Comments on: Koreas joint oil exploitation http://koreanunification.net/2007/10/09/koreas-joint-oil-exploitation/ the DMZ will not last forever... or will it? Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:32:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: dilworth http://koreanunification.net/2007/10/09/koreas-joint-oil-exploitation/comment-page-1/#comment-142 dilworth Wed, 10 Oct 2007 23:52:41 +0000 http://koreanunification.net/2007/10/09/koreas-joint-oil-exploitation/#comment-142 I think I did not express my views clearly. China, Japan and the US are not threatened by a unified Korea. They are threatened by the uncertainty of how a unified Korea would position itself - would it be a close ally of the United States on China's border, or would it revert to a Chinese sphere of influence... It is this uncertainty that makes many prefer the status quo. If you were China, would you prefer to deal with North Korea (a state over which you arguably have substantial influence) or a unified Korea that is allied to the United States? If you were Japan, would you prefer to deal with a decrepit, impoverished North Korea (which granted, often presents a distinct threat) or a unified and stronger Korea in the Chinese sphere of influence (that would more than likely still threaten you from time to time)? In both cases, a divided Korea is that much easier... I think I did not express my views clearly. China, Japan and the US are not threatened by a unified Korea. They are threatened by the uncertainty of how a unified Korea would position itself – would it be a close ally of the United States on China’s border, or would it revert to a Chinese sphere of influence… It is this uncertainty that makes many prefer the status quo.

If you were China, would you prefer to deal with North Korea (a state over which you arguably have substantial influence) or a unified Korea that is allied to the United States? If you were Japan, would you prefer to deal with a decrepit, impoverished North Korea (which granted, often presents a distinct threat) or a unified and stronger Korea in the Chinese sphere of influence (that would more than likely still threaten you from time to time)? In both cases, a divided Korea is that much easier…

]]> By: apple jacks http://koreanunification.net/2007/10/09/koreas-joint-oil-exploitation/comment-page-1/#comment-141 apple jacks Wed, 10 Oct 2007 03:34:29 +0000 http://koreanunification.net/2007/10/09/koreas-joint-oil-exploitation/#comment-141 The only reason to even take the argument that regional players would or do not support Korean unification seriously is that it appears in so many academic papers. Yet this, like so much of what passes for "common sense" about the Korean peninsula, makes no sense at all. How would China or Japan or especially the US truly be threatened by a unified (and presumably democratic) Korea. It would be a lot easier to deal with a unified Korea, which would still be weaker in economic and political power than the US, the EU, and China, than to put so much effort, time, and money into containing North Korea to make sure it does not put money or weapons into the hands of terrorists. The only reason to even take the argument that regional players would or do not support Korean unification seriously is that it appears in so many academic papers. Yet this, like so much of what passes for “common sense” about the Korean peninsula, makes no sense at all. How would China or Japan or especially the US truly be threatened by a unified (and presumably democratic) Korea. It would be a lot easier to deal with a unified Korea, which would still be weaker in economic and political power than the US, the EU, and China, than to put so much effort, time, and money into containing North Korea to make sure it does not put money or weapons into the hands of terrorists.

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