Brothers at War

Brothers at War by Sheila Miyoshi Jager

Although I love history, I don’t really pay too much attention to current events. I guess I mistrust the news media too much.  The country of North Korea never seemed to be a major player in my head until President George W. Bush, in a State of the Union address shortly after 9/11, stated that the country, along with Iran and Iraq, was part of the “Axis of Evil”.  

Is the country that bad? I know they are a communist country that the United Nations fought in a war a half-century ago, but I didn’t really know too much about the history before then.  Nor am I aware of many of the current affairs of the country since 1953. Sheila Miyoshi Jager does a brilliant job giving her readers a brief (600 pages) history of North and South Korea, beginning around 1910, when the two countries were united, but subjugated by their bully neighbor, Japan.

Being geographically smack-dab in the middle of aggressive neighbors Japan, China, and Russia can only hurt such a country, and history tells us Korea has been mauled over for millennia by neighboring aggressors. So what to do with the country after World War II ends?  From a U.S. perspective, Japan are now the ‘good’ guys and Russia are now the ‘bad’ guys.  Russia wants it.  The U.S. says no way, and the country is basically split in two.

In June 1950, the Korean War, or ‘Police Action’ begins. About half of this book is devoted to 1950-1953. It’s not an exhaustive account of the war, yet Jager tells us all we really need to know.  Yes, North Korea under Kim Il-sung is a brutal place and he is a ruthless dictator, but many in the South ain’t exactly saints either.  Such is the psychology of the masses that have lived in turmoil for so many centuries.

My favorite part of the book is the second-half, that deals with the two countries at the end of the conflict through present day (2014).  I think this is because I considered myself well-versed on the Korean War, so most of what I read was familiar. It was what has happened since then that was an interesting learning experience for me.

In fact, I really wanted more. That’s always a compliment to a book when it’s 600 pages in length and you feel it’s not enough.  Again, though, Jager knows how to summarize well and keep her readers interested.  It’s fascinating to find out that nothing is ever as simple as it should be.  We see many instances of neighboring countries switching alliance from North to South and vice-versa. Why? Because all countries are basically selfish and look out for themselves before anyone else.  Example: When Mao took over China and turned it into a communist nation, it might seem obvious that he would ally with fellow tyrant Joseph Stalin.  Together, they could rule the world. Right?  Well, no.  Evil dictators are incredibly arrogant people, and the concept of ‘working together’ just isn’t appealing to such despots.   So North Korea finds itself bouncing around from communist-country to communist-country in terms of alliance.

Although this book is about both countries, the focus seems to be more on the northern neighbor. I’m guessing because it makes more interesting (yet horribly depressing) reading.  I can’t imagine even the most curious person every wanting to visit such a place.  The Kim dynasty (Il-sung was succeeded by son Kim Jong-il, then by grandson Kim Jong-un) are truly evil oppressors that ooze terror and malevolence. The worse things get in the country, the more temper-tantrums they throw, resulting in mass killings, starvation, and colossal concentration camps throughout the country. It’s a sad sad tale.

Of course, as I write this review, the country’s turbulent activities continue. What will happen in the future? Sometimes, the thought truly horrifies me.  Maybe that’s why I don’t watch the news much. Very interesting, yet incredibly depressing.