Sohee Han: JFK and Cuban Missile Crisis

Sohee Han writes: In “John F. Kennedy, Cuban Missile Address,” Kennedy actually had many different ways to react against the Soviet Union. Rather than announce its risk, he could hide it from the public making secret compromise with Castro privately. This raises the question why Kennedy determines to publish such a danger to his people. I can think of two reasons why Kennedy took his action. First, he wants to show that he is not going to pull back from the war if the Soviet Union threats the United States. The United States and the Soviet Union held the major powers during the Cold War. If Kennedy pulled back when the Soviet Union showed some threats, the Soviet Union will belittle the United States and it can even bring worse result such as causing another war. The other reason I could think of is the reputation himself. By sharing such important news with people, citizens will trust him more and likely to follow his decision even though Kennedy may change his mind. The article “John F. Kennedy, Cuban Missile Address” is very interesting documents that makes readers to think why Kennedy takes such an action with taking risk.

Angela Kim: Democratic North Korea?

Angela Kim writes:

Title: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea, not South)
As we talk about the communist regime in North Korea and how the Soviet has influenced that regime both in class (as the professor mentioned specifically today) and in the text, some may wonder why North Korea, of all countries, has its name so contradictory to its form of government. We all know that it is actually the farthest possible from a democratic country, with two consecutive generations of dictatorship and another one yet to come. The verdict is that the good old Soviet influence was not only conceptual but also nominal-- in the sense that it influenced the shape of NK's name as well. Well, there's three parts to the name: the "Democratic," the "People," and the "Republic." Starting from the last one, the "Republic" comes from the turn of history marking the end of the Russian Empire, the end of a monarchic rule. The "People," of course, refers to the socialist principle that was prevalent through the totalitarian governments during the Cold War Period. The last one, "Democratic," comes from the overall dedication of the government for the "people" in support for the riddance of classes. In relating the "people" aspect, they came up with the "Democratic" to insert into its name. And so, the big name The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was formed. Next time you read its name hopefully you won't be as confused.

Source: http://www.slate.com/id/2215156/

Sohee Han: Korean Cold War?

Sohee Han writes: What is the origin of the term “Cold War”? The term “Cold War” was originated from the post World War II where two major powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, fought over each other. However, this war was different from previous wars such as World War I and World War II, because unlike those previous wars, there was no arm used during Cold War. This reminds me the division between North and South Korea today. Once they were united into one country, but they are divided into two separate countries today. However, it is important to recognize that these two nations are not completely divided yet. Can these two countries be called Cold War? I doubt it. Although they are divided, they are not fighting. Thus, I don’t think the tension between North and South Korea can be called Cold War.