Potential Attacks of North Korea on South Korea - Essay Example

On December 15th, at 2 p.m., sirens rang for fifteen minutes in South Korea and, within those 15 minutes, the streets were emptied of all pedestrians, traffic came to a halt, and the only noises heard were loud speakers and the sound of fighter jets, screaming across the sky. The purpose of the civil defense drive, the first of its kind since 1975, was to stimulate potential attacks from North Korea, in an attempt to prepare citizens in case such an event arises. This drill was created in response to the North Korean attack on Yeonpyeong Island, which occurred on the afternoon of November 23rd, and resulted in killing two marines and two civilians. This attack followed an earlier attack, assumed to have been instigated by North Korea, which resulted in the sinking of a South Korean naval ship and caused the death of over 40 crew members. However, as the sirens rang, children’s laughter could be heard in the streets which created a surreal sensation of contradiction in this divided nation. It left many bystanders, both Korean and foreign, questioning the validity of the drill; throughout 2010, people in South Korea have been debating over the possibility of an outbreak of war but, even in these debates, citizens are divided over important issues that are central to the historical and current situation faced by North and South Korea.1 Park Chan-wook’s 2000 movie, Joint Security Area, masterfully captures the endless contradictions imbedded within this ideological crisis, and the audience watches as these contradictions simultaneously destroy the characters while providing a glimpse into the possibility of a reunification between the North and the South. Korea has been characterized as a land of contradictions. This is poignantly depicted in JSA, in which nothing is as it seems; although North Korea has consistently been portrayed as monstrous in its military ambitions and nationalistic intentions, the movie depicts a very different interpretation of North Koreans. The portrayal of the JSA is pivotal to this alternative depiction of the North because it serves as a site where a crack in the ideological divide can be initiated. At first, the two opposing sides of the JSA are defined in stark contrast to the other, with the North Korean side being highly monitored and regimented, and the South Korean side being used as a site of voyeuristic tourism – the visual manifestation of communism versus democracy. However, as night falls, the ideological gap between North and South, which seems insurmountable, is replaced with the visual of the bridge, which is physically minute. The bridge is a necessary symbol to both the current division and to the possibility of reunification because, at present, it may serve to separate, but its meager length represents the reality that this division is fragile and fracturing. The fragility of the separation is emphasized, consistently, as the South Korean Sergeant and Private cross the bridge, easily, to meet up with their North Korean military counterparts. Initially, there is hesitation, but the bond based on their shared blood quickly removes the ideological distance between the four characters, allowing for true friendship to emerge. This friendship is endlessly reinforced through a reciprocity between the South and North Korean officers; it all started with a lost soldier, an ill-placed landmine, and the humanity of a North Korean officer, and from there, it evolved into a brotherhood that chipped away at the years of national indoctrination against “the other”. The JSA, once a symbol of separation, hatred, and rejection, is transformed into a space of exchange, re-education, and acceptance. The close proximity between the military security huts results in instigating the opposite effect; rather than keeping “the other” out, it invites him in, tentatively at first, but as trust is built, his home becomes my home. By centering the movie on the comings and goings of the officers in the JSA, Park Chan-wook uses this space as a lens through which to highlight the obvious gaps in the ideological divide. Clearly, when people are put in such close proximity of each other, they stop being strangers, and start becoming friends. The space of the JSA is the physical ground upon which lost brothers can meet, in order to alter the ideological grounds that have kept them separate, isolated, and in fear of one another for almost 60 years. The central characters in the drama represent the four major opinions in the North-South debate. On the opposite ends of the ideological debate, we find the South Korean Officer who praises Sergeant Lee’s killing of the North Korean officers, and the North Korean high ranking officer who accidentally walks in on the four men in the look-out post. Clearly, their views reinforce the dominant national rhetoric of “the other” as the enemy who must be killed at all cost. Sergeant Lee, Private Nam, and Comrade Jeong represent the cracks that are forming in the ideological divide, in which they are tentative at first, but through repeated exposure, they come to see “the other” as human, going so far as to refer to each other as brothers. The third view, as portrayed by Comrade Oh, is that the two Koreas represent the psychologically pain felt by the separation of twin brothers that can only begin to heal through mediation and reunification. Finally, the fourth view, expressed by Major Jean, is that of neutrality; however, as the story progresses, the audience is keenly aware that perceived neutrality is both dangerous and, often biased, or at least ignorant to the realities of the