Terms for Korean reunification

The below list is more than a little presumptuous, on so many levels. Korean reunification could not possibly take place until Kim Jong-il has been removed from power, whether by force, disease, or old age. It seems unlikely that the anointed successor, the third son Kim Jong-un, would voluntarily relinquish power, so any change of government would have to take place via a military coup.

As Bruce E. Bechtol Jr. wrote in Defiant Failed State: The North Korean Threat to International Security, Kim Jong-il has cleverly arranged the loyalties of the military to maximize the odds of his son continuing in power. He awards Mercedes Benz automobiles to all generals commanding a division or more, so they have a vested interest in retaining the current system of power. Bechtol also made it quite clear that the large number of artillery units, including ones with chemical weapons, situated within range of Seoul, would make them the highest priority in the first hours of a North Korean implosion.

Reuters' article, Special Report: Crisis grips North Korean rice bowl, and Barbara Demick's article for The Telegraph, The unpalatable appetites of Kim Jong-il, juxtapose the gourmet lifestyle of Kim Jong-il with the utter deprivation of his people. Reuters' accompanying slideshow is depressing to view. Kim Jong-il is just one in a long line of people who have convinced themselves that their life is so much more important than that of the little people.

Most articles on North Korea admit that the scale of true starvation is simply unknown due to the paranoid and secretive nature of Kim Jong-il's private domain. But hints emerge from time to time. Reuters quoted Delphine Chedorge, deputy program manager of emergencies for MSF France, as having said "I've never seen stunting like this before, not ever -- not even in Ethiopia."

One of the things which is not well-reported is the effect of a North Korean implosion on the ordinary person. While various military groups were fighting for control, the already pathetic food distribution network would collapse, causing starvation on a massive scale. And no aid group could possibly intervene in the middle of that civil war. Hopefully a military group sympathetic to the plight of ordinary Koreans would react first and most efficiently with a scheme designed to neutralize the other groups before they could react.

Germany did not finish the process of integrating the DDR with West Germany. Even today, the unemployment rate of the east approaches double that of the west, but things have improved because only a few years ago the rate was double or worse. Instead of allowing German companies to open new factories in the new countries of the European Union, or worse yet, China, Germany should have persuaded them to open factories in East Germany. This could have been done with a mix of tax breaks and arm-twisting. Germany would have had to tell the bureaucrats in Brussels that it would break an EU regulation or two, but it should have realized that reunification only happens once and must be properly finished before moving on to EU matters.

The higher unemployment rate in Eastern Germany has a price: the resurgence of neo-Nazis, especially in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. People without jobs sometimes reach for any straw within their grasp. The North could have the same problem if Southerners forget about the economic situation of the North after a few years, only here the problem might be a group termed Juches, disaffected people yearning for the security of a controlled economy.

Hopefully Kim Jong-il will suffer another, more serious stroke soon, with a group of military officers who are not part of the elite seizing power and announcing that they wish to sign a peace treaty with the South. This is the list of terms I would advise them to demand from the South before reunification can occur, not in order of importance:

