Major Facts about North Korea - Essay Example

Running head: Country Analysis North Korea Insert Insert Grade Insert 07 May History of North Korea Geographical location of North Korea has influenced both its history and its politics. In the late 19th century, China and Japan fought over the control of the Korean peninsula. Japan won due to its technologically superior weapons. China gave up Chinese speaking Taiwan to Japan and obliged to recognize Korea as a free country. The Russians feared that Japan would try to annex Manchuria destabilizing their plans to build a railway connecting the Western to the Eastern part of Russia through Manchuria. At that time, Manchuria, a part of the province located near Korea, was under China’s influence. The Boxer Rebellion initiated by China had a negative impact on Russian interests. Consequently, Russia sent troops into Manchuria. America instituted the open door policy (1899-1900) to curb Russian expansion. Nevertheless, Russia and Japan fought over Manchuria and Korea (1904-1905). This paper delves into the historical evolution, demographics, politics and other events that have shaped North Korea as such (Armstrong 13). Russia experienced a communist revolution and toppling of the Tsar in 1917; the country officially adopted the name of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). The USSR’s influence had dwindled in East Asia by this time while Japan became more confrontational over Manchuria. The Japanese eventually installed a puppet government in Manchuria after the invasion of 1931-1932. Japan’s aggression escalated to the extent that it declared war on China in 1937. Furthermore, Japan forced the invasion of its culture on Korea through imposing Shinto religion on the Koreans and forcing them to adopt Japanese surnames. Korea’s national endowments were eyed by competing nations culminating in the Korean war of 1950-1952. Demography Government records and statistics are somewhat sketchy. The CIA World Fact Book estimates that the population of North Korea is 24,589,122 as of 2012. People below 14 years old represent 22%; those aged 15-64 represent 69% while those above 65 years old represent 9%. A further look into the statistics reveals that number of females is considerably bigger than that of males within the age range of above 15 years old. The median age is 31.2 for males and 34.6 for females; this is a young median age for both. The birth rate of 14.51 per 1000 and death rate of 9.12 per 1000 combined with a net immigration rate of -0.04 per 1000, which yields a population growth rate of 0.53%. Urbanization is 60% of the population; infant mortality rate is 26.21 deaths per 1000; maternal death rate is 250 death rates per 1000, and life expectancy is 66.3 for males and 73.2 for females (WHO 1). The government spends 2% of its GDP on health, while approximately 99% of the population is literate. North Korea is a homogeneous society with almost all the population being ethnic Koreans (“Central Intelligence Agency” 3). Politics The end of the World War II and its aftermath molded political life in North Korea. America dropped two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 forcing it to surrender. The Soviet troops then began entering Korea, which made the USA nervous and, subsequently, the U.S. requested the division of Korea along the 38th parallel. Josef Stalin, the General Secretary of the USSR, agreed to this and took over North Korea while USA took control over South Korea. A guerrilla uprising in the North led by Kim II- Sung took over the country, formed the government and later won elections in North Korea. While in the South an exiled leader won the election under dubious circumstances. The North subsequently cut off electric power to the South; China also adopted communism after the World War II. The Korean War destroyed North Korea’s economy largely; South Korea, meanwhile, improved its economy at a faster pace. North Korea invaded the South for the first time in 1950; then the United Nations responded by sending troops, mostly from the USA. Hostilities went on up to 1953 when the war ended. Dispute between China and the USSR over who should help pay for the war damage in North Korea arose. ‘The war resulted in the death of 4 million people between the South and North despite sharing common cultural ties” (French 23). The military service in North Korea is compulsory for the citizens above 17 years of age since 2004. Military expenditure constitutes 2.7 % of the GDP; this percentage remains high mostly due to tensions with the neighboring South Korea despite the presence of a demilitarized zone between two countries. The failed rocket launch on April 2012, as well as the secretive nuclear program, has isolated North Korea diplomatically. This has been stoking fear of new attacks on South Korea in recent times. Kim II Sung, the founding father, his son Kim Jong Il and grandson Kim Jong Un have ruled North Korea since the end of the World War II. Kim Jong Un took over in 2012 after the death of his father. Essentially, North Korea is a dictatorship regime with no openly held elections. Legally, only members of the Workers People’s Party of Korea hold power. Adoption of the first constitution happened in 1948 with subsequent amendments (Long 195). Economy North Korea follows a centrally planned economic system (Shwekendek 121). Chronic underinvestment has led to low production capacity. Food shortages have been occurring since the 90’s without any meaningful policies to combat this. This is despite large military expenditure. Restrictions on foreign exchanges led to economic hardships and inflationary pressure on the economy. However, these restrictions eased in 2010. Estimation of GDP per capita was $1800 in the year 2011. Agriculture amounted to 31% of GDP; the industrial sector was 48%, while services’ industry contributed 31 % of GDP, and the labor force was 12.2 million. Public Health Diseases The world Health Organization contends that drought and flooding had created problems in the health sector particularly so from the 1990’s, when mortality rates worsened. In addition, food shortages have led to malnutrition. Smoking, which is prevalent among adult men, has led to the rise of non-communicable diseases including cancer. In line with the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, North Korea has improved immunization of young children for measles and tetanus. Mortality among children below 5 years old is mainly due to preventable disease, like diarrhea and pneumonia. Malnutrition is also high among children due to poor sanitation and scarce food. Great strides have occurred in immunization of children; still the health sector suffers from inadequate funding and lack of qualified personnel. Water, Energy and Food North Korea has been under diplomatic attacks from the international community due to her nuclear program; this has led to isolation in foreign policy. The use of hydro electricity for power generation is more than thermal generation. Despite the use of nuclear weapons, energy usage from it is negligible. However, use of coal is prevalent than the other sources in electricity generation. Persistent food shortages have ravaged North Korea since the drought of 1994. Politicization of food aid has worsened the situation for ordinary citizens in North Korea. The USA demands that North Korea must first abandon its nuclear program for it to continue receiving aid. World Food Program notes that in 2011 over 6 million people needed food aid. Food reserves were at an all time low and estimated to be depleted and near zero (Dando 164). Causes and Solutions to Food Shortages The causes of famine have both man-made and political origin. Firstly, it is the continued over use of the soil coupled with an increase in population which is the main reason for the famine. Another issue is the net effects of shortages in the 40’s, 50’s and 70’s. The disintegration of USSR led to further deterioration in food production. Heavy rains in the 90’s compounded the problem by destroying farms and stored food. The solutions include the mechanization of farm production, and use of fertilizers to improve food production. International isolation has led to low fertilizer imports; thus, these fertilizers should be accessed through China because it is the most reliable development partner. Crop rotation should also be used carefully on farmlands to reduce erosion. Better irrigation systems should also be given priority. Works Cited Armstrong, Charles. The North Korea Revolution, 1945-1950. New York: Cornell University Press, 2004. Print. “Central Intelligence Agency”. CIA, World Fact Book. 2012. Web. 5th May 2012. Dando, William. Food and Famine in the 21st Century. New York: ABC-CLIO, 2012. Print French, Paul. North Korea: The Paranoid Peninsula - A Modern History. New York: Zed Books, 2007. Print. Long, Gavin. MacArthur: Military Commanders. New York: Da Capo Press, 1998. Print. Schwekendiek, Daniel. A Socioeconomic History of North Korea. New York: McFarland, 2011. Print. WHO. “Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.” World Health Organization, 2012. Web. 7th May 2012. Read More