The current paradigm of Korea is its division into two separate self-governing states that are

locked in a century-old war – armed confrontation may have stopped with an armistice in 1953, but the
war has not been formally concluded. Korea’s situation has its parallelisms to the manipulation and
political maneuverings of world powers which led to the division of Vietnam in the 50s and Germany
post WW2 up until the cold war. Korea, in this context, has been carved up between the north and the
south delineated by the 38 parallel– with the north formerly backed by the USSR and currently by China
and the south currently and is still backed by the United States and its allies.

After being “freed” from occupation by Japan following its surrender, the Allied forces
“managed” Korea essentially dichotomizing the country between the Soviet-dominated occupation of
the northern region and the U.S-dominated occupation of the southern region. The initial goal of the
occupation was the typical narrative that the occupants of the country leave once stability has been
attained. However, the advent of the cold war instilled very opposite ideologies between the north and
the south as well as established conflicting allegiances with the powers that influenced them as they
were being occupied. Therefore, the two regions broke off into two separate countries: The Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) – the familiar terms
most people know of today. Despite the North’s new relationship forged with China and the South’s
constant relations with the U.S, the ideologies and policies left by the post WW2 paradigms, and the
lineages of leaders and their allegiances have cemented perceptions and preferences that are on the
opposite ends of the spectrum which is why the North and South are still engaged in conflict today.

Focusing on the Allied powers, U.S and USSR, the two powers are very much like Jack and Ralph
from the movie “The Lord of the Flies”. The two powers both had the same interests and objectives
during the second world war which was to drive back axis powers as with Ralph and Jack who both
wanted to survive and leave the island. The symbolism of Ralph’s adherence to respect of fellow man,
the fragile chain of command, the concept of the social contract contrasted with Jack’s despotic mob
rule-type of governance perfectly represents the great difference of the U.S and USSR’s ideals and
policies in influencing their respective parts of Korea.

Korea and its citizens, then, are represented by the rest of the children in the movie as they are
directly influenced by superior powers’ decisions and ultimately had to decide to whom they ally with.
The Koreans’ adherence to the powers that influenced them are a testament to that allegiance as it
manifests through their contemporary socio-economic and socio-political situations as well as their
maintenance or shifting of alliances with other nations.

Ji-Young, L. (2017, July 6). 4 Things to Know About North and South Korea. Retrieved from
https://theconversation.com/4-things-to-know-about-north-and-south-korea-80583

History. (n.d). Why are North and South Korea Divided? Retrieved from
https://www.history.com/news/north-south-korea-divided-reasons-facts#:~:text=Why%20Korea
%20was%20split%20at,Union%20and%20the%20United%20States.

Fields, D.P. (2019, May 31). How Korea Was Divided and Why the Aftershocks Still Haunt Us Today.
Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/05/31/how-korea-was-divided-why-
aftershocks-still-haunt-us-today/