North Korea Argumentative Analysis

At the end of the Korean War, the two factions were at a stalemate along the 38th parallel (Millett). Communist North Korea with the help of mostly China and some Russian forces and democratic South Korea with the help of the US as well as the United Nations, drafted an armistice that ended the fighting, but not technically ending the war. The agreement established the Korean Demilitarized Zone, which separates the North and South Koreas along the 38th parallel line (Millet). Each country relied on their allies following the war to help rebuild the two countries after the war only creating more distance between the former unified Korea. In fact, North Korea’s industry was basically vanquished at the end of the war requiring major assistance

In the past decade, North Korea’s rhetoric has become increasingly violent and aggressive, as they have developed nuclear weapons that are now capable of hitting the continental United States. One of the big conditions for a peace treaty that South Korea, the US, and the rest of the world has called for is the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. South Korea, Japan, and the US- all allies- have grown increasingly concerned that North Korea may use nuclear weapons as a means of forcing the other nations to back off economic

In fact, on April 27, 2018, the two leaders of North and South Korea met at the Demilitarized Zone for the first time (Nilsson-Wright). This is a dramatic shift in attitude from North Korea, as they have not been this open to peace talks in the past, as they have made Non-Aggression agreements in the past that they did not follow through on. The two leaders, President Moon Jae-in (South Korea) and Chairman Kim Jong-un (North Korea) agreed to trying to create a peace agreement by the end of the year (Nilsson-Wright). A large issue with this treaty is whether or not North Korea is serious about ending their nuclear program as part of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula (Perlez). The deal that they struck on April 27 does not include any specifics about a peace deal, leading to some skepticism around the world that either the deal will not be done, or that North Korea is not serious about denuclearization. However, others including China, Russia, and Japan have expressed their happiness at the talks as they show positive first steps towards a peaceful solution on the Korean Peninsula