Geography Essay Sample: The Korean Peninsula

The Korean Peninsula Lies in East Asia. It extends for about 1,100 Kilometers southwards from Continental Asia right into the Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by East Sea to the east and the yellow sea to the west. The location of the Peninsula gives it importance in international politics (Bae et al., 8-13). The Korean Peninsula serves as a base for nuclear weapons testing, and this affects and influences its security and stability. Great superpowers that are China, Russia, Japan, and the USA have competed and had interests on the Peninsula. The current polarization and turmoil in the country are threatening to disturb the stability on the Korean Peninsula which has been in existence for many decades (Lee, 1-13).

The future of the Korean Peninsula remains uncertain to some extent. A sense of insecurity is creeping in on the Korean Peninsula as if the Ceasefire treaties were about to be broken. Recently, North Korea fired projectiles into the Japanese sea and near the Chinese border (Lee, 1-13). It gives three options for the future of the Korean Peninsula. The first scenario is the maintenance of the status quo whereby both Koreas remain separate. The second outcome would be where both Koreas unite to become one. Thirdly, to denuclearize the peninsula (Bae et al., 8-13).

A reunited Korea will have a significant influence on the geopolitics of Northeast Asia and also the world of geopolitics as a whole. It will also expand its space on the geographical map as well as increase its nuclear strength and capacity (Bae et al., 8-13). It will facilitate common structures to come into existence which may, in turn, bring countries like South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan into becoming nuclear powers. Further, a unified Korea will bring about the repositioning of Egypt, and the ever stronger geopolitical position of Brazil will, in turn, bring about the redistribution of geopolitical power worldwide (Lee, 1-13).Neither China, Russia or the United States are in favor of the Union since it will strengthen the nuclear strength of Russia thus expanding its geographical territory. The superpowers want the Korean Nations to maintain the status quo (Bae et al., 8-13)

Denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula might be an option if it has to retain its earthly existence. The United States is calling for this move and also free access to its markets (Bae et al., 8-13). If the United States considers North Korea's nuclear prowess as a threat to its stability or develops further, other superpowers like Russia and China might join forces and destroy the nation on the Korean Peninsula thus wiping it off from the geographical map. The superpowers would subsequently take control over Korea's nuclear capabilities (Lee, 1-13).

All in all, The Korean Peninsula serves as a base for nuclear weapons testing, and this affects and influences its security and stability. Great superpowers that are China, Russia, Japan, and the USA have competed and had interests on the Peninsula. The future geographical developments of the Korean Peninsula remains uncertain to some extent. It broadly lies on the above-discussed points, a unified Korea or a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. There are many stakeholders in this decisions, the Korean Nations as well as the superpowers with vested interests (Bae et al., 8-13). Both solutions may bring about geographical developments or vice versa. A unified Korea most definitely increases its nuclear strength, but it will agitate the other nations to join forces and fight back, subsequently threatening the geographical developments of the Korean Peninsula.

Works cited

Bae, Chang-Hee C, and Harry W. Richardson. Regional and Urban Policy and Planning on the Korean Peninsula. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Pub, 2011. Internet resource. 8-13

Lee, Hoi-Chang. The Future of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asian Security. Stanford, Calif: Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University, 2005. Internet resource. 1-10