Conclusion
|
"It is over--the bloodshed and the suffering of the fighting and the tears. It is finished--the hard-fought war that was not won but was not lost. It is ended--the mud and misery, the frustration and the pain." -New York Times, July 28, 1953 |
While
the armistice was both a success and a failure, it proved that diplomacy
between various nations was possible. It also solved the territorial debate
between the Koreas by setting a definite land border and a Demilitarized
Zone near the 38th Parallel. The armistice halted the violence between
multiple nations and diminished the threat of an escalation to a World War III without
officially ending the war; in principle the war continues today. It permitted
the newly formed UN to achieve multiple goals and enforce
international peace. However, the armistice set aside the longed-for
reunification of the Koreas. The armistice has also fostered continuing
belligerent political rhetoric in both countries.
Today
With fifty-seven years of no war but high tensions, it is apparent that the armistice was significant. With recent events in Korea, one can only hope that current tensions can be overcome. |
"Obama Denounces North Korea Artillery Attack"
Associated Press, Nov. 2010 |
"That this armistice will be the prelude to a lasting peace in Korea and to the reunion of that tortured country according to the desires of its people we can only hope. There is no certainty. But nothing can change the significance of June 26, 1950. It was on that date, for the first time in human history, that a group of nations organized with the fundamental purpose of maintaining peace and security authorized and ordered military action against the aggressor." -New York Times, July 28, 1953