Letter from the Director Dear Delegates, My name is Ben Kang, and it is my distinct honour and privilege to serve as your Director for the Coalition Crisis Committee this year alongside your Chairs, Cher Ning and Patrick Kim. On behalf of the entire team, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Coalition Crisis and the inaugural meeting of the United Nations Command. Four years ago, I first set foot in a committee room and was instantly captivated by the nuance of debate. Though I only raised my placard twice, this experience would foster in me a lasting curiosity for global affairs. Today, as a sophomore with a deep fascination in international relations, I can confidently state that Model UN has allowed me to become a more informed citizen, meet new people, and broaden my global view. Regardless of whether you are a first time delegate or a seasoned veteran, I hope this conference will prove as valuable to you as it was for me, and I encourage you to make the most out of your time in the committee. On this year’s agenda for the Coalition Crisis, we will be following the situation in post-World War II (WWII) Korea, beginning in 1949. As delegates from the United Nations Command (UNC), you are tasked with maintaining political stability and building democracy within South Korea in a time fraught with political tension and widespread civil unrest. With issues ranging from the mass suppression of leftists to the constant war threats made by South Korea’s leader, you will have to navigate a treacherous period in Korean history–or face all out war. I wish you luck in your collective efforts. Best Regards, Ben Kang Director of Coalition Crisis – CAHSMUN 2020 1 CAHSMUN CCC Backgrounder Committee Description A new committee at CAHSMUN this year, the Coalition Crisis involves a United Nations (UN) coalition partaking in a conflict. Delegates, representing countries of a UN coalition, will be required to collaborate and utilize their diplomatic skills through pressing crises and difficult conundrums. Following the standard crisis Rules of Procedure and directive system, delegates will be able to use the UN as a platform for change, to better resolve problems in times of global crisis. Unlike typical crises, the Coalition Crisis is unique in that delegates represent members of a UN coalition. As such, all countries will have the ability to call on and utilize other historical UN platforms to aid the committee when necessary. With the topic set as Korea in 1949, delegates will have access to all UN resources which existed at that time to aid in resolving the conflict. It should be noted that these UN resources comprise historical UN bodies, so delegates will be unable to call upon other CAHSMUN committees. This committee consists of 20 countries which were historical members of the United Nations Command (UNC). The committee will commence on September 23rd, 1949. Please make sure to analyze the events leading up to this date in order to be well prepared for the beginning of committee. Committee Timeline As the Coalition Crisis is a historical crisis, the committee will be operating in a parallel universe. This means that the history leading up to the start of the committee will be in line with our reality’s history; however, the events which transpire during the committee will not reflect historical events. Therefore, it is imperative that all delegates are prepared with background knowledge of the events up until 23 September 1949, in order to find better solutions to resolve the inevitable conflicts. Furthermore, referencing specific events or incidents after 23 September 1949 which have not transpired within the committee room is strictly prohibited. To get through the course of the war, Coalition Crisis will run on a linear timeline, represented by a scaled model of committee time. The crisis timeline will be set according to a three day to two minute ratio, approximately equating one month in the crisis timeline to 20 minutes of debate. Please note that this timeline is heavily subject to change under the committee Staff’s discretion at any point, especially during important wartime events and 2 CAHSMUN CCC Backgrounder situations of similar nature. Additionally, delegates should note that all directives will require a processing time, which will take a specific amount of time to execute.1 Outside of military movements, which have arbitrary execution times for each delegate, the execution times for all other directives will be determined at the Dais’ discretion. Crisis Topic: Korea, 1949 Overview Welcome to the year 1949, and the inaugural meeting of the United Nations Command (UNC). Here, you will be at the forefront of preventing crises, averting foreign conflict, and resolving international disputes. With the end of World War II (WWII) four years prior, it is your job to prevent such an event from happening again. The establishment of the