From Reader| Nuclear Incident : Next Chance for North Korea’s Transformation 2012년 3월호

From Reader

Nuclear Incident : Next Chance for North Korea’s Transformation

The symbol of the phoenix represents a rebirth of a prior existence rising from the ashes into a new identity of transformation. This depiction of a mythical creature embodies the suffering and loss to a state of nothingness but returning with a fierce splendor.

Throughout history, there are patterns of nations rising and falling and rising again in a continuous dip and dive from success and defeat. While this cycle of nation development can be studied, the lessons from history can show the leaders of today what one can expect from a current situation of the nations that exist today. The Korean Peninsula has had a tumultuous history and can now be considered a country that depicts the symbol of a phoenix.

However, the current reality entails a divided North and South Korea with the former on an unstable road to self-destruction through external threats to its surrounding countries and even to itself.

The global community recognizes the potential for disaster that North Korea shows through a lack of cooperation, especially with the nuclear development and supposed weaponization of its energy source. An unwise move by North Korea will have effects and repercussions that will echo through the politics of the surrounding regions and the economies of the world.

However, a nuclear meltdown at one of the North Korean power plants could begin the cascade of descent, just like a phoenix that is breathing its last breath. The international reaction to such a nuclear accident would be to assist the North Korean government and its people while at the same time opening the country up to a more open policy of politics and economics.

Through close inspection of the Chernobyl incident, a clear picture can be seen of what would happen if such an event took place in North Korea. While the short-term affects would be quite devastating to the region and the people, the help that would arrive from foreign countries would show the people the global unity in rescuing a nation of the world when in need. This would in turn open the country to a more democratic though process, instead of the clamp of communism that has squeezed the country for so long.

International Community Should Help
North Korea to Open Up at a Nuclear Incident

Of course, there is China, who is the big brother to North Korea, and the possibilities of its reaction to a North Korean incident regarding nuclear conflict while at the same time there is the international community, specifically, South Korea, Japan, and the US, that would have to either work or compete with China to gain influence in a humanitarian mission.

While many presuppositions can be made with the example of the Chernobyl incident, an accurate picture can be drawn on the possibilities of North Korean reaction after a nuclear accident in the country.

**This is a summary of the essay written by Jun Kim(Ridgewood HS), Jihwan Kim(McCallie School), Annie Chang(Northern Valley Old Tappan HS), Inhyuck Lee(Northern Valley Old Tappan HS), Dana Kim(Dwight-Englewood School), Daniel Lee(Tenakill Middle School) and Grace Lee(Commack High School). The full version is available at http://ipa.re.kr/.