Country: South Korea (Republic of Korea)*
Event: CACMUN 2000
Student: Mohammad Fakhral-Deen
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Political Structure:
The Republic of Korea is a democracy, much of its governmental bodies and political figures are appointed by election. South Korea is formally the Republic of Korea under the constitution of 1987; it is headed by a President with extensive executive powers. The President of the Republic of Korea is directly elected for one five-year term. The President appoints the Prime Minister (head of government), and the State Council (Cabinet). The President also assigns justices of the Supreme Court, which is the highest court. The National Assembly is the governing body of the Republic of Korea, it has 299 members elected for four-year terms by universal adult suffrage; 237 members represent constituencies via direct election, the other 62 members are selected by means of a system of proportional representation.
Natural Resources:
The natural resources of the Republic of Korea are coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, and hydropower. The Republic’s agriculture is depended upon for the following crops: rice, onions, potatoes, barley, soybeans, melons, and apples. Rice is heavily harvested on 65% of South Korea’s farmland, yet production is insufficient to meet the nation’s great demand; that is why much of the Republic of Korea’s rice is imported.
Cultural Factors:
Almost all of the inhabitants and ethnic groups of the Republic of Korea are Koreans, (except for about 20,000 Chinese). According to an estimate of July 1999, the population of the Republic of Korea is 46,884,800. The main language in the Republic of Korea is Korean, which is believed to be unrelated to any known tongue, even though it has a strong blend of Chinese words in its vocabulary. The English language is also taught in South Korean schools. Seoul National University is the chief institution of higher learning in the Republic of Korea. As for religions of the Republic of Korea, 49% of its population are Christians, 47% are Buddhists, and 3% follow Confucianism, which shaped much Korean ethics and morals. The remaining 1% follow Shamanism, (persuasive folk religion), Chondogyo, (the religion of the Heavenly Way), and other minor religions.
Defense:
Despite the presence of a South Korean military, much of the Republic’s defense depends on the United States of America. The military of the Republic of Korea comprises five branches; they are the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and National Maritime Police (the Coast Guard). The Republic of Korea spends $9.9 billion on its military and defense. Much of the defense of the Republic of Korea depends on the United States’ forces based within and around it. There are 32,000 United States Army Personnel in the Republic of Korea, 12,000 Air Force Personnel, Navy and Marine Corps Personnel consist of about 500 officers and enlisted personnel who occupy vital staff and liaison positions in the Republic of Korea–United States Combined Forces Command (CFC).
By 1990 South Korean companies had army contracts to produce tanks, self-propelled and towed field guns, two types of armored vehicles, and two types of helicopters; this opened the way for much military vehicle construction. The US delivered 12 FA-18’s to the South Korean Air Force in 1993; and assisted in the later production of 108 aircraft in the Republic of Korea. Also, the US Air Force contracted with Korean Air for the maintenance of its F-4, F-15, A-10, and C-130 aircraft based in the Republic of Korea. In 1990, South Korean shipbuilders were building two indigenously designed naval vessels, with strong financial and technical aid from the US. Three 150-ton submarines designed by the Howaldswerke Shipbuilding Corporation of Germany were in service with the navy in 1990. Howaldswerke also planned to provide technical assistance for the construction of three Type-209 submarines, about 1,400 tons each. Military planners of the Republic of Korea were interested in using submarines to protect critical shipping lanes from North Korean submarines in wartime.
The Republic of Korea would be able to withstand a foreign invasion from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Republic receives much financial and military aid from the US, and it has undergone huge military development prior to the army contracts of 1990. DPR Korea may be receiving some military backup, but not as much as the Republic of Korea; this keeps DPR Korea’s chances of a successful invasion at a reasonably low scale.
