The Conflict Between North Korea and South Korea

The issue of border conflict has always been a global concern over many years with many conflicts arising from the distribution of natural resources. This has been described as natural resource conflict in a publication by United States Institute of Peace. However, the situation between North Korea and South Korea has always turned out to be a complicated issue calling intervention from the international community. North Korea has been on the global watch for its increased investment in its alleged nuclear economy. The country has invested in developing modern and sophisticated weapons which other countries including South Korea disapprove. North Korea and South Korea are reported to have clashed at least twice over natural resources. The main issue of contention was the Nothern Limit Line (NLL) as well as the marine boundary separating territories of the two countries. The fight over natural resources between the two countries was also fueled by fights over the fisheries rich in blue crab. It has allso been establsied that the conflict between the two nations is further complicated by the aggressive approach adopted by North Korea.

The main purpose of this study is to understand the nature of the conflict between North Korea and South Korea. The primary research objectives to be adopted during this study will be to establish the cause of border disputes between North Korea and South Korea; to determine the trend of the dispute over time; to determine the previous attempts used to resolve the disputes, and to establish the interests of each country in the current dispute.

Significance of the study and limitations

This study will help in broadening the understanding of interstate conflicts by revealing some of the major causes of these conflicts. The study will also help in developing an understanding of effective conflict resolution approaches by analyzing the approaches that have worked and those that have failed. While conflict resolution remains a challenge given the fact that each conflicting party holds a particular interest, it will be important to understand how to satisfy both parties. The North and South Korean conflict are also unique since one states use excessive force and the other has support from the international community. Therefore, it will be important to establish how these differences affect the process of conflict resolution. One of the major limitation is the fact that the study will rely on secondary sources. Some information may be deliberately excluded from this sources due to a given reason such as security concern.

Methodology

This research approach will adopt a desk study approach that will aim to access all information regarding the conflict of between the two states. This implies that the study will adopt a case study design that aims to develop an understanding of a complex issue by conducting a thorough contextual analysis. The study is expected to be conducted in a period of one month.

Personal connection

International relations have always been one of my personal interests over the years. In cases of interstate conflict resolution, the knowledge of international relations seems to play a crucial role. This topic provides an opportunity to understand how diplomacy as an international relation strategy can be used to solve interstate conflicts. It is also a desire to learn how to balance between threats and diplomacy in the case of South and North Korea.