• A high-speed railway between Seoul and Pyongyang completed within 20 years. The integration of North and South will not be complete until businessmen in Seoul can travel via train to Pyongyang for a meeting and still be home in time to tuck their children in for bed. This railway line would involve lots of tunnels to allow a "as the crow flies" path.  North Korea must not allow the mistakes of Germany to be repeated on the Korean Peninsula.
• A new power grid. There is no power grid to speak of outside Pyongyang. Satellite imagery shows the entire country to be dark except for the capital. Building an entirely new power grid is essential for the rebirth of the North, but this will be hugely expensive.
• Internet for all major cities. South Korea is one of the most Internet-savvy countries in the world. The North will need massive investment to achieve the same result.
• Strict anti-slave-labor laws. We are seeing the reemergence of sweatshops around the world due to globalization, whether in China or in Brazil. Companies like Apple use middlemen, e.g. Foxconn, to manufacture their wares in conditions any child worker of the Industrial Age would recognize. It will be very tempting for corporations to take advantage of naive and poor North Korean workers; this must be stopped in its tracks. Child labor laws must be a part of this. The punishment for slavers must include prison sentences.
• Strict people trafficking laws. Even in civilized countries like the UK, we still read stories regarding people, usually women, trafficked for prostitution and/or labor under grueling conditions. The people of North Korea will be susceptible to the pitches of grifters and carpetbaggers on the subject of wonderful jobs in another country. As is seen in Moldova and other countries, these jobs almost always change to a form of slavery upon arrival at their new employer. This is a worldwide problem, especially in the Islamic world. The punishment for trafficking must include prison sentences.
• Political prisoners must not be forgotten. There are around 250,000 people in the six major prison camps. It is unclear if these camps include true criminals, e.g. murderers, rapists, robbers, etc, or if they only hold people convicted of disloyalty to the Kim family. These people were certainly starved, but it is likely they were not given medical and dental care for their incarceration. These people must be given all necessary medical and dental care as quickly as possible. They must also be included in the housing and training programs mentioned in other bullets.
• An end to dog, dolphin, and whale trafficking for food. Japan kills 20,000 dolphins and 100 whales every year so Japanese businessmen can satisfy their urge for exotic sushi. The trade in dogs is endemic throughout the Korean Peninsula. One Euronews story featured a South Korean teenager holding her freshly rescued dog under a banner of "Dogs are friends, not food." This would be an excellent time to stop this practice in its tracks. There are plenty of stupid animals, e.g. turkeys and chickens, to eat. Restrictions on exporting dogs to China and importing dog, dolphin, and whale meat would be essential to prevent loopholes.
• An end to rhino horn trafficking. Rhinos around the world are being killed for their horns because ignorant Chinese and other Asians believe that Rhino horns endow the consumer with advanced sexual powers. Horns are now even being stolen from museums in Europe. Ignorance and stupidity must not be rewarded.
• Growth hormone for all children who suffered from malnutrition. Both Demick and the Reuters articles mentioned that North Koreans often suffer stunted growth. Nothing can be done for adults, but the height of many North Korean children can still be adjusted to approach their southern cousins.
• Reduced dominance of large corporations. Samsung, Hyundai, and other large South Korean corporations, aka the chaebol, dominate the economic landscape, just as large American multinational corporations and Wall Street dominate the economy of the USA. It would it much better if smaller firms had more influence.
• The elimination of fighting in Parliament. Every now and then we see fistfights on the floor of the South Korean Parliament. If there are any restrictions on this, they must be superficial. A law must be passed to punish the first person to throw a punch or kick on the floor; anyone responding to an attack must be allowed to defend himself. The first puncher must be immediately expelled from the government with a lifetime ban on running for office again on the federal level.
• Housing for current homeless. There is an unknown number of homeless people living in North Korea. The Telegraph's video report (view here) depicts the sad story of just one woman forced to fend for herself in a country with no compassion. A national program must be established to build housing for all homeless people like this woman. This housing need not be Bernie-Madoff-class, just average apartments so these people can restart their lives.
• New, combined orphanage. It will require years to bring Internet connectivity to the cities outside Pyongyang.  The many orphans are already suffering with substandard facilities and insufficient food, but they shouldn't have to wait for education via the Internet. Building a new, combined orphanage in Pyongyang to house all existing orphans will speed this education.
• Transition program for orphans. In many countries, orphans are unceremoniously thrown into the real world after they graduate from high school. In Russia and Ukraine, the time leading up to when orphans leave the orphanage is a time of great trepidation and uncertainty. Many orphans end up on the streets due to their poor preparation for the real world, not having parents to assist them. A program must be established to provide a path towards college or trade school. This program will be a part of the overall national training program (see next bullet).
• National training program: languages and trades. The isolation of the North will be manifested in its inability to compete with its southern neighbor or any other country. A national program to train them in languages, history, computers, engineering, etc. Some North Koreans have been allowed to train for hacking purposes, but most people have probably never touched a PC. This will be a massive effort, as adults will need a different training program than what would work for teenagers. Given that South Korea is already one of the top two countries with respect to education -- the other country is Finland -- this should not be too difficult.
• Ministry of Reunification created. A new position must be created directly under the president to manage the transition of the North into the economy of the South. This person must be someone from the North. This position will be required until the unemployment rates of the North and South are within 2%.
• DMZ converted into nature preserve. The Smithsonian Magazine's article, The DMZ's Thriving Resident: The Crane, pointed out that the DMZ has become a refuge for red-crowned cranes and other endangered species due to the absence of humans. After reunification, there would be enormous pressure to convert the DMZ into farms, homes for the global elite, and bastions of capitalism.  This must be prevented. Ted Turner might have been the first person to propose that the DMZ be converted into a nature preserve. This preserve would need to be protected by law. Give it UN-protected World Heritage Site status. Allow no more roads or railways to be built; existing ones must be converted into underground tunnels. Development must be banned forever, except for wildlife viewing platforms and an east-west hiking trail. Armed rangers will be necessary to prevent poachers from killing the animals for Chinese medicine quacks. The Joint Security Area / Panmunjom / Kijongdong / Daeseongdong area needs to be preserved as a museum, but it cannot be expanded beyond current borders. No industry can be allowed anywhere in the DMZ. And there must be a ban on helicopter tourism, i.e. elites buzzing the DMZ in their private helicopters and airplanes.
• Restrictions on religious nuts, part I. It must be clearly established that the laws of the state are superior to all religions, with no exceptions. Rulings of sharia courts must not be recognized.
• Restrictions on religious nuts, part II. All burqas, niqabs, face veils, and ski masks must be banned in all government buildings, on public transport, and on public roads.  No public photos, e.g. for drivers licenses, visas, or passports, will be allowed to be taken of someone in a burqa, niqab, face veil, or ski mask.  No one will be allowed to run for political office dressed in the above. (How would voters know it is actually her? Would she submit to retinal scans, fingerprints, and DNA tests at every debate?)
• Restrictions on religious nuts, part III. Currently, both Jews and Muslims kill animals destined for their dinner table in a cruel, medieval manner.  Their religions both require that animals be conscious when their throats are cut with a sharp blade; civilized countries slaughter animals only after electrical, gas, or percussive stunning.  Islam goes even further, requiring that the animal face the same direction as that of Muslims when praying; this practice is no different than a sacrifice. The religious slaughter of animals must cease. And the importation of religious meat must be banned to prevent Muslims from making their sacrifices to Allah in China and trucking the meat to Korea. If Muslims riot over the lack of halal meat, their own scriptures can be quoted to them. Surah 2:173 states: "If one is forced because there is no other choice, neither craving nor transgressing, there is no sin on him."