Geography:
The Republic of Korea, due to its strategically high geographical location, fears an invasion from its only land neighbor, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Republic of Korea is located in Eastern Asia, it is the Southern half of the Korean Peninsula, which borders the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea; the coastline of the Republic of Korea is 2,413 km long, and its coastal plains are wide in the West and the South. The Republic’s only land boundary is with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), and this boundary is 238 km long. The climate in the Republic of Korea is calm and moderate, it goes from cold dry winters to hot summers with heavy rainfall brought on by the monsoon. The terrain in the Republic of Korea is mostly hilly and mountainous. The Republic’s lowest point is the Sea of Japan, (0 m), and its highest point is Halla-san, (1,950 m/6,398 ft), which is an extinct volcano on Cheju island.
Views on World Problems:
The Republic of Korea’s main ally is the United States, and its main enemy used to be the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea). The Republic of Korea is a member of the United Nations and APEC. The Republic of Korea is a strong supporter and ally of the United States of America; this is mainly due to the US’s defense of the Republic of Korea.
The Republic’s main international dispute is that of the demarcation line with DPR Korea, making it the Republic’s most popular enemy for over fifty years. Despite that, several good signs regarding the relations between the two countries have been initiated by the North-South Korean Summit that started on June 13th, 2000 and continued for three days. The presidents of the two Koreas came to several agreements regarding such issues as refugees, reuniting families, and releasing POWs. The strongest gesture yet by both Koreas is the act of reopening border liaison offices and reconnecting a railway linking the capitals of the two Koreas; this gesture confirms the hopes of both Koreas for eventual reunification of the Korean peninsula. But the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, and other anti-US countries are still basically lined up against the Republic of Korea.
The Republic of Korea is not engaged in any other major disputes, it maintains good relationships with most remaining world counties. One of the less major, but still significant, international disputes of the Republic of Korea is that of the Liancourt Rocks, (Takeshima/Tokdo), which are claimed by Japan; yet this has not affected the improving relationships with Japan. The Republic of Korea is on good terms and enjoys great economic relationships with the European Union (EU).
Economy:
The economy of the Republic of Korea depends on five key elements: manufacturing; agriculture; fishing, lumbering, and mining; transportation; and trade. Manufactured industries of the Republic of Korea include electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, and food processing. The Republic’s key trading partners are the United States, Japan, and the European Union (EU). The Republic of Korea exports $133 billion worth of electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, textiles, clothing, footwear, and fish. The US imports 17% of the Republic’s exports, the EU imports 13%, and Japan imports 12%. The Republic of Korea imports $94 billion worth of machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, and grains. 22% of the Republic’s imports are from the US, 21% from Japan, and 13% from the EU. According to a 1998 estimate, the Republic of Korea carries a $154 billion burden of external debt on its back. The currency of the Republic of Korea is the South Korean won (W); theoretically, a South Korean won is equivalent to 100 Chun.
The Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 exposed certain longstanding weaknesses in the Republic’s development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. By the end of 1998 it had recovered financial stability, rebuilding foreign exchange reserves to record levels by running a current account surplus of $40 billion. As of December 1998, the first indefinite signs of a rebound in the economy emerged, and most forecasters expect GDP growth to turn positive at least in the second half of 1999. Seoul has also made a positive start on a program to get the Republic’s largest business groups to swap companies to promote specialization, and the administration has directed many of the mid-sized corporations into debt-workout programs with creditor banks. Challenges for the future include cutting redundant staff, which reaches 20-30% at most firms and maintaining the forward momentum for structural reform.
History:
In 1910, Korea was victimized by a harsh Japanese colonial rule. The Korean peninsula was divided into Soviet (North) and US (South) zones of occupation after the decolonization of Korea from Japan prior to Japan’s loss in World War II. The Republic of Korea was established in 1948 in the Southern US zone of the Korean peninsula. The Korean War (1950-53) was initiated by the surprise invasion of the Southern Korean Republic by the Communist North. The war cost a million lives and led to the stalemated division of Korea. Large amounts of economic aid from the US and other nations caused an astonishing economic transformation in the Republic of Korea over the period of time from the early 1960’s to the mid 1980’s, (by which time it became one of the world’s chief exporters of manufactured goods).
