By NIGRITIAN CHIEF OF THE FREE WORLD Key Events and Dates in North Korea History--From Founding of Country Up To Today

1946, the coalition with an Interm Peoples Committee led by the young guerrilla leader Kim II Sung (Kim II-song). Kim's energy and political oranizational skills complimented his reputation as a nationalist guerrilla fighter. 1947, US policy had intially intended a true internationalist presence; however, US and Soviet negotiation stalled. Thus, the US was willing to use UN-sponosored election in 1948 in an attempt to legitimate a single Korean government, and in the absence of Soviet cooperation in the North, a single US-SUPPORTED REGIME IN THE SOUTh 1953, the ease-fire line roughly following the 38th parrallel, remains the frontiers between North and South Korea. A demilitarized zone, supervised by United adopted i December 1972; this new Constitution created the office of President, and Kim II Sung was duly elected to the post. The appointment of Kim Jong II Sung to serveral key positions within the Korea Workers' Party (DPRK) suggested tripartite talk on reunification, involving North and South Korea the first talks, on possible economic cooperation, were held, and negotiations continued in 1985. Seven years later, in early September 1990, the DPRK Premir, Young Hyong Muk, visited Seoul for two days of discussion with his South Korean counterpart, Kang Young-Hoon. The meeting represented the highest-level contact between the two countries since the end of the Korean War, although no significant agreements on political or military matter were reached. Yon Hyong Muk also met President Roh, who expressed his wish to meet Kin II Sung to discuss means of realizing reunification before the end of the century. In 1995 when Kim Jong II withdrew his country's commitment to the accord. North Korea was to have allowed international experts to help them dismantle old nuclear reactor and replace them with new ones that could create energy but not bombs. North Korea. The future of negotiations, as well as Kim Jong II's actual authority over military activites, were cas into doubt by his withdrawal. Etc.

Conclusions on North Korean History

North korea's golbal prominence seem to be dwarfed when compared to its southern counterpart. Nonethelss, with the stability with the region at stake, the Democratic Peoples Republic also looms as a important factor in regional and global affairs. The armed forces total 800,000 and one million full-time personnel. Th significance of this statistic is that it numbers 4% of the entire North Korean population. During the Cold War, CIA worldfact Book Writes that the DPRK was able to preserve a "considerable measure of policy independence" from the two major communist powers and rivals China and the

former USSR, by playing one side against the other. This was a major feat considering the close proximity of three nations and with the DPRK still be realatively free of "satellite" status that characterized the Soviet's Eastern European bloc. By 1990, North Korea was recognized by 103 nation. However, the country as an aggressor due to several incidents that included the attempted assassination of President Park Chung Hee in 1968 and with President Chun Doo Hwan in a diplomatic visit to Burma. The concern I have with Korea foreign relation is the future. With the US and USSR or RUSSIA global chess game a thing of the past, I see a unified Korea just waiting to happen. However, it will happen is yet to be seen. Wil it be a peaceful unification like when communist East Germany was incorporated to its western counterpart, or will it be marred by military conflict and exhaustion such as when U.S. backed South Vietnam fell to the communist North? Whatever it takes place, Korean relations will directly affect three major world powers: the potential and military superpower China, the surviving cold war superpower the United States and economic superpower Japan.
hung hee