disenchanted with their political system. Park was regarded as a “princess” figure with a well- known past. At the age of 22 when her father was President, Park’s mother was killed in a North Korean assassination attempt on the president. She “effectively became South Korea’s first lady” after her mother’s death, remaining prominent in politics until her father’s assassination by his own spy chief in 1979. She represented the conservative politics of her father that resonated with many of older generations. Unlike her father’s past economy building corrupt business ties, Park Guen-hye was found funneling money to childhood friend and prominent cult member Choi Soon-sil. Citizens have responded to the corruption through peaceful protest and following through with the democratic process to remove President Park. Peacefully dealing with an involuntary transfer of power is a big step forward for democracy in South Korea given its

6 “South Korea Profile,” Nations Online, http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/korea_south_profile.htm 7 Michael Rock, “South Korea’s Long History of Corruption has Yielded Mixed Results,” The Hill, 23 March 2017, http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-budget/325465-south--long-history-of-corruption-has-yielded- mixed heavily militarized past. Domestic support for the democratically elected President Moon is high, but skepticism towards the government remains.8 Economy

The ROK’s economic situation is relatively stable now, despite facing a tumultuous past of poor beginnings and multiple financial crises. “In the 1960s, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer of Africa and Asia.” Through corrupt partnerships between government and business, South Korea became a trillion-dollar economy by 2004. “The Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model,” leading it to adopt reforms promoting greater openness to foreign investment and imports. However, the still export-focused economy was severely damaged by the 2008 global financial crisis.9

Currently, the economy has maintained “macroeconomic stability and openness to global commerce, the economy has been flagging, with momentum for growth increasingly subdued in the absence of decisive policy reforms to improve overall efficiency and flexibility.” Exports and imports together equals 85 percent of the ROK’s GDP.10 The ROK is the 5th largest exporter in the world, with major exports of integrated circuits (12% of exports) and cars (7.8% of exports). “The top export countries include China ($131 billion), the US ($72.2 billion), Vietnam ($26.6 billion), ($26.3 billion), and Japan ($25.5 billion).” The ROK is the 9th largest importer in the world, with major imports of crude petroleum (12% of imports) and integrated circuits (7.3% of imports). “The top import origins [include] China ($90.1 billion), Japan ($44.6 billion), the US ($42.7 billion), Germany ($20.2 billion), and Saudi Arabia ($17.7 billion).”11 Of course, the ROK’s reliance on an export and import economy depends on good relationships with their major trading partners.

Due to heavy corruption in the past presidency, there has been little progress to reform the economy. Long term issues facing the economy “include a rapidly aging population, inflexible labor market… and the heavy reliance on exports, which comprise about half of GDP.”12 President Moon plans to act by limiting the power of chaebols.13 There is dissatisfaction with ’s “dominance… suffocating [South Korea’s] attempt to shift gears and foster a more innovative services-oriented economy powered by small businesses.” Moon believes limiting the power of chaebols would resolve these issues in the South Korean government.14 Chaebols are large business conglomerates that are typically family owned; the term even comes from the characters that mean “rich” and “clan.” The most well-known chaebols outside of South Korea include Hyundai, LG, and Samsung. Typically, these conglomerates consist of