The Republic of Korea has experienced long periods of authoritarian rule, strongly implemented by President Syngman Rhee and President Park Chung Hee. The election of ex-General Roh Tae Woo in 1987 introduced a more open regime. The success of the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988 won the reputation of the Republic of Korea much prestige. DPR Korea has further isolated itself from the Republic of Korea and many other world nations by establishing trading and diplomatic contacts with China and former Communist countries. The Republic of Korea, at this present time, seems to have fulfilled the "open" regime of ex-General Roh Tae Woo. This is especially clear in the South Korean President’s act of visiting the North Korean President in June 2000 for what is to be known in history as the first "Summit" between the two Koreas since the Korean War approximately fifty years ago. The free presidential election reestablished the Republic of Korea as a democracy. The country’s democracy is evident in the act of electing presidents, electing members of the National Assembly, and the cease of the authoritarian rule that was implemented by past South Korean presidents.
Policy Statements
Delegation: The Republic of Korea
Committee: The General Assembly
Delegate: Mohammed Fakhral-Deen
ISSUE #1: The Question of the Role of the UN Regarding Intervention in a State or a Region for Humanitarian Purposes
The Republic of Korea believes that a country has the right of calling upon the UN for assistance and aid in emergencies and natural disasters. The Republic of Korea does not consider this intervention a violation of the subject nation’s national sovereignty, for it would either be in reply to requests from the subject nation, or if the UN sees it necessary. The UN should consider using local products and capabilities for faster and more efficient operations, and it would also consider the help of possible present military that is already within the borders of the subject nation at the time of the crisis/emergency. The Republic of Korea stresses that any nation with the least sense of humanity and any nation that really cares about its people would allow the United Nations to aid in a situation that wouldn’t be under the control of the subject nation.
Delegation: The Republic of Korea
Committee: The General Assembly
Delegate: Mohammed Fakhral-Deen
ISSUE #2: The Question of Developing an International Legal Code to Deal With Criminal Activity on the Internet (World Wide Web) such as Hacking, Pornography, Viruses, etc…
The Republic of Korea feels that any person using the Internet for web design and other such advertising purposes should have an international license to use the Internet for such means. The Republic of Korea realizes that, at this point in time, any person anywhere in the world that has access to the internet can use it for any reason whatsoever. The Republic thinks that this is too much freedom, especially since it is impossible to monitor all computers with internet access in the world. The Republic of Korea believes that the best solution to this problem would be to create what would be called an International Internet License (IIL). An internet tutoring program would be designed by top computer companies in the world, (such as Microsoft, Compaq, Dell, etc…), this program would be taught in universities all over the world in the form of a two to three month summer seminar, or even possibly as a course in high schools and colleges all over the world.
As for the two biggest criminal activities that the World Wide Web suffers from, the Republic of Korea thinks that harsh prison sentences should be imposed on hackers and users who initiate viruses on other computers. The Republic feels that such abuse of the internet holds extremely harmful effect on important world banks, industries, companies, and most businesses all over the world, since the web is a huge marketing element in the modernity of this world. As for pornography, the Republic of Korea feels that the best way to fight this disease from spreading is through advertisement on the web itself. Pornography may seem to parallel freedom of the press and freedom of speech, which is implemented in many world countries; however, the Republic does not think so. The Republic feels that pornography is an abuser of the Internet as a vital educational resource; for pornography has dire effects on the national cultures of many nations, that is why it is one of the main reasons many countries fear the Internet and ban it from entering their societies.
Delegation: The Republic of Korea
Committee: The General Assembly
Delegate: Mohammed Fakhral-Deen
ISSUE #3: The Question of the Admittance of Palestine into the United Nations as a Full Voting Member
The Republic of Korea believes that peace in the Middle East is a major aim of many world countries. The Republic of Korea believes it necessary for both Palestine and Israel to cooperate in reaching the ultimate goal of Middle Eastern peace. The Republic further encourages all countries supporting peace talks and hosting them, such the United States; for it feels that gratitude and congratulations to these countries is the key to their continued efforts. South Korea feels that all world countries should back the process of peacemaking and peacekeeping in the Middle East.
