S3: What factors made Korea vulnerable and appealing for military occupation? What geopolitical factors in the 20th century led Korea’s invasion and occupation in June 1950

As told in “This Kind Of War,” Fehrenbach mentions a variety of factors that essentially facilitated military occupation on the peninsula of Korea. One of which was Korea’s vulnerability. <span style=”mso-spacerun: yes;”> </span>Ever since Korea’s run in with the imposing nature of both China and Japan, the country had proved itself to be a weak, and ultimately an inferior, nation. It was deemed an independent state, yet it was not self-sustaining, nor could it defend itself from any exterior forces, thus making military occupation a seemingly simple task. One could compare Korea’s misfortune to Darwin’s natural selection theory to evolution, “survival of the fittest,” meaning only the strong survive. Unfortunately, at the time, Korea was far from strong, thus making it malleable to anyone who had the means to influence change.

Other factors that made Korea appealing for military occupation were natural resources, cheap labor and its geographical location, which facilitated the ability for trade. These factor were especially significant due to the economic crisis that was happening at the time- The Great Depression.
As for the geopolitical factors; to put in layman’s terms, the occupation of Korea in June 1950 was necessary in order to maintain power and influence on each respective side (ROK & NPKA). American Forces attempted to remain somewhat neutral for as long it could; however, antagonistic push from Russia forced our hand into conflict. U.S. occupation was more a reactive approach as a response to Russia’s communistic, proactivity.