What’s the secret to a new Rinascimento of an old country with a so glorious past, but out of the major actors of the world for three century? This question is also the most important for Italy in the last thirty years disappearing from the stage spotlights. Very mysterious as the development key factors of a country, on which many economists formulated different hypothesis, is the decline phase. By the way Korea is geopolitically very similar to Italy, a crosspoint surrounded by big empires, with a turbulent history of fragmentation in three kingdoms and of foreign invasion from the mountains of the North and from the sea of the South, geographically a mountainous peninsula and culturally a bridge between Confucian China and Shintoist/relativist Japan.A very long history from prehistoric times (8000 a.c.) to the first emerging of three different kingdoms, around Christ period, until 1300 in a buddhist cultural environment and until the Mongol invasion. Then the maximum flourishing of literature and arts until the Japanese first invasion of 1600, with a large decadence and destruction. But the strong identity sense was continuing resisting to the two big powers pressing from North and South. The Chinese phase subsequent has a a Manciurian origin, an area previously Korean, another key geo-strategic area for its abundance of coal and raw materials, the core of the Japan -China war of 1933. Again independent kingdom (empire) in 1700 and 1800 until Japanese protectorate and final occupation of 1900.
Splitted in two parts after 1945, under Soviet Union and USA administration, like Germany,from 1948 was definitely organised on two States immediately in war from 1953. As any North, the North Korea was historically more developed than South and in USSR times industrially reinforced, through also the near China, and with the traditional ties with Manciuria. Pyongyang is by the way an historical site all along the Korea myths and traditions. But after the war conclusion with no substantial borders change of the two States, pushed from USA help, a Korea “miracle” started like in Italy, multiplying by thirty the South Korea GDP per capita and positioning Korea in our times as 15th country among the richest in the world, with a continuous growing of productivity due to high technology production mix and very high level of scholarity, rooted in a meritocratic culture and strong identity and competitive values, as the wonderful movies of Kim Ki Duk show. Around the nineties, with the sudden crash of URSS and the reunification of Germany of 1989, I had the opportunity to be in USA for working reason when a large South Korean government delegation came to Washington, to recommend USA to not push for a similar reunification process in Korea. They were terrified about the cost that would have been necessary to support from the South to keep on with a default economy like that of North Korea, destroyed after years of communism and dictatorship. So internationally a smooth approach has been decided, hoping in better times in the future for an unified Korea Rinascimento.
And now here we are: the impressive acceleration impressed by the large investments in atomic weapon and missile technology of the North dictator, in front of a trembling world looking astonished to another bad boy, not “politically correct”, gave to South very feeble and corrupted political class, similar to Italian “casta”, an enormous opportunity to rebuild a true Korea of 76 million people, positioning economically like an Asian Germany , but with atomic bomb to put on the powers table, entering in the real restricted club of world superpowers. And the meeting at the border started a process suggested by the Korean tradition, proudness and strong cultural identity which remain as historical background reemerging after ideologies death. It will be a long way to Tipperary, but based on evergreen geopolitical pressures and cultural strength, At least a vision, an objective of enormous advantage for the young generations. Europe has not a similar vision notwithstanding the dreams of France, the only remaining European with atomic weapon. Italy perhaps could be waked up through a splitting project, like Tchech Republic and Slovakia, a quiet process which enriched both the two. But this is another geopolitical discussion not “politically correct”, so we will continue our decline phase remembering only our past Rinascimento until someone will study it in our poor schools.
