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Alyssa YffHi Juana,
I felt the same way! I think this is such a valuable piece of information to bring into the classroom. It is clear that our books do not paint a very accurate picture of the Korean War (defintiely biased towards the United States). I think having the students look at the devastation really helps them understand how and why we have such a troubled and difficult history with Korea to this day. Thank you!
Alyssa YffI thought the same thing! I think looking through the lens of imperialism (whether in China or Korea) and the unequal treaties would be a great idea. These are really great thoughts Tom, and I think they would be great to discuss with students.
Alyssa YffHow did Kim Il Sung establish a communist monarchy?
I found the videos and the articles really fascinating about Kim Il Sung and how he established his communist monarchy. A few items that I noted was that World War II and really the occupation of Korea/Manchuria by Japan were very important to the rise of Kim Il Sung. In the Lankov reading, there were many passages that spoke about Kim Il Sung and how his time in service to the Soviets as a guerilla fighter and eventual Commander was really important to both his ideology and political rise. As the USSR, developed the socialist state in North Korea they loked to the former guerillas in NE China to fill positions. Likewise, this experience in Manchuria was glofied through propaganda as the single most important and sacred saga in the nation's history. Without their experience with the Soviets in NE China, Kim Il Sung may not have rose to power. Likewise, the second important piece to establishing his Communist Monarchy was creating true devotion and loyalty with the Korean people. This was achieved through a few pieces:
1) The realtive ease of transition with little social disturbances and lack of inequalities (Kwon and Chung, Partisan Family State) allowed the people to feel that their country was heading in the right direction and that the regime had their best interests in mind.
2) The relative success of the initial reforms - both collectivization and social reforms that were implemented generally led to the North Korean "Miracle." Or at least the facade of a "miracle" In this Kim Il Sung used close contact with his people through "On the Spot Guidance" to build relationships. Kwon and Chung state that this was crucial to his rise as a leader and the establishment of his communist monarchy.
3) The emphasis on Filial Piety and Confucian beliefs also seems to have played a really important role in developing the "Family State" where leaders role was similar to the head of the household. We saw in images and songs how the Koreans viewed their leader with absolute authority and wisdom.
There were additional means used by Kim Il Sung as he established a Communist monarchy as well. I noticed that he definitely used methods used by Stalin and Mao like collectivization and reforms to build a communist state. I found many of the practices and the corresponding effects of these reforms of all three nations very intriguing. These articles and videos also clarified just how and why the North Koreans are so dedicated to their form of government. I felt that this was very beneficial to my teaching of the Cold War and North Korea.
How did the Korean War and Cold War shape the two Koreas through 1994?
The Korean War and Cold War played a huge role in the development of the Koreas. As stated in the first question, the Cold War was vital as both the USSR and US backed opposing governments. The USSR role in the development of North Korea is pretty clear when you see the policies of Kim Il Sung's regime. However, the US role was very fascinating and I knew very little about how the United States came into the Korean War and just the level of destruction felt in both North and South Korea. The readings made me realize just how much we do not teach students about the devastation in the Korean war. The fact that the United States dropped more bombs than in the Pacific Theater in WWII and more Napalm than in Vietnam was horrifying. We need to teach our students this information so that they understand how and why our relationship with Korean has developed since the 1950s.
The struggles felt by South Korean through those years were interesting and I knew very little about the struggles they had faced after the Korean War. In the Robinson and Beyond Numbers reading, it became clear that the initial economic devastation and political instability in South Korea really impacted their development. The various political installations almost felt authoritarian as they faced issues with elections and implemented some heavy handed reforms. However, it seemed that the United States allowed for Syngman Rhee to follow some pretty extreme measures - so it felt that we were supporting an authoritarian regime in South Korea.
Alyssa YffThank you for the information! I found the economic data on both countries really fascinating. I know there are significant differences between North Korea and South Korea, but I didn't realize just how large the gaps in economic performance (GDP, Exports, etc) were between the two nations. I also found the video very informative. The March 1st movement is fascinating and a moment where women/girls really take an active role in decolonization. Its inspirational. I also find the time period of Japanese control to be fascinating and I am curious how these events have shaped the relationship between the East Asian nations. Are there still tensions between Japan and the Koreas? It appears that China is a trading partner of both nations, but really important with North Korea. How does Russia fit into this picture as they were close in the past? Anyways, I am really excited to learn more about the Koreas and use this knowledge in my classroom next year!
Alyssa YffI taught in Charlotte as well! I was at Waddell High School from 2005-2007, then I moved to Raleigh and taught at Athens Drive High School. I love North Carolina and miss it very much!
Alyssa YffMy name is Alyssa Yff. I am a teacher at Irondale High School in New Brighton, Minnesota. I currently teach AP World History and World History, but I have also taught Government, Economics and Human Geography. I have been teaching in public schools since 2005 in North Carolina where I served as a corps member in Teach for America and attended graduate school. I have been in Minnesota since 2013 and have taught in both urban and suburban settings. I am also a parent to a 5 year old daughter, 7 year old son, and 3 cats. As a family, we love to travel (pre COVID 19), hike, and we all play stringed instruments. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone and learning more about Korea through this class!
