In 10 years, do you think Korea will...

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Re: In 10 years, do you think Korea will...

Id like to see unification, but I think it would take longer than 10 years, even if there was a millitary conflict.  I think both sides know this and hopefully they avoid any incident that will accidently spill into an all out war.

I really couldnt imagine what would happen if there was unification.  I have heard about many Korean "land clubs" where they pool money and have maps of where they want to do a land grab in the north after it is reunited.  I would imagine a good ammount of carpet bagging like in the US civil war aftermath, but it could go out of hand fast.

I can only imagine that many people from the north would try to stream into the cities in the south looking for work and a better life.  It could be a disaster with thousands of people just arriving in Seoul, or other cities with nothing but what they can carry.

My guess is there would be some kind of multinational program and very limited access to the north, or south for Koreans.  In fact I would guess that other than some publicly broadcast family reuniions life for people in the north and south wouldnt change much for years. (although life in the north would be drastically altered, joe average on the farm would live very simmilar, just better.)

What do other people think?  I noticed a couple people here have studied Korean relations in depth and was wondering if they had any insight on what programs exist for the reunification.

Re: In 10 years, do you think Korea will...

I think unification would be the worst thing that could ever happen to the south. If Koreans think that IMF was bad wait until this day. The Korean won would drop to over 2000w to the dollar in a day or two alone. Who even knows how bad it might get.

This isn't east-west Germany. The north has nothing; no infrastructure, no roads, no bridges, no highways, no industry, no intellectual property or capacity. All they have are 22million robots who's every answer to every problem is either; KIS or KJI.  Yes, the north probably has vast resouces but like I said above, it takes roads to get to those resources.  Any investment in the north for commodities or precious metals/the like would be a decade or more before you see any return.

Koreans want unification but they don't want to pay for it. Where is that money going to come from? They have limited social programs here nothing that can handle this amount of people. Taxes would need to increase to western country levels. Also these people may be korean but they are foreigners to this land. They think a few of us white people are bad wait until there are 22million of them! Look to see huge increases in the crime rate and North Koreans here would turn to the dark side of the economy here; drugs, prostitution, gangsterism....you name it.

No, people you don't want unification. It's a fool's dream. I dread the day it happens. I hope I'm long gone or if not at least have what I have in gold or silver  or anything other than the korean won as it will become monopoly money.  

Re: In 10 years, do you think Korea will...

Korean unification might happen in the next 60 years, but definatly not in the next 10 years. I think it is bad for both countries. Like mentioned above, it isn't anything like East-West Germany. East and West Germany both had economies, infrastructure, and didn't talk about destroying each other.

As for North Korea having nothing, I don't agree at all. They have vast factories, railroads, a lot of highways and roads, but the problem is that they aren't used because there is no oil in North Korea. North Korea used to have a better economy than South Korea when the Soviet Union was still around. North Korea has potential, however, thouands of things would have to happen first.

North Korea's two biggest problems are a lack of an economy and the inability to create enough food reserves for 22 million people. Both of which are the direct result and actions of the government. It doesn't mean that they don't have the ability to have either, just that the government prevents these from happening. So the real problem is government.

When it comes to government, both sides have some kind of fantasy that they will be running the entire government, if there was unification, however, that is not the best option for a unified Korea. South Koreans outnumber North Koreans 2 to 1. That means any election will result in South Koreans getting what they want. It wouldn't work.

Inflation wouldn't go 2000won to a dollar but more like 30,000w to a dollar if there was some instant unification. And instant unification would NEVER work with Korea.

Both cultures are so different now that those North Koreans that escape and come to live in South Korea are treated like trash. They are harrassed, beaten, and have difficulty finding any kind of job. The government gives them very little, only promises. They have no skills, and often they cannot fit into a progressive society as well as an immigrant from rural China could. Their accent is obvious and their education is sketchy.

South and North Korea often talk about unification, but it is just another mode of making the other look like an enemy. The more talk of unification there is, the more obvious to people it is that they are so different. Basically, unification talks work like this "Hey, we should plan to unify!" "Ok, but first, please do this..." "Ok, but before we do that, you have to do this..." "Ok, but we will need money to do this, so please give us money..." "We can give you money, however, we will need something in return, perhaps this..." "Ok, we might be able to do that in 24 months, but in order to do that, we will need this..." and on and on and on.

Also, politically, it makes the other country look like the "bad guy." If you say "We are for peace and unification" it sounds so beautiful. However, saying that implies that the other party is a bunch of jerks who won't do it. "We want unification, but they don't show it" is a very powerful tool in convincing the public of being against the opposing side.

Anyways, I could go on for hours (well, actually I already wrote a 40 page paper on this for a class once) but I will stop here. Unification is a bad idea for both countries. A change of government and the institution of more cooperation and discussion and economic progress might be far superior to a unified Korea.

Re: In 10 years, do you think Korea will...

 

You are correct, the north had a greater GDP for much of the 50-70s but that's where it ended. They have vast vacant factories that have remained dormant for 30years. They can't even be re-tooled. They are in total dis-repair. the only place that isn't is Kaesong and that was build by the chaebol for cheap labor extortion.

 People that have visited the north say that outside of Pyungyang is like taking a trip back through a time machine to the 50s. Pyungyang probably has the best traffic infrastructure of any capital city on earth.  How did they engineer such a feat? by not having any cars on the roads. It sure is nice to watch those girls in blue uniforms direct ghost traffic.

No,the north is a lost cause now, 10,20,30 years later. 'No' to unification.

Re: In 10 years, do you think Korea will...

I agree with that “No North” in Korea any more in ten years from now on.  

It is over 65 years since the Korean peninsular has been divided into two, and over 60 the South and the North been technically in war.  Those who had any attachment with the North in the South are now getting deceased, therefore, faded away into a doom history of the Republic of Korea.  The only reason why the South is hanging on the edgy love-hate relationship with the North, is because of their possible economical benefits after those two former Nat’l administrations.  The South has been now growing up from a state of a new born baby to that of an adolescent human being.  Car manufacturing-sales industry can be the most populated area for the South, whereas the PPL in the North get imprisoned due to their black market activities in entertainment business of South Korean drama DVD’s or music CD’s.

As a common proverb to both the South and the North Koreans says, “Ten year is long enough to change a whole country scenery totally different.”  Fifty or sixty years of separation firmly proves that the South works better in their own way; in such, it won’t merge the North within itself  in ten years, then will never forever.  Who daren’t expose the proof of the truth in human rights or humanism itself?

What I believe is, like I said, if it is not within ten years, the unification of the two states will never happen in their history.