[War_ooc] Repubic of Korea (South Korea): 2013

[Alan Tang]

OOC: Here's my purposal for ROK2013 as part of my application to be the 
South Korean player.

Republic of Korea 2013

Political Landscape

Government:
President Chung, Hook Yu (GNP)
Prime Minister Kim, Kwon-Il (GNP)

In 2012 Hook Yu Chung, best known as a nationalistic former ROK army 
officer, was elected as the 11th President of the Republic of Korea under 
the banner of the centre right Grand National Party (GNP). His 
administration campaigned under a promise to continue to reinforce the 
demilitarized zone and to increase defence funding for ROK Armed Forces, as 
part of his promotion for a stronger, more independent South Korea. This 
platform was formed thanks to the dismal results of the much dismissed 
Sunshine Policy doctrine first drafted by then President Jung and continued 
by every successive administration until GNP candidate Lee Myung-bak was 
elected President in 2007. After Lee’s election, his administration had 
summarily discounted the reconciliation policy, in favor for a more hard 
line position against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (a.k.a. 
North Korea), a position that would continue under Hook Yu Chung’s 
administration.

As part of his campaign, Chung purposed to establish a more autonomous 
defence policy apart from the US through the steady reduction of US military 
forces, replacing them with newly formed South Korean military units. He did 
this by capitalizing on the growing anti American furor after the deaths of 
two South Korean teenagers who were ran over by American armored vehicles 
during an exercise near the Demilitarized Zone. In response to the 
collateral damage caused by US Military Presence and the general 
anti-American feeling in South Korea, Hook Yu Chung campaigned to created a 
road plan to reduce US occupational forces from South Korea during his 
Presidential term while authorizing funding for a even more robust South 
Korean military to supplement the withdrawal of US forces in his ‘Korea 
First Defence Initiative’.

With Hook Yu Chung winning on a more ‘Korea First’ robust platform, along 
with increased military and more autonomous foreign policy platform, the 
Grand National Party continued their wave of support from Chung’s election 
into the National Assembly with a majority standing. This allowed 
President-Elect Chung a free hand to implement his campaign platform during 
his term.

Economy

South Korea’s economy rid on a more optimistic boost in 2013, now that 
Nuclear War with North Korea was becoming more unlikely ever since Kim Jung 
Il had agreed to shut down and destroy all of his nuclear assets. As a 
result, investment in the South Korean economy have become a lot more safer 
for many investors, helped by the current administration’s plan to negotiate 
more free trade agreements with the world’s larger powers.

Also another upside for investors in South Korea is the successive GNP 
administrations that have went about to reduce overflowing government 
spending and to use its budget surpluses to pay down its national debt, 
saving the country billions in interest paid for future generations. 
Employment has also seen a recent boost into new industries, with market 
initiatives by the government to develop more environmental friendly 
technologies, to not be outdone by their Japanese neighbors and seen as 
sitting on their hands while a potential new market exploded.

On another front, Baseball has been embraced as the country’s new national 
pastime after Korea’s improbable victory over Japan in the 2009 and 2010 
Konami Cup: Asia Series, as well as the recent success of several imported 
players from South Korea to Major League Baseball. These recent events have 
boosted national pride and have helped ballooned popularity with baseball. 
In response to the growing popularity the Korean Baseball Organization has 
expanded to four more cities, for a complete twelve teams as part of the 
recent baseball boom. For the economy this has fuel a huge demand in team 
products and marketing campaigns in the subsequent ‘baseball wars’ between 
competing corporations looking to capitalize on the new interest and gain a 
monopoly on the sport.


Defence

While national defence has been primarily been safeguarded by combined 
US/ROK forces under the supervision of the commander of the USFK, a national 
debate has sprung up after the expiration of a US/ROK defence pact that had 
ROK forces under the command of US forces during wartime in 2012. The 
question being asked now is what to do with US Forces now that ROK Military 
Forces are militarily well equipped a standing well in numbers.

President Chung has made it clear that he supported a change into the 
defence agreement in which South Korea would become more dependent on ROK 
armed forces and less on the USFK. While at the same time it has been made 
clear that US forces were still welcome in South Korea, the decreasing 
threat of attack from the North has decreased the need for the 35,000 
garrison based around the ROK. This point had been raised by the last 
administration and is once again being made by President Chung, with both 
GNP administrations purposing reducing the US presence and reinforcing them 
ROK Forces in the near future. So now that nuclear war with North Korea is 
now unlikely, that hasn’t stopped South Koreans from accepting another 
increase in the military budget with an emphasis on the continuing 
modernization program of the armed forces as well as another increase in 
recruitment quotas.

