Korea War Report

This government document was a war report on the condition of Korea a year after being liberated from the Japanese occupation. It was written by General Hodge, who at this moment of time was the current military governor of the Korea. As it was a war report, it was intended to be read by the WARCOS, War Chief Department of Staff, and by the Secretary of State. This report offered a glimpse of the condition in Korea, and how there was no progress towards any form of recovery or stability in economic, financial, and political aspects. It also entailed the political turmoil present in the country and how there were two opposing political factions in the rise, South Korea Labour Party, and Radical Communists. It was worth noting as well that these

Foremost, bias is inevitable in historical documents, and this document is no different. Albeit it is a war report on the condition in Korea, and is professionally written, there is a very nuanced bias present. An obvious evidence of this is that the intended audience or reader of the document was the War Chief Department of Staff. Hence, the documented was expected to cater what was wanted to be read by the WARCOS, despite it being titled “the war conditions in Korea”. Also, in the document, Hodge addressed that the United States – and the Soviet Union—were at fault for the lack of progress in Korea and its independence, which caused the “rapidly growing unrest and impatience of all Koreans”; such a notion aligns with the post-revisionist paradigm of historiography, where both superpowers were to be blamed for the instability of nations during the Cold War. Nevertheless, Hodge stated in his report that “the lack of progress toward Korean independence does more than all else to nullify good will toward the US Forces and trust in [their] will”. From this statement, it is evident that Hodge was concerned of the US’ reputation and how the Korea’s trust for the superpower nation was dwindling. Though he mentioned the Soviet Union, he was more focused on the Korea’s perception towards the US, such as when he stated that “the feeling is growing that the [US] are sacrificing

With respect to this document, it seemed that the cause was the dissatisfaction of other rightist members in the delay of the independence and eventual unification of Korea. Be that as it may, the ideologies of both factions reflected the capitalist and communist ideologies of their respective superpower trustees. The rightist movement, particularly Syngman Rhee and company, wanted to contain the Kim Koo and their once former fellow rightist members, because of their intention to separate Korea. This desire to contain the other faction paralleled the containment and confrontation plan of the United States and its allies to the Soviet Union and communism, in general. Albeit at this moment, it was merely the advent of it. Furthermore, it was already foretelling in this document that the opposing ideologies of both the rightist and leftist movement in Korea would not result to the nation’s unification. As the rightist reflected the capitalist ideology, whereas the leftist the communist ideology, they parallel conflicting ideologies of the two current superpowers during this period; the US and the USSR could not reach any form of agreement in majority of their negotiations, for the demands of either of the two factions would be rebuked immediately by the opposing faction. Henceforth, it is sufficed to say that Korea served as the mirror