situation. It is easy to claim neutrality when one is an objective voyeur, looking in on the crisis from a safe distance away. The strategy through which the four men seek to transcend the ideological gap between them is extremely simple, but surprisingly affective. Their encounters revolve around commonalities between the two groups of men, which serves to humanize “the other”. To the South Korean officers, the North Koreans start to appear less monstrous as they show their interest and appreciation of the same things that the South Koreans appreciate; for example, both the North and South Korean men are fond of smoking, card games, drinking, wrestling, listening to music, looking at pornography, talking about family, eating moon pies, and loving their country. Eventually, they begin to see no difference in “the other”, and it is obvious that full trust has been established as the South Korean officers frequent the North Korean security hut without their guns drawn. However, there is one pivotal moment that challenges their friendship; Sergeant Lee asks Comrade Oh to come over to the South, to which Comrade Oh makes it very clear that he has no intention of leaving his country. It is at this point that the audience may perceive Comrade Oh as holding anti-reunification sentiments; however, as the rest of the story unfolds, it becomes clear that he is holding the purest intentions towards reunification, which is exemplified through his frequent mediation of tense situations, and by saving Lee’s life on numerous occasions. In addition to his noble intentions, Comrade Oh’s refusal to leave his country demonstrates the highest level of dignity, in which Oh cannot abandon the collective need of the North Korean people to satisfy his own individual desires. In contrast to the four officers, Major Jean is a much more difficult character to gauge. Initially, she appears as an unwelcomed outsider – one that appears Korean on the outside, but foreign on the inside. At pivotal times in the movie, she seems completely oblivious to the subtle nuances between the characters, most poignantly depicted in the “assault” scene between Comrade Oh and Sergeant Lee, near the end of the movie. In addition, the “discovery” of her North Korean heritage also serves to confuse the characters and the audience at to her true intention in the case. However, as the movie concludes, Major Jean reveals that she knows far more than she had lead on, and she states that she “chose to fail”. Although her presence instigates the attempted suicide of Private Nam, she serves her purpose as mediator between the two sides in the final scenes, in which she conveys messages to Comrade Oh from Sergeant Lee, and vice versa. In addition, she also serves to absolve Private Nam and Sergeant Lee’s sins for their truly treacherous behavior in the murderous event and, although one attempts suicide and the other is successful, their deaths are not in vain; both Major Jean and Comrade Oh will carry the true knowledge of the situation with them, which will inevitably nurture the seeds of change. Although she could not save Sergeant Lee, her purpose was not that of savior, but of messenger to spread what she had seen and heard at the JSA. After informing Major Jean that she has been removed from the case, the Swiss and Swedish Neutrality officer states the following: “peace is preserved by hiding the truth.” The fact that North and South Korea have not erupted in a war of attrition over the past 57 years is a testament to this quote. However, on the opposite side, the movie is meant to symbolize the dangerous consequences of hiding the truth. North and South Korea are at a point where this policy of hiding will no long aid the situation. Park Chan-wook uses the altercation between the five officers in the North Korean security hut to express his opinion on how reunification can be achieved; there is a desperate need for a Comrade Oh-type mediator in Korean politics that will overlook past humiliations and hatreds for the good of the whole of Korea. The centrality of compromise is seen when Comrade urges all parties to put down their guns. However, the events that follow after the guns have been lowered provides an even more important lesson which, if not learned, will obstruct the possibility of reunification, indefinitely. Even after Sergeant Lee turns on Comrade Oh and fires blanks at him, and even after Lee kills Comrade Jeong, Oh does not retaliate. He assists Lee and Nam by killing the other officer, cleaning their guns, and sending them to safety. Not only does he put his own hatred aside, Oh goes so far as to forgive Lee and Nam for this traitorous actions, by stating that, had he been in their hut, he would have done the same. Park Chan-wook’s message is simple, but powerful: hostility, hatred, fear, and mistrust have maintained the division between North and South Korea for too long; however, the only way to break through the physical divide is by dismantling the ideological divide through compromise, cooperation, and forgiveness. It is clear that, unless someone starts turning the other cheek, the two Koreas are destined for tragedy. Works Cited Agence France-Presse. “South Korea Holds Mass Civil Defence Drill Amid Tensions.” Defence Talk. Global Defense & Military Portal, 15 Dec. 2010. Web. 16 Dec. 2010. Cho, Mee-young. “South Korean Navy Ship Sinks, North Link Played Down.” Thomas Reuters. 26 Mar. 2010. Web. 16 Dec. 2010. “North Korea Attacks Yeonpyeong Island.” Korea Joongang Daily. Joongang Ilbo., 27 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Dec. 2010. Park, Chan-wook, dir. JSA. CJ Entertainment, 2000. Film. Read More