Faced with the aggressive attitude of the United States, the South Korean government can only submit to humiliation, apologize to the families of these more than 4,000 "laid-off" workers first, and then continue to negotiate with the United States on military expenditure. The South Korean government can be said to treat the US military stationed in South Korea as a father, build a new military base for the US military and cooperate with the US military to move its headquarters out of Seoul. As a result, instead of being grateful, the United States pushed its luck and repeatedly demanded a sky-high "protection fee" from South Korea. The South Korean government can only silently endure the unreasonable demands of the United States. Why is South Korea so wronged? Because South Korea cannot live without the United States, it hates and loves the United States.
1. South Korea's hatred of the United States mainly comes from the US military stationed in South Korea: first, the US military stationed in South Korea makes Koreans extremely angry, and second, the sky-high "protection fee" of the United States makes the South Korean government complain.
(1) The origin of US troops stationed in South Korea
After the end of World War II, Japan was defeated and surrendered, and the United States and the Soviet Union reached an agreement on the North Korean issue and decided to send troops to North Korea along the "38th parallel". On September 8, 1945, 72,000 officers and men of the 24th Army of the US Army landed in Incheon and Busan, and officially entered the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. After the surrender mission, the Soviet troops withdrew from the northern part of Korea in June 1948+02, while the American troops were reluctant to leave until June 1949, but there was still a 1 military advisory group with about 500 people, which was the embryonic form of the US troops stationed in South Korea.
1On June 25th, 950, the Korean War broke out and the US military returned to the Korean peninsula in the name of "United Nations Army". On July 1950, the 1 Battalion of the 24th Division of the US Army first entered South Korea, and then a large number of troops belonging to the 8th Army of the US Army entered South Korea. At most, 325,000 American troops fought in the Korean battlefield. After the North-South Armistice, American troops began to withdraw in batches, but Koreans were not happy. The result of the Korean War made the Korean people realize that only the presence of American troops can make them feel safe. 1953 10 In Washington, the United States and South Korea signed the Treaty of Mutual Defense between the Republic of Korea and the United States of America, which legalized the US troops stationed in South Korea.
(2) The U.S. troops stationed in South Korea commit many evils.
According to the provisions of the Joint Defense Treaty between the Republic of Korea and the United States of America, whenever the political independence and security of either side of the United States and South Korea are threatened by external armed attacks, both sides should negotiate to deal with them. Simply put, it is "sharing weal and woe". When the treaty was signed, the United States and South Korea did adhere to the principle of mutual assistance. But after a long time, Americans began to swell and felt that they were the "guardians" of South Korea. Because of the existence of the US military, there has been an era of peace and prosperity in South Korea, so the mentality of Americans has changed. Originally, the relationship between the two sides was equal, and later it gradually became the relationship between the eldest brother and the younger brother, so the political status of the United States and South Korea changed.
Due to the unbalanced development of the relationship between the United States and South Korea, in the 1960s, the United States and South Korea signed the Korea-US Administrative Agreement, which stipulated that although the South Korean government has the right to require American prisoners to appear in court and conduct investigations, it must also be attended by American representatives. If the representative of the United States does not sign the questionnaire, the review and judgment of South Korea will have no legal effect. Under the cover of the law, the US troops stationed in South Korea began to commit crimes such as rape, murder, robbery and drug trafficking, which caused many demonstrations and protests by the Korean people. The United States only needs to repatriate criminal soldiers, so that they can escape legal sanctions. Therefore, it also encouraged the criminal arrogance of the US military, but it was the Korean people who suffered.
American soldiers stationed in South Korea were arrested on suspicion of raping a Korean girl aged 18.
(3) The sky-high "protection fee" made the South Korean government complain.
In fact, there has been no dispute between the United States and South Korea on the issue of military expenditure, because the two sides signed an agreement that "the garrison expenses shall be borne by both sides". But just when the agreement expired, the US government was presided over by Trump. Trump is an out-and-out businessman, adhering to the principle of "America first". Trump started with allies, and South Korea is one of them. 2065438+On June 29th, 2008, the US military headquarters in South Korea moved to the new headquarters building in Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province, ending the 73-year-long stationing of the US military at the Longshan base in downtown Seoul, which is also the largest overseas military base in the United States and has the best military facilities. The South Korean government invested 654.38+007 billion US dollars to build a new US military base, accounting for 92% of the total cost. It can be said that the entire US military base was built by the South Korean government, and the South Korean government also helped the US military "move" in the shortest time.