Some problems have surfaced with recruitment for the more robust regular 
military to replace US forces facing shortfalls. As well as problems with 
logistics and organization now that ROK forces are separate of the USFK 
Command Structure Also the handoff of Operational Control from USFK to ROK 
Armed Forces Command in 2012. These problems weren’t unexpected with beliefs 
from defence critics that some units have been caught unprepared with the 
handover with general reports of leadership and command structure problems 
to compensate the lack of US command support.


Social Issues

South Korea has seen a recent divide between its young population and its 
aging population fueling a social divide and culture clash between the young 
and old. What’s more interesting is how South Korean youth are rejecting 
traditional social values and have openly become a strong vocal minority in 
opposition to the US presence in South Korea with fringe groups calling the 
USFK an ‘imperialist occupation’. This youthful rebellion has been further 
fueled by accidents causing civilian deaths at the hands of US forces. Also 
with the emergence of the South Korea youth divide, comes stronger 
opposition to the new GNP administration, where fringe groups are accusing 
the GNP and President Chung of being a US lap dog, despite Chung’s calls for 
a steady slow reduction of US military forces in Korea.

On another front comes the religion question. In recent years, Christianity, 
particularly Catholicism Christianity, has grown stronger and more 
emboldened about expressing their political opinions. So far this has worked 
well for the Grand National Party, which has usually supported more 
traditional values, which the growing (and voting) Christian population also 
values. But, their supports comes at a price for the GNP, as more vocal 
leaders have demanded that the current administration reject the continued 
research of stem-cell and genetic engineering, and totally ban abortion. 
South Korea’s fringe youth and organized left has accused the Christian 
political movement of attempting to blur the line between Church and State

Health

The Chung administration in its first year has supported legislation to fund 
an expansion into the ROK’s universal health care system, extending public 
funding into free eye exams, dental appointments and to allow more than one 
checkup per year for South Korean citizens. Another major concern is the 
humanitarian crisis up in the north, with the south responding by sending 
several emergency medical supplies up to the north through the Gyeongui 
Line.

However it has became clear for the administration that any supplies sent to 
the North would only be a band aid solution since North Korea still has a 
very weak food and health infrastructure. If reunification were to happen in 
the near future, a massive migration to the south would completely overwhelm 
the ROKs healthcare system, presenting another reason why travel 
restrictions to the south should be maintained indefinitely.

Abortion is still restricted and largely unavailable to the general public 
unless the abortion would under certain circumstances (rape, incense, 
health). That ROK’s position on abortion is unlikely to change with the 
arrival of the Chung administration and a GNP controlled assembly, despite 
protests from the Christian right with President Chung knowing that his 
voting base counts for a considerable amount from pro-life groups and those 
who align themselves as religious.

His government has a different attitude on stem-cell and general embryo 
research as their lies a cultural difference in view from the west and east, 
with most South Koreans not considering the embryo an actual living being 
until birth. That line is consistent with the large Buddhist population who 
tow that general line, however given the rise of the Catholic community in 
mainstream politics in Korea, that position can be rocked if the Christian 
movement gets more vocal in opposition against any genetic research.

Foreign Relations

With the coming of the new administration South Korea has slashed foreign 
aid to near non existent levels indefinitely and has redirected those funds 
to help supply the recent increases into the defence, and health care 
budget, with additional funds to pay down the debt. This action is part of 
the Chung’s desire to lower South Korea’s profile around the world and 
“focus on what’s important at home”.

Another change in the foreign relations is the recent slight cooling of 
bilateral relations with the United States, with anti American furor still 
the rage in the country after another string of accidents in where South 
Koreans teenagers had been trampled over by armored vehicles along the DMZ 
and a new embolden nationalistic President now in power. President Chung in 
his campaign promise has moved forward to decree that his administration 
will work to have US military forces reduce their forces and assets by 20% 
before the end of his five year term. Suffice to say this hasn’t done 
wonders for relations between Chung and current US administration as many 
critics have accused President Chung of snubbing the United States for 
political gain.

President Chung in response has said that the shift in defence and foreign 
affairs policy is to allow for the Republic of Korea to lie out more on its 
own, while acknowledging and being thankful for the historic protection the 
USFK has provided for Korea. However that being said Chung believes that 
with a decade having passed into the 21st Century, he believes the ROK Armed 
Forces have developed and modernized enough to be able to sufficiently 
defend South Korea without the continued heavy reliance of the USFK, even 
though there is evidence showing the contrary with ROK Forces still adapting 
to the various command structure changes.

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