North and South Korea the War Between

North and South Korea

The war between North and South Korea is now a few decades old. Ever since the two countries split in the 1950's, the world has been trying to find a way to reunite both the land and its citizens, some of whom have not seen their family for many decades. No other country in the world exists in the same complete (literal) darkness as North Korea. Sheltered from the world, the country and its citizens are living stuck in time, without modern technology and conveniences. However, North Korea does show its prowess once in awhile to discourage other from encroaching upon its authoritarian territory. This short analysis will focus on the situation between the two countries, complete with an analysis of their respective populations. [1: McDonald, M. (2010). "Crisis Status' in South Korea After North Shells Island." New York Times. Retrieved April 19, 2011, from . ]

North and South Korea were once one country. In the 1950's as aforementioned, the South allied with the United State and the North became community, thus successfully splitting. Since that time, the North's philosophy has been one of "self-sufficient industrialization." The government in the North, headed by Kim Jong-Il, is a centrally planned Communist republic, who control foreign trade and any other contact with the outside world. To make matters worse, North Koreans are not allowed to travel outside their country at all. Even within the country, citizens need special visas to visit a neighboring city, and spies are everywhere. [2: Source provided by customer. ]

In the South, however, the situation is much better. The South has been able to use American principles to advance its economy, and now it is one of the most powerful economies in the world. The difference between the two countries is remarkable. For example, take GDP. North Korea is at 1,000, whereas South Korea is at 17,700. South Korea's economic growth is more than twice that of North Korea. Furthermore, the total GDP is at 22.7 for North Korea and at an astonishing 48.6. Whereas South Korea exports over 201.3 billion dollars, North Korea barely reaches a meager $1 billion. Another astonishing comparison is the telephone lines. In North Korea, mainlines are 1.1 million, whereas in South Korea they are close to 23 million. Cellular lines are not even available for North Korea. Internet lines are no different, with information non-existent for North Korea, and millions of line in South Korea. [3: All from source provided by customer. ]

These examples of simple comparisons show a stark situation in North Korea, and further reaffirm South Korea's growth and sufficiency, whereas they show that North Korea's attempts have only held the country back. The North has also been at an all time low without the help of the former Soviet Union, who had been providing goods and how had needed North Korea to provide goods for Eastern Europe.