8 Anna Fifield, “South Korean President Removed from Office Over Corruption Scandal,” The Washington Post, 10 March 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/south-korean-president-impeached-from-office- over-corruption-scandal/2017/03/09/23666a46-0488-11e7-a391- 651727e77fc0_story.html?utm_term=.bf6dd2cb1d16 9 “South Korea,” Forbes, December 2016, https://www.forbes.com/places/south-korea 10 “South Korea,” 2017 Index of Economic Freedom, http://www.heritage.org/index/country/southkorea 11 “South Korea,” Atlas Media MIT, http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/kor/ 12 “South Korea,” Forbes, December 2016, https://www.forbes.com/places/south-korea 13 “South Korea President Moon Jae-in’s Main Policy Pledges,” Strait Times, 9 May 2017, http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/south-korean-presidential-shoo-in-moon-jae-ins-main-policy-pledges 14 Iain Marlow, “South Korea’s Chaebol Problem,” The Globe and Mail, 24 April 2015, https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/asian-pacific-business/south-koreas- chaebol-problem/article24116084/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com& many affiliated companies. For example, “LG… makes smartphones, televisions, electronic components, chemicals and fertilizers… [and] owns Korean baseball and basketball teams.” This leaves all the wealth and the power to shape the economy in the hands of a few families. President Moon would like to decrease chaebol influence and power to reduce political corruption.15 Social Issues The main social issues in South Korea surround the aging population which is the result of two large baby booms in the 1960s and 1970s. The people born in these eras comprise approximately 34% of South Korea’s total population and South Korea’s elderly poverty rate is among the world’s highest at 45%. To combat these issues the Mandatory Retirement Act was passed to raise the legal retirement age from 58 to 60, allowing the elderly to work longer to decrease the poverty rate. However, employing the elderly has led to even higher unemployment rates for younger generations entering the work force. In the past year, the unemployment rate for youth, mostly Millennials has been as high as 12.5%. The increased elderly population has also led to increased tax rates for younger generations, leading to significant financial burdens. Millennials have been dubbed the “Give-Up Generation” as they have far less opportunities for steady employment, home ownership, and starting a family due to financial hardship. The inability to afford children is especially detrimental in contributing to the aging population.16 International Relations South Korea maintains close relationships with its major trading partners, including China, Japan, and the US. Despite South Korea’s trade ties with China, their relationship remains tenuous. Chinese foreign relations on the Korean Peninsula seem to favor the North as they reluctantly impose sanctions in accordance with the international community and continue to fight increases in Southern military presence. While South Korea would like to improve relations with China, it would likely be impossible due to South Korea’s close relationship with the US. South Korea’s relationship with Japan is strained due to historic hatred. The South Korean people continue to feel like the victims of Japanese brutality during their colonization of the Korean Peninsula over seventy years ago. While both nations share similar goals in decreasing the threat North Korea poses, prejudice on both sides impedes cooperation. The US maintains a good relationship with South Korea, hosting troops in the nation and lending support to neighboring nations like Japan due to North Korea. US support is existent but cannot be automatically assumed should conflict break out in the Korean Peninsula.17

15 “Money, Power, Family: Inside South Korea’s Chaebol,” , 17 February 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/business/south-korea-chaebol-samsung.html?mcubz=3 16 Kelsey Chong, “South Korea’s Troubled Millennial Generation,” Berkeley Haas, 27 April 2016, https://cmr.berkeley.edu/blog/2016/4/south-korea/ 17 Ben Forney, “South Korea’s 3 Foreign Policy Blind Spots,” The Diplomat, 25 February 2017, http://thediplomat.com/2017/02/south-koreas-3-foreign-policy-blind-spots/ Relations with North Korea Since the establishment of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to separate North and South Korea, there has been tension between the two nations. At the end of the in July 1953, the DMZ was formally established as a buffer zone between the two nations. In October of 1966, conflicts within the DMZ begin with both Northern and Southern troops engaging in skirmishes. There have been many military encounters and skirmishes between the two nations. While there have been attempts at and periods of decreased tensions between the North and South, there is no hiding the bad blood and deep-rooted hatred between the nations.18 At the outset of Moon’s presidency, his administration envisioned decreased sanctions and increased incentives to convince North Korea to pursue denuclearization. This would have been a significant shift from the conservative approach the previous administration took. This policy would align them closer with China, which seems to be using similar methods to deal with North Korea. However, the US has been advocating for harsher sanctions and a tougher approach to denuclearizing North Korea under the Trump administration. If South Korea sought increased support from China due to their similar political views, this could also increase tensions between South Korea and US. In addition, President Moon wanted to revisit the implementation of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System in South Korea.19 THAAD is the “most advanced interceptor in the world and is designated to shoot down ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of their approach to a target.” The system was primarily developed by the American company Lockheed Martin and carries no warheads itself and uses infra-red tracking to “intercept its target and [use] the kinetic energy of the impact to destroy the inbound missile.” Using kinetic energy would decrease the risk of detonating the launched warhead and would not trigger a nuclear warhead to explode. South Korea and the US agreed in July 2016, under the Park administration, to deploy THAAD at the end of the next year.