United Nations (UN) was a small step in the right direction; however, diligence and discipline must be maintained, especially at this time where global relations are still fraught with conflict. Our focus is currently placed upon the Korean Peninsula, where in recent months, a new battle has been emerging: one between ideologies. WWII may have come to an end, but another conflict is just around the corner. With the Cold War–a fight between communism and democracy–taking shape, our world powers have placed their attention on Korea to be the next battleground in the war of ideologies. Within the past few decades, the ascension of communism has given way to the Soviet Union’s swift rise to power. With communist forces taking hold in the Chinese Civil War and an “Iron Curtain” descending across Europe, democracies have become highly concerned with the rapid spread of communist ideology. In particular, the United States has proclaimed a global war on communism, believing that “the Soviet Union does not have to attack the United States to secure domination of the world,” according to President Harry Truman.2 Therefore, with fears persisting around the Soviet Union taking control of the entirety of the Eastern Asia, you will have to defend your countries’ democratic interests in South Korea while also preventing the development of another war. 1 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/crisistimeline 2 http://stateoftheunion.onetwothree.net/texts/19510108.html 3 CAHSMUN CCC Backgrounder Timeline 1392 - The Joseon dynasty was established under the rule of King Taejo. The Korean kingdom remains in power for the next five centuries.3 1592 - Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a distinguished Japanese military leader, invades Korea with a large Japanese force. The Korean forces are overrun, and the Japanese Army pushes the Korean Army back to Pyongyang. However, some naval heroics and aid from the Chinese military help in repelling the Japanese after one year.4 1627 - The Manchu, a nomadic people living in Manchuria, continually violate the borders of both Korea and Ming China.5 Despite efforts to send a military response to the Manchu, they would invade Northern Korea in 1927. 1636 - The Manchu invade Korea once again; however, this time, they are much more successful. Seoul falls and Korea surrenders to the Manchu. Korea would become a tributary state to the Qing, in exchange for paying tribute through sending large sums of silver.6 1866 - The French Empire attempts to invade Korea; however, they are only able to fortify an island before being forced to retreat. The Qing also sends troops to aid in repelling the foriegn invaders.7 1871 - The United States sends a convoy to Korea in order to establish diplomatic relations. However, Korea refuses to negotiate, and the United States winds up capturing several Korean soldiers and forts before departing for China.8 1894 - The First Sino-Japanese War begins as the Qing Dynasty and Japan fight over control of the Korean sphere of influence. Japan convincingly defeats the Qing, forcing it to formally recognize the sovereignty of Korea in the Treaty of Shimonoseki.9 3 https://www.britannica.com/place/Korea/Korea-since-c-1400 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-62-supernova-in-the-east-i/ 4 CAHSMUN CCC Backgrounder 1904 - Despite Japan gaining the upper hand in the First Sino-Japanese War, Russia also has colonialistic ambitions to expand the Russian Empire, commencing the Russo-Japanese War over influence of the Korea Peninsula and Manchuria. 1905- Japan emerges victorious once again, firmly establishes a sphere of influence over Korea. The Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905 is established, and Korea formally becomes a protectorate of Japan. While there would be no invasion of Korea to extract the treaty, Japan would threaten military action in order to make Korea comply with its demands.10 1910 - Japan annexes Korea under the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910. Korea remains under Japanese rule for the next 35 years, until Japan’s surrender at the end of WWII. During this time, dissent is brutally suppressed, forced labor is implemented, and the Korean identity is gradually erased–Koreans are forced to take on Japanese names, and Korean schoolchildren are taught with the same textbooks as used in Japan.11 1945 - The end of WWII; Japan surrenders to the US, and Korea is once again recognized as an independent nation. The Soviet Union occupies Korea north of the 38th Parallel, while everything South falls under the United States’ management. A trusteeship between China, the UK, United States, and the Soviet Union is created, and a Joint-Commission between the United States and Soviet Union is established. 1947 - The Joint United States-Soviet Union Commission, negotiating the formation of a unified Korean Government, reaches a deadlock.