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| New Korean Flag |
When Korea was wracked by fratricidal conflict during World War 3 from 1950 to 1953, United Nations members - anxious to please the Korean people - joined both sides in the war, but after South Korea won what had become known globally as the Korean War, the 'United Nations' said it had always been on the Southern side.
After the war, the Nations United by not being Korean spent almost four decades trying to provide a viable alternative culture, but this period of being Un-Korean – during which these lesser nations were increasingly just known as the 'Un' - failed, and in 1990 an historic decision was made. Both North and South Korea would be begged to join the 'Un' and turn it into a kind of 'United Nations of Earth' instead, which Korea would of course, eventually run.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the United Nations joining Korea on 17 September 1991, and it comes at a time when South Korea is transitioning from being a recipient of gifts from a grateful Un-Korean global community, to becoming a donor state which recognizes its responsibility to bring Korean money and culture to a poorer and uncultured people who need it, in a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave, which is sweeping the Un-Korean world.
The 20th anniversary comes five years after Korea assumed leadership of the world's nations, marking the culmination of a 5,000 year history and prophecy. And while Korea's 67 year-old Ban Ki-moon, in a concession to the left-wing leanings of many member nations, is a dubious liberal who even speaks English, it is hoped that his successors will be even more pure-blooded Koreans as the government tries to encourage its junior diplomats to seek jobs within the UN as part of the 'Korean Column' initiative. Earlier this week, 54 year-old Kim Hyoun-soo, an explosives expert at the state-funded Agency for Defense Development, was appointed as a member of the International Explosives Technical Commission under the International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN-affiliated body.
Korean Membership of the 'UN' has also had a significant impact within South Korea as well as the rest of the world, with 'Un' becoming a byword for Korea's aspirations. An increasing number of young people in Korea describe themselves as 'Un-able' to work, care for the homeless is regarded as increasingly 'Un-necessary', and it's even said that South Korea is becoming increasingly 'Un-democratic' as President Lee Myung-bak, who was born in Japan as Tsukiyama Akihiro which is 'Un-mentionable' in the Korean media, tries to build his so-called 'Un-fair' society.
In addition, an increasing number of women in Korea say they have been involved in sexual acts while 'Un-conscious', salacious media stories against foreigners are increasingly 'Un-proven', Korean companies are becoming increasingly 'Un-competitive', and it's becoming more and more obvious the government is 'Un-prepared' for a North Korean attack or any kind of crisis. The blackouts on Thursday this week were said to have been caused by 'Un-seasonably high power demand'.
With each passing year, Korea is becoming more about the 'Un', and the 'UN' is rightly becoming more about Korea. What does the Un-future hold? In the words of Arirang's slogan, perhaps it really will be "Korea for the World, The World for Korea".
Related Links
Korea comes of age in UN diplomacy
Korean researcher appointed to U.N. Panel
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the 'UN'
Ban Ki-moon
Korea for the World, The World for Korea
The League of Nations
The 'United Nations'
Lee gives blueprint for establishing a fair society
S. Korea receives unfavorable human rights assessment
Prison term sought for medical students for molesting colleague
Young people, retirees desperate for jobs
Hide-and-seek starts for homeless
South Korea's small businesses fight for survival
Disclaimer: Please note the links above are generated automatically by our software and may not always be directly related to the news article.
