Second Korean War

**Result** | Stalemate

* South Korea troops evacuate from North Korea
* *Status quo ante bellum*
 Cuba
 Around 2,500 North Korean civilians killed

The **Second Korean War** (1990-1991) was a war between North Korea (with the support of Cuba) and South Korea. The war began in 1990 when North Korea invaded South Korea in an attempt for unification.

After initial South Korean advances into North Korea, the war bogged down into a war of attrition, with both sides agreeing to extend the stalemate in 1990. The war is noted for the ineffectiveness of the North Korean army, and alleged war crimes committed by South Korean troops on North Korean civilians.

The war led to the fragmentation of North Korean politics, leading to the rise of alternate parties that challenged the Workers' Party of Korea's dictatorship.

## Prelude

North Korea and South Korea has been historically divided following the First Korean War (1950-3). Since then, both sides have been aspiring to reunite the peninsula through diplomacy or force. After the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) obtained total control of the Supreme People's Assembly in 1990, Chairwoman Nathaniel Patton proposed a war of unification with South Korea. After a 99-to-0 (1 abstaining) vote in the WPK-controlled Assembly, North Korea declared war on South Korea.

## War

Although the manpower of North Korea outnumbered the South Koreans 2-to-1, the North Korean army, the Korean People's Army (KPA), had little modern equipment. North Korea's sole ally in the League of Communist Nations, Cuba, sent military aid and a volunteer force to North Korea. However, the KPA was unable to cross the heavily fortified DMZ. Seizing on the North Korean's inability to penetrate their defenses, the South Korean army launched a counter-offensive that occupied much of the North Korean border area. When the war was concluded, the South Korean army held an estimate 5% of all of North Korea's land. South Korean troops thus occupied several North Korean towns and villages. The South Korean military administration saw many civilian deaths, leading to allegations of human rights abuse on South Korea's part.

As South Korean troops approached Pyongyang, WPK Chairwoman Patton was keen to negotiate peace. Defense Minister John Stone, on the other hand, had hoped to continue the war with more government funding. Patton opposed Stone's proposal, leading to fragmentation inside the WPK. In the end, Patton secured half of the Assembly's support in ending the war, with Stone abstaining from voting, thus ending the Second Korean War.

## Aftermath

North Korea lost 800 men while South Korea suffered a lost of 400 men. 2,500 North Korean civilians were thought to have been killed in the war. Many North Koreans were displaced, causing a refugee crisis.

In terms of politics, the war caused a deep split in North Korean politics. Both the jingoistic and pacifist factions saw the WPK's performance in the war as weak, and alternate parties including the pro-war Democratic Party, the liberal Progressive Party and the nationalist Party For Prosperity and Change were established. The Democratic Party challenged the WPK in the 1991 election and obtained a quarter of the seats, ending the WPK dictatorship in the Assembly.

## International Reaction

* Denouncing North Korean aggression:
	+ Singapore: Prime Minister C2 denounced the North Korean aggression, and claimed that the war "...will only further destabilize the region and lead to a much more dangerous situation." C2 also proposed a sanction against North Korea in the United Nations.
	+ France: President Charles de Gaulle expressed his support for South Korea by saying that they "hope South Korea ultimately defends her homeland against the inhumane and tyrannical actions of North Korea."
	+ UAE: Emir Phil Swift announced his support for South Korea in the war, and said that "we must remember that North Korea declared war on the south. With that being the case there is hell to pay for North Korea."
	+ Israel: Minister of Foreign Affairs Leona Shekelstein voted for a sanction against North Korea in the United Nations.
* Denouncing South Korea's alleged human rights abuse:
	+ Germany: Chancellor Karl Marx said that "even though South Korea may not be the aggressor, their brutal behaviour is abhorrent."
	+ Cuba: President Rusmod "condemns South Korea's brutal war crimes." Cuba also sent military aid and volunteer forces to North Korea.
* Expressing Concerns:
	+ Australia: Prime Minister George Stevens called for renewed negotiations, stating that "it is to our belief that negotiations are of immense significance at this time, to allow for the continued fostering of peace and cooperation among all nations, for the betterment of all."