Resolution
Delegation: The Republic of Korea
Committee: The General Assembly
Delegate: Mohammed Fakhral-Deen
ISSUE #1: The Question of the Role of the UN Regarding Intervention in a State or a Region for Humanitarian Purposes
Reminds
that, according to Kofi Annan -the Secretary General of the United Nations- the first United Nations peacekeeping operation was "an attempt to confront and defeat the worst in man with the best in man: to counter violence with tolerance, might with moderation, and war with peace. Since then, day after day, year after year, UN peacekeepers have been meeting the threat and reality of conflict, without losing faith, without giving in, without giving up";Fully Believing that a sovereign nation has the right of calling upon the UN for aid and help in emergencies and natural disasters;
Noting that the UN has employed troops in past international situations and crises, meaning that it is not against UN regulations to do so;
Acknowledging the UN’s intervention and efforts in all of the following situations:
a) 1950-53: first armed intervention by an international peacekeeping body, (the UN in the Korean War),
b) 1960-64: UN troops helped to maintain order in the Republic of the Congo,
c) 1964 & 1967: UN peacekeeping force arrived in Cyprus and helped avert a threatened Greek-Turkish war,
d) 1967: UN Emergency Force withdrew from the Egyptian-Israeli border at the request of Egypt; a six-day war followed, it ended after a UN truce was accepted,
e) 1992: a UN peacekeeping force was sent to Yugoslavia after the country’s disintegration, as the fighting continued, Yugoslavia’s membership in the UN was suspended,
f) 1998: UN sent peacekeeping force to East Timor, a state torn between independence and becoming Indonesian territory;
Draws Attention to Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which implies that the UN Security Council may take measures to deal with threats to peace, breaches of the peace and acts of aggression, even if it means resulting to the use of force;
1. Drawing attention to the fact that no major world war has occurred since the formation of the United Nations in 1945;
2. Strongly Affirms that the UN, as an international mediating body of the world, has the capabilities of aiding states and regions that require immediate support and relief;
3. Identifying the prerequisites for the success of UN intervention and peacekeeping missions/operations:
a) a genuine desire on the part of the warring parties to solve their differences peacefully,
b) a clear mandate,
c) strong political support by the international community, and
d) the provision of the resources necessary to achieve the operation’s objectives;
4. Outlining the members, provisions, and requirements of a basic UN mission:
a) a Force Commander assigned by the Secretary General of the UN,
b) troops, civilian police, and other personnel contributed by Member States upon the request of the Secretary General,
c) supplies, equipment, transportation and logistical support secured from
Member States or from private contractors,
d) civilian support staff include personnel assigned from within the UN
system, loaned by Member States and individuals recruited internationally or locally to fill specific jobs;
5. Establishing a special committee called the United Nations Committee for Directing and Instructing Intervention Operations (UNCDIIO), and this committee – in all UN intervention operations – will be in charge of:
a) preventive deployment,
b) temporary administration or governance of a post-conflict region until the situation calms down, (to be decided by UNCDIIO officials),
c) protection of humanitarian assistance deliveries, which includes the protection of:
i) charitable/humanitarian aid material/substances:
ii) humanitarian support officials and personnel, and
d) helping in and contributing to the creation and maintenance of stable and secure environments for ongoing efforts to consolidate and strengthen the peace during a period or periods of conflict;
6. Further Outlining the members of UNCDIIO:
a) A UNCDIIO Chair: to be assigned the position by the Secretary General of the United Nations, one chair lasts for a maximum of three years and a minimum of one year; this, also, is to be determined by the Secretary General,
b) Two Deputy Chairs: (appointed by the UNCDIIO Chair to serve a one-year term), for each of two committees:
i) Committee #1: which will be in charge of intervention in a region due to natural disasters so as to control such factors as famine by equal distribution of food and (temporary) shelter, so as to give the people a chance to rebuild their environments while still leading working lives,
ii) Committee #2: which will be in charge of intervention for political reasons of:
- war or any other form of armed conflict: to stabilize the security of the region, even if it meant by the use of force, (see operative clause number eight),