The THAAD system has been met with several concerns from residents in the ROK and nations abroad, primarily China. Residents living near the planned site of THAAD are concerned the radar component of the system will be detrimental to their health. In addition, they worry putting the system near towns, and 180 miles southeast of , will make them a target of DPRK attacks. The Chinese government has vehemently protested the system, believing the radar will be used for surveillance purposes to “monitor the movements of its military within China and that the deployment will further destabilize the nation.”20

At the start of his presidency, Moon wanted to reconsider THAAD and create a ROK made missile defense system called Korean Air and Missile Defense. In the summer of 2017,

18 Moira Lavelle, “A Brief History of Border Conflict Between North and South Korea,” PRI, 20 August 2015, https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-20/brief-history-border-conflict-between-north-and-south-korea 19 Paul Park, “Experts Discuss the South Korean Election Result,” Brookings, 11 May 2017,https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2017/05/11/experts-discuss-the-south-korean-election- result/ 20 Julian Ryall, “What is THAAD? South Korea’s Best Defense Against a Missile Attack,” The Telegraph, 5 September 2017, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/thaad-south-koreas-best-defence-against-missile-attack/ North Korea aggressively launched a number of missile tests. The most notable advance they have made is the possibility of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). An ICBM could allow nuclear launches to go farther than before, solidifying threats to surrounding neighbors and creating new threats for US territories, such as Guam. Responding to increased aggression, South Korea has deployed THAAD, running tests with the new system and a number of other military systems in a show of force against North Korea. International tensions are high as North Korea continually threatens members of the international community, notably South Korea, Japan, and the US. This is an ongoing issue, and delegates should be aware of any further developments by the time of PacMUN.

Korean Reunification Reunification on the Korean Peninsula would end generations of tensions and hardship in the region, but there are many factors impeding progress on reunification. While President Moon has expressed interest in unification managed jointly with the North, as opposed to a Southern takeover, any compromises that result in Northern disenfranchisement would not be supported by the current regime of Kim Jong-un. Kim is opposed to this kind of unification due to Southern economic power, which would give it an advantage in unification, and the sharing of power, as Kim has been shown to deal poorly with the possibility of sharing power through the many purges of top officials and the murder of his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam. Kim Jong-un even said he would “wage a dynamic pan-national struggle to thwart the moves of the traitorous and sycophantic anti-reunification forces like Park Guen-hye.” Park was in favor of shared power unification, further suggesting Kim would not be in favor of a shared power solution. Kim seems to be in favor of a Northern dominant unification, which would “require engaging in a war of conquest with South Korea.” This could be triggered by northern internal power struggles or the collapsing economy for a diversionary war. Both South Korea and possibly China would oppose acts of war. China does not want to see “chaos on the peninsula,” however they have limited influence over North Korea’s decision to initiate war. The South is also not fully prepared for reunification, no matter how it happens. If unification happens through peaceful means, the South would need to be prepared with unification policy plans that do not yet exist. “Unification will require cooperation on translational justice and property ownership in the North, improving North Korea’s dilapidated or nonexistent infrastructure, destroying the North’s weapons of mass destruction and other serious military threats, dealing with opposition to unification in both North and South Korea, and improving the lives of the North Korean people at the cost of higher taxes on the South Korean people.” While South Koreans want a gradual merging of the two nations, North Koreans will likely prefer a rapid adjustment to gain the economic benefits offered by the South. A fast unification process would require significant amount of funds and preparation, most of which are not already in place for South Korea. Dissatisfaction of Northern and Southern citizens due to unification could also lead to rebel resistance movements. South Koreans, feeling the economic burden of unification, may choose to resist unification. Combining the militaries of both nations would also be necessary. Northern generals would be likely to rebel, putting military responsibilities on Southern forces. However, the South Korean army is too small to stabilize the entire Korean Peninsula. This would allow for China to use their own military to occupy territory in the north where they could claim territory.21 To make plans for any successful reunification between North and South Korea, there needs to be clear solutions to these multifaceted foreign relation, rebellion, and military issues. Questions to Consider • How will political corruption be dealt with? o Should there be explicit action taken to limit corruption in the government, particularly between the chaebols and politicians? o How can the government ensure that public faith in the government is reinstated? • How will South Korea maintain and improve the current economic situation? o If anything is done about the chaebols, how would that affect the economy? o Is a heavy reliance on import and export economics beneficial for South Korea? • How will the issues of an aging population and financially struggling Millennial generation be solved? o What are ways to reduce young adult unemployment rates? o How can the government properly provide benefits and services for the elderly without financially crushing younger populations? • How will foreign relations change for South Korea? o Will there be an attempt to repair relations with North Korea, or will the situation continue to devolve with increased aggression? o How can South Korea maintain good trading relations with China as they continue to show support for North Korea? o How can relations with the United States be strengthened to ensure continued support and possible assistance?

