Advertisement

Could Canada be involved in a new Korean war?

With the death of North Korea's Kim Jong-il, the international community appears to be waiting with bated breath, for the next chain of events.

Should the new regime led by Kim's son and anointed heir, Kim Jong-un collapse, or tensions increase with the South, Canada would be inclined to launch a military presence in the region.

According to a November 2010 Canadian Press article, Canada could be obligated to defend South Korea's interests because of a half-century-old United Nations military alliance.

Because Canada was one of the 16 combatants in the first Korean War nearly 60 years ago, it became part of an organization known as the United Nations Command — or UNC — following the 1953 armistice.

A briefing note prepared for defence minister Peter MacKay, which was obtained by The Canadian Press says the UNC could be used to generate an international fighting force if war erupts in the region.

Defence expert Christian Leuprecht says the possibility of instability and conflict in the Korean Peninsula is very real.

He told PostMedia News that it's widely believed that since Kim Jong-il suffered a stroke in 2008, North Korea's military council essentially has been running the country.

He said that potential friction between the junior Kim and military authorities could provide fuel for "future conflict."

"There's a serious generational gap between the senior military leadership — which is in their 70s and 80s — and (Kim)," he said of the man believed to be in his late 20s.

"They're not just going to transfer power to somebody 50 years younger than they are.

"I'm not sure Kim Jong-un would have the legitimacy that he would need and the credibility to institute reforms, even if he wanted to. If he tries to do it in an autocratic way (it would be) splitting the regime and causing only further instability."