Contrasting the Korean Peninsula

I. Divided KoreaA. At the end of world War II

Japan lost Korea.B. The allied forces agreed that

Soviet forces would occupy the peninsula, North of the 38th parallel and U.S. forces would occupy the peninsula South of the 38th parallel.

C.Korea was suppose to become a unified and independent country but the occupying countries could never work out an agreementD. The occupying powers therefore set up separate governments

E. The two sides fought a war which ended in a draw, the DMZ zone was established.– A 51 mile long no-man’s land of mines, barbed wire,

tank traps and underground tunnels

II. GovernmentA. North Korea is ran by tightly controlled

communist government.1. The government maintains its grip by putting 1 out of every 20 of its population in the military.2. 1 out of every 40 people have spent time in the gulag3. Mobile phones and the internet are forbidden, except for the elite, and radio and television sets are made to tune only to government stations

B. South Korea has a republican form of government1. The population of South Korea enjoy many freedoms that their neighbors to the North do not.2. They have a large amount of broadband internet and have access to a variety of television and musical entertainment.

III. Economy

A. North Korea has a command economy, the government owns and operates almost all aspects of the economy1. North Koreans, are on average 15 times poorer than their southern counterparts. 2. North Korea has close economic ties with China

B. South Korea has a capitalist economy, in which prices are set by supply and demand.1. South Koreas has a much more prosperous economy than North Korea2. South Korea has close economic ties with the United States

IV. CultureA. Both North and South Korea have adapted many ideas

from China

Chinese cultureDiffusion

Koreans adopt Chinese culture

A. Culture of North Korea1. Communism has

molded the culture of North Korea

2.The North Korean government only allows art that glorifies communism or the folk tradition

3. North Korea’s culture is heavily influenced by the military

B. Culture of South KoreaB. South Korean

artist have more freedom and often draw from their own culture as well as the Western art