- an unjust political regime: to maintain peace between rebels and military working for the head of the regime,
- an invasion on the state/region: in which case much more military assistance (troops, vehicles, high-tech military facilities, etc..) is required and would be obtained from Member States that choose to provide them,
c) Ten Judges: political scholars that would be appointed by both the Secretary General and the UNCDIIO Chair as judges, they have the responsibility of deciding the need to intervene and for how long and the required assistance. Each of ten judges from different Security Council countries, (five from permanent members and five from non-permanent members), would serve four-year terms,
d) Twenty-four Members: per committee, also political science scholars to be selected from different regions of the world to maintain an equilibrium of different political points of view, they are to serve two-year terms each, and would be selected by the deputy chair of their committee;
7. Strongly Emphasizes that the UN should only intervene in a state or region:
a) in reply to requests from the subject state/region, or
b) if the UNCDIIO, (by a majority vote), sees it necessary that it supports a nation in conditions illustrating:
i) the incapability of the country to support itself,
ii) an overpowering invasion of the country,
iii) an unjustified and unjust ruling regime,
iv) riots and havoc that are not under the control of the country,
v) disastrous aftermath of natural disasters,
vi) war or armed conflict, and
vii) famine;
8. Reminds member nations that, on several occasions, the Security Council authorized Member States to use all necessary means - including force - to achieve a stated objective; and that the consent of the parties is not necessarily required;
9. Has Resolved that the United Nations is strong enough as an international rescue body and firm enough as an international mediating body to have the right to intervene in a state or region;
10. Further Urges the UN to consider utilizing the following for further aid:
a) local products and internal capabilities, including:
i) domestic farming crops and stored food rations,
ii) aid and help from national:
b) the help and aid of present military allies that are already within the borders of the subject nation at the time of the emergency/crisis;
11. Notes that the UN can intervene in a state or region via:
a) peacekeeping forces: composed of national missions of troops, deployed to carry out tasks similar to those of military observers and, often, to act as a buffer between hostile parties,
b) military observer missions: composed of relatively small numbers of unarmed officers, charged with such tasks as monitoring ceasefires, verifying troop withdrawals, or patrolling borders or demilitarized zones, or
c) complex operations: composed of military, civilian police and other civilian personnel mandated to help create political institutions and broaden their base, working alongside governments, non-governmental organizations and local citizens’ groups to provide emergency relief, demobilize former fighters and reintegrate them into society, clear mines, organize and conduct elections and promote sustainable development practices;
12. Suggests that the Secretary General makes recommendations on how UN operations are to be launched and carried out, and reports on the progress of operations be sent to the Secretary General and to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) on a daily basis so as to keep the UN up-to-date on UN operations world-wide.
13. Further Reminds that the DPKO is responsible for day-to-day executive direction, management and logistical support of UN international operations;
Opening Speech
Delegation: The Republic of Korea
Committee: The General Assembly
Delegate: Mohammed Fakhral-Deen
Honorable Chair, distinguished delegates, most helpful administrative staff,
As the shadows of the dawning sun of the upcoming new millennium engulf us, the Republic of Korea cannot see darkness. For these shadows are of great importance to the initiative of the hope for world peace from the beginning of the new millennium.
My fellow delegates, the Republic is very blissful to remind everyone of the great success of the North-South Korean summit that started on July the 13th of this summer 2000 and continued for three days. The summit took place in Pyongyang, the capital of our kinsmen, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The strongest gesture by both Presidents is the act of reopening border liaison offices and reconnecting a railway line linking the capitals of the two Koreas; this gesture confirms the hopes of both Koreas for eventual reunification of the Korean peninsula.
The Republic can only hope for equal, even greater, success of the sessions of this conference. Thank You.