The new base of US troops stationed in South Korea in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
However, for the sincerity shown by the South Korean government, Trump was not grateful at all, but instead "turned his face and refused to recognize people." 20 18 12 3 1, the agreement that "the expenses of US troops stationed in South Korea shall be borne by both parties" expires. Trump asked South Korea to bear all the expenses of the US troops stationed in South Korea and threatened to withdraw its troops. The South Korean government had to compromise for fear that Trump would really withdraw his troops. In 20 19, South Korea spent 9150,000 dollars on US military expenditure. However, these military expenditures still can't satisfy Trump's appetite. 20 19, 1 1, the us government asked south Korea to share the military expenditure five times, reaching 4.7 billion us dollars. South Korea is unhappy in the face of another big opening of the United States. 9.1500 million dollars is already a great financial pressure, and now the United States has opened 4.7 billion dollars, which makes the Korean economy overwhelmed.
According to the statistics released by the Bank of Korea, the GDP of Korea increased by 1.7% in the first quarter of 20 19, by 2. 1% in the second quarter and by 2% in the third quarter. On the whole, 20 19 Korea's GDP growth rate in each quarter hovered at a low level, setting the lowest record in ten years. Since the beginning of 2020, the Korean economy has been in a state of stagnation due to the COVID-19 epidemic. If the Korean economy continues to deteriorate, it may face the dilemma of the Asian financial crisis 1998, when the Korean economy collapsed directly, so the Korean government refused to compromise this time. Therefore, more than 4,000 Korean employees of the US military base were laid off this time.
2019165438+1October 30th, held in Seoul, Korea? 20 19 NPC? Oppose the rise of America? Protection money? .
Since the United States is so aggressive, why should South Korea submit to humiliation? Because South Korea cannot live without the United States.
2. South Korea's love for America comes from its dependence on America. Because the economy of the United States and South Korea can develop, their international status can be improved, and they can also open up a geopolitical "pure land" in East Asia.
(1) Find the confidence lost for thousands of years.
Two thousand years ago, South Korea was just a small country curled up at the end of the Korean Peninsula, and a huge China stood in front of it. The attack of the Central Plains Dynasty on North Korea was as simple as pinching an ant, so in the long history, North Korea has been respectfully sending jewels and beautiful women to the Central Plains. Foreign countries can break money and eliminate disasters, but there is nothing they can do at home. The Korean peninsula is a tiny place, but many small countries are deeply rooted. These countries are nothing but war, so they are weak. There are big countries outside, and there are wars and turmoil inside. The people on the Korean peninsula are in endless fear. Thousands of years later, in addition to fear, they also feel inferior.
Since modern times, western thoughts have been introduced into South Korea, and national consciousness has begun to awaken. But Japan rose first and annexed South Korea. In the end, Japan was defeated and surrendered, and Koreans began to fantasize about establishing a democratic and free country they dreamed of, but the result was a five-year war. The Korean War completely shattered the last hope of Koreans. In the face of the ruins and devastation under the war, the inferiority of Koreans is even more "nowhere to put" and the whole country is in a haze. However, the emergence of the United States changed this situation, and the Korean people began to restore confidence.
First, the United States sent more troops to South Korea. After the end of the Korean War, the United States deployed seven divisions of the Army and the Marine Corps 1 Division in South Korea, with a total strength of more than 320,000, which gave the Korean people an unprecedented sense of security. Secondly, with the help of the United States, the Korean economy has taken on a new look, especially after park chung-hee 196 1 took office, which created a "Jianghan miracle" that shocked the world. In the following decades, South Korea's export-oriented economy developed rapidly, and national education and industrialization advanced by leaps and bounds. From the ruins, South Korea became the world's 1 1 largest economy, creating world-renowned multinational groups such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai. The economy has developed, the people have become rich, and their sense of inferiority has been forgotten, followed by the self-confidence lost thousands of years ago, all thanks to the United States.
