The Korean War, one of the most brutal scenes of the Cold War in East Asia, is certainly a historical turning point that determined the fate of South Korea. The Korean Peninsula, divided by the US’s imperialist intervention, continues to be one of the hot spots of geopolitical conflict potential in the Asia-Pacific to this day. While South Korea has positioned itself as one of the largest US military bases in the region, this has become the fundamental element determining the country’s foreign policy and security. In other words, we can say that the government, for which the US paid a “price,” has also surrendered its fate to the US and is paying this “price.”
The West’s ‘Model Democracy’ Tale
While the West frequently presents South Korea as “Asia’s model democracy,” history refutes this narrative. From its foundation until the late 1980s, the country was governed by military coups and one-man regimes. The constantly declared martial laws aimed to suppress social opposition. This oppressive administration, disguised as democracy, functioned as an apparatus protecting the US’s interests in Asia. The most useful rhetoric here was the political movements presented as “collaborators with the regime in the North.” Most importantly, the country became the toy of a US-backed “cult.”
Of course, the country also achieved significant economic development during this process. The most fundamental element here was the determination of the billions of dollars in financial, infrastructure, and human capital that went to this country, the US’s most important Asian stronghold against the Soviets, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the People’s Republic of China.
South Korea’s FETÖ: THE MOON SECT
The intense influence of Western missionaries on South Korean society profoundly changed the country’s cultural fabric. A significant portion of the South Korean people, who have been subjected to a great deal of Christianization in the last 70 years, have served the purposes of Western missionaries. In addition, the country’s political structure has been shaped under the influence of the perverse teachings of the Moon Sect (Unification Church). If we look at the history and purpose of this Christian sect:
Founded by priest Sun Myung Moon, who fled from North to South Korea in 1954, the sect aims to establish a theocratic government under Moon’s leadership and for everyone to speak Korean. Sun Myung Moon is a heretic who claimed to have had a mystical experience at a young age and reinterpreted the Bible after this experience. According to Moon, Jesus’ mission could not be completed, and he was “chosen” to complete it.
‘God’s Plan: USA’
Founder Sun Myung Moon is a figure who supports and operates in line with the anti-communist strategies of the USA during the Cold War. The sect defined communism as a “satanic ideology” and developed a discourse that legitimized the military and political interventions of the US in this context. Moon established close relations with conservative circles in the US and supported pro-Western policies with religious rhetoric. This was so much so that the sect founded the Washington Times newspaper in the US in 1982; this newspaper supported the foreign policy discourse of the Ronald Reagan administration and was an important tool in spreading its anti-communist strategy. Moon defended the US’s global interests and suppressed anti-Western criticism through this media.
The sect developed strong relations with conservative leaders in the US. Many high-level US politicians and Pentagon personnel attended Moon’s events, especially during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush periods. The speeches at the events organized by Moon were supported by rhetoric that the US was leading following “God’s plan.”
The sect was organized with a structure similar to FETÖ, supported by the CIA. “Thanks to” this CIA front cult, a widespread religious and political network was created in countries such as South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines to spread American policies under the guise of “preventing the spread of communism,” especially in Asia. This network functioned as part of the US’s “containment of China” strategy in the region. The cult played an active role in the process of integrating US corrupt cultural values into Asia. It carried the US’s “civilization” mission to Asia within a religious framework, especially through Christian missionary work.
Presidents and important political figures such as Park Chung-hee (1961–1979), Chun Doo-hwan (1980–1988), and Lee Myung-bak (2008–2013) were members of the Moon cult and became the driving force behind the cult’s organization within the state and the people. In addition, the mayors of many important cities, especially the capital Seoul, have come from the cult from the past to the present.
Political Turmoil During the YOON SUK-YEOL Period
Of course, there are also reasons for the recent developments in “internal dynamics.” The country is already famous for frequent political scandals, assassinations of heads of state, and corruption of politicians. President Yoon Suk-yeo and his wife also face accusations of corruption and stock market manipulation. The opposition, which holds the majority in the parliament, is holding the “investigation” stick against Yoon. However, Yoon tried to suppress the opposition and social resistance against him by declaring martial law on charges of “collaboration with communism and North Korea.” This martial law decision was openly supported by Taiwan’s separatist government, which is a clear indication of the US’s plans in the region. The martial law decision was lifted a few hours after it was declared. Of course, we cannot know how the negotiations took place between the President, the opposition, and the US.
NATO and Cyber Warfare Base
South Korea hosts Cyber Summits and exercises as the strategic partner of the US and NATO in the region. South Korea, which participated in the NATO-backed Locked Shields cyber defense exercise last spring, will host the NATO-backed Cyber Summit next year. According to some Chinese experts, South Korea can potentially be a base for US cyber-attacks against third parties.
If we briefly touch on the relationship between South Korea and Japan, another “traditional ally” of the US in the region, the “useful” country called Japan, South Korea’s history has been deeply wounded by Japan’s invasions and the anti-human practices called “comfort women” during World War II. The Comfort Women system refers to women forced into sexual slavery as part of the forced labor system established by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. This system was implemented in the Asia-Pacific region from the 1930s onwards by establishing brothels called “comfort stations” in war zones. According to UN reports, approximately 200,000 women, mostly from the Korean Peninsula, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and other occupied territories, were forcibly held in these so-called “stations” and raped by Japanese soldiers.
However, in the 21st century, South Korea and Japan came together as part of the US’s “encirclement of China” strategy. The two countries put past conflicts aside and became part of an alliance that served Washington’s plans.
This structure of South Korea constitutes a key example of the region’s future and its strategic position at the center of the US-China rivalry. These contradictions, which have deepened with the policies of Biden and the American deep state, make South Korea, in a sense, the most fragile fortress in Asia for the US.
Biden’s Strategy for Escalating Geopolitical Chaos
US President Joe Biden is pursuing a strategy that deepens geopolitical chaos on the verge of leaving office. Moves such as sending long-range missiles to Ukraine, the advancement of HTS in Syria, and the US’s decision to deploy three Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers to regions close to China in the Pacific in the last week reveal the global dimension of this policy. Biden’s steps aim to leave a legacy that imposes “forced interventions” on Trump. South Korea’s decision to impose martial law and the regional tensions can also be evaluated in this context.
Ironically, South Korea is one of China’s largest trading partners. Of course, this is an important component of China’s strategy to “make peace real” in the region. However, the US’s military and strategic pressures in the region force South Korea to trade with China at a high level while also being part of an anti-China bloc. These contradictions raise a fundamental question that will determine the future of the South Korean people: Will South Korea seek to somehow coexist peacefully with its neighbors, such as the DPRK, China, and Russia, or will it continue to be the “Ukraine of Asia” in line with the regional interests of the United States?
This article is retrieved from the Teori Journal
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