Article Link September 28th
A South Korean man was killed by North Korean border officials last month. South Korean president Moon Jae-in apologized, stating that his government did not do their duty to keep their citizen safe. The death caused outrage and tensions between the north and south. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un also apologized, saying that it was a an “unexpected, unfortunate incident.” Moon quoted that Kim’s return apology was an attempt to ease tensions at the border. South Korea offered a joint investigation with the north about the shooting. The man who was killed was an employee of the South Korean maritime agency. He was last seen on a fishing boat in the North Korean waters. While some of his colleagues believe he was trying to defect, his brother spoke against this theory.
This interaction between North and South Korea is not the first of harsh events. North and South Korea have a history of fighting, which is widely known. However, the fact that both sides apologized and agreed to do a joint investigation is good news for their relationship. Their relationship has slowly been improving in the past few years. Even though it is obviously not perfect, their relationship is better now rather then 50 years ago, after the Korean war. The lasting impact of this interaction could lead to a better relationship, especially when it comes to border protection. Maybe after this joint investigation, both sides will agree on an outcome that will change they way things work for better, smoother interactions that involve less violence and confusion.
Understanding the levels of analysis for this article is difficult. The regional level has to do with the conflicts between North and South Korea. This dates back to the Korean war, where the two sides were split. The state analysis level has to do with each sides internal conflicts. The south failed to keep their citizen from venturing into the northern waters. The north dealt with the situation in a harsh, unnecessary way. The individual analysis level deals with Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in’s apologies and interactions with each other.