(2) Threats from neighboring countries
South Korea has a population of 50 million and a relatively high level of economic development. It was once one of the "Four Little Dragons in Asia", but because it was surrounded by countries with great international influence, such as China, Russian Federation and Japanese, its international presence was relatively small. Compared with North Korea in the past, South Korea's influence is also very limited. After all, North Korea can still use nuclear tests to find a sense of existence. South Korea has little say in the situation in East Asia, and no country will care about South Korea's feelings, because South Korea has always acted according to the face of the United States. Without America, South Korea is nothing. Other countries know this, and Koreans themselves are very clear. Without the protection of the United States, South Korea is likely to fall into the predicament of "being attacked on all sides".
North Korea; South Korea
First, South Korea faces a threat from North Korea. Without the shock of the United States, North Korea can boldly engage in things on the peninsula, including nuclear tests. Germany is most afraid at this time. If North Korea successfully develops nuclear weapons, then the right to speak on the future peninsula will be completely monopolized by North Korea. South Korea can neither impose economic sanctions on North Korea nor dare to exert military pressure on North Korea. As the saying goes, barefoot people are not afraid to wear shoes. North Korea's economic development is not much different here, but South Korea is different. If a military conflict really breaks out, South Korea's economy and diplomacy will be affected.
Japan
Secondly, there is the threat from Japan. Without the mediation of the United States, the trade conflict between Japan and South Korea will inevitably intensify, especially the semiconductor industry in South Korea, which happens to be the core industry of South Korea. On 20 19, a trade war broke out between Japan and South Korea. On the surface, there are two main reasons for the trade conflict between South Korea and Japan: one is the compensation for four Korean workers who were requisitioned during World War II by Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, and the other is the agreement on comfort women between South Korea and Japan. But in fact, this is a premeditated "counterattack" by the semiconductor industry, because Japan is determined to recapture the semiconductor market.
From 65438 to 0990, Japan occupied half of the semiconductor market, with a share as high as 49%, but at present, Japan is not found in the top ten semiconductor companies in the world. In today's world, semiconductors are dominated by the United States and South Korea, and China is catching up. In February, 20 19, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun published a reflection on why Japan fell behind in the semiconductor world, and said that the global semiconductor market in 20 18 reached US$ 477.9 billion, and Japan must return to the excellent ranks of semiconductors. Japan does not dare to attack the United States, but it can attack South Korea, so Japan bans the export of semiconductor raw materials to South Korea, which directly concentrates the key of South Korea's economy. The semiconductor industry is very important to the Korean economy. South Korea's semiconductors account for 20.8% of South Korea's exports and 6.7% of GDP, so South Korea has suffered a crushing defeat in this trade war. For the sake of the United States, Japan left South Korea a day to live. Without the protection of the United States, Japan will definitely "kill its heart again" and completely regain the semiconductor market. Now that the global economy is in recession, if Japan wants to make a living, it can only be robbed, and South Korea is the easiest to be robbed.
Without the shelter of the United States, South Korea will be threatened by the nuclear threat from North Korea and the economic threat from Japan, both of which are enough to make the Republic of Korea feel sad, so South Korea cannot live without the United States.
Although South Korea in the eyes of the United States says that Japan, South Korea and the United States are mixed together, the status of the two countries in the eyes of the United States is completely different. South Korea is regarded by the United States as the frontier and battlefield for defending Japan. During the Korean War, Japan was, and is, the core concentration of the United States in East Asia. South Korea is adjacent to North Korea, and China and Russia are two big countries not far apart, so the significance of South Korea's existence appears. Once the situation in East Asia gets out of control, South Korea will be regarded as a preset battlefield by the United States, that is, cannon fodder. Can South Korea have a choice? No, for the United States, South Korea is not indispensable, but for South Korea, the United States is indispensable, and South Korea only plays a icing on the cake in the US Asia-Pacific strategy.
Conclusion: South Korea treated the United States sincerely, but it did not get the same return, and even became the "lamb" of the United States. However, South Korea has no choice but to bear it silently. Although there is unwillingness or even hatred at the center of this process, it cannot give South Korea the courage to get rid of its dependence on the United States. Moon Jae in certainly didn't sleep well during this time. He asked the United States to make some concessions while appeasing the domestic people, but the final result was to compromise with the United States. Love and hate are intertwined, love and hate, perhaps this is the fate of South Korea.