Additional Resources Overview of Chaebols: AFP, “Moon Aims to Shine New Light on South Korean Businesses,” Breitbart, 10 May 2017, http://www.breitbart.com/news/moon-aims-to-shine-new-light-on- south-korean-businesses/ East Asia Economic Review: “East Asian Economic Review,” Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, 30 June 2017, http://www.kiep.go.kr/eng/sub/periodical.do?bbsId=journal# Issues with THAAD: Jeff Daniels, “South Korea’s THAAD Missile Shield Could be ‘Overwhelmed’ by Swarm-Like Attack by North,” CNBC, 13 July 2017, https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/13/south-koreas-thaad-missile-shield-could-be-overwhelmed-by- .html

21 http://www.newsweek.com/moon-ready-reunite-korea-kim-jong-un-619212 Current State of Diplomacy with North Korea: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from- chaos/2017/09/18/diplomacy-toward-north-korea-some-good-news/ Recent South Korean Response to US on North Korea: Alex Ward, “The has a Strong Message for Trump,” Vox, 17 August 2017, https://www.vox.com/world/2017/8/16/16152774/south-korea-north-korea-trump-military- liberation-day-speech Resource for Articles on South Korean Foreign Policy: “South Korea,” Foreign Affairs, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/regions/south-korea Analysis of North Korean Sanctions: LIM Soo Ho, “Growth Despite Sanctions? Revisiting the Effect of North Korea Sanctions, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, 18 September 2017, http://www.kiep.go.kr/eng/sub/view.do?bbsId=kiepOpi&nttId=196406 2 Articles, US Policy Direction Regarding North Korea and South Korea’s Concern, ROK-China Relations at 25: “Current Issues and Policies,” The Sejong Institute, 1 September 2017, http://www.sejong.org/boad/bd_news/22/egoread.php?bd=23&itm=&txt=&pg=1&seq=3944 3 Articles, President Moon Jae-in’s Summit Diplomacy: Achievements and Tasks, North Korea’s Foreign Policy after the ROK-US Summit, Current DPRK-China Relations Viewed from the Point of President Xi’s Controversial Remark of ‘Bloodshed Alliance’ between the DPRK and China: “Current Issues and Policies,” The Sejong Institute, 3 June 2017, http://www.sejong.org/boad/bd_news/22/egoread.php?bd=23&itm=&txt=&pg=1&seq=3916 3 Articles, The Advent of Moon Jae-in’s Administration and the ROK-US Relations, The New Administration’s ROK-US and ROK-China Diplomacy, Moon Jae-in’s Government’s North Korean Policy: “Current Issues and Policies,” The Sejong Institute, 28 July 2017, http://www.sejong.org/boad/bd_news/22/egoread.php?bd=23&itm=&txt=&pg=1&seq=3798 Opinion Piece Discussing the Likelihood of War Between the US and North Korea: Ben Westcott, “Could North Korean, US Threats of Destruction Cause an Accidental War?” CNN, 26 September 2017, http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/26/asia/north-korea-us-accidental- war/index.html Recent Trump Response to North Korean Military Movement: Barbara Starr and Zachary Cohen, “Trump Warns of ‘Devastating’ Military Option as North Korea Moves Jets,” CNN, 27 September 2017, http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/26/politics/trump-north-korea-moves-fighters- missiles-fuel-tanks/index.html South Korean Opinion of North Korean Military Technology: Paulina Dedaj, “South Korea: North Korea Lacks Missile Technology,” 14 August 2017, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/14/south-korea-north-korea-lacks-missile- technology.html Opinion Piece on Kim Jong Un Rhetoric: Van Jackson, “Kim Jong Un’s Dark Warning,” The Interpreter, 22 September 2017, https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/reading-kim-jong- un-and-growing-pressures-war Summary and Reaction overview of Recent North Korean Nuclear Testing: “Weekend Catch- Up: Nuclear Tests, Timor-Leste, media Bests and More,” The Interpreter, 8 September 2017, https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/weekend-catch-nuclear-tests-timor-leste-media- bests-and-more Keeping track of ongoing developments surrounding South Korea will likely help in committee as well.