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Frequently Asked Questions about Korea

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The Alliance of Scholars Concerned about Korea (ASCK), in their role of scholars and students of Korea, present some questions and answers toward the goal of a better understanding of the current situation and the relevant historical background.

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The current situation

How did North Korea become included in George W. Bush's "axis of evil"?

According to Hendrik Hertzberg, writing in The New Yorker (January 13, 2003), David Frum, a White House speechwriter, was told that his "assignment was 'to provide a justification for a war,' specifically a war with Iraq. After much cogitation, he hit upon the idea of likening what the United States has been up against since September 11, 2001, to the villains of the Second World War. The phrase he came up with was "axis of hatred." Higher-ups changed this to "axis of evil," to make it sound more "theological." Although Frum initially intended his "strong language" to apply only to Iraq, Iran was quickly added. (You can't have a single-pointed axis.) North Korea was an afterthought. It got stuck in at the last minute, but Frum doesn't quite explain how or why... Most likely, it was simply oratorical affirmative action, bused in to lend diversity to what would otherwise have been an all-Muslim list. One thing it was not was the product of careful policy deliberation. It had not been, as they say, staffed out. As the Wall Street Journal reported last week, the State Department's East Asia hands learned about it only hours before the speech, and they were not happy."

Why does the DPRK (North Korea) want bilateral negotiations with the United States?

According to James Palais, "there is some justification in my mind for North Korea wanting to negotiate directly with the United States. The real reason the North Koreans want one-on-one talks is that the only country that threatens North Korea's existence is the United States. The United States is a superpower armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons and all other kinds of nonnuclear technologies that were just displayed in the Iraqi war, and as far as they are concerned they are in a crisis of existence."

Why does the United States want multilateral negotiations with the DPRK?

What is the 1994 Agreed Framework?

Historical background

Why is Korea divided into North and South?

Why are US troops stationed in South Korea?