Cold War
Where the Cold War Never Ended Even in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic, North Korea continues to make news, either by launching ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan or by refusing to answer questions about Kim Jong Un’s health.
Korea, as noted before, is a part of the world where the Cold War never really ended. Moreover, it went from being a Cold War concern to a War on Terror concern when President George W. Bush identified the nation as part of a twenty-first century Axis of Evil.
Your job is to prepare a short paper for the presidents daily National Security briefing. Be sure to address the following: what caused the war? What made both Koreas important to the U.S. in the context of the Cold War (i.e. why did we fight in the first place and why have we invested so much in the success of South Korea?)
How realistic are concerns that North Korea is nearing nuclear status?
Is North Korea either sponsoring, or benefitting from, outside help (e.g. countries like Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, etc.?) As of 2019, what was the official status on efforts to deter bad behavior on behalf of North Korea? And, finally, based on everything that you have read and/or written, would you advise staying the current course or do you think changes need to be made (briefly, what and why?)
Textbook Chapter on Cold War and Korea http://www.americanyawp.com/text/25-the-cold-war/ FAS Report on Deterrence and North Korea
Report on North Korean WMDs Overview of the Korean War and Aftermath https://www.history.com/topics/korea/korean-war
