Dr. James Matray 
Faculty, CSU, Chico History Department 

Dr. Matray points out that the 2016 Presidential candidates said very little during their campaigns about U.S. foreign policy toward Korea, yet the United States has historically been very involved in policies that affect that country. In fact, he maintains that the U.S. has always been the country with the most influence on Korea. This started with the division of Korea into North and South in 1945, which was a U.S.proposal that was accepted by the Soviet Union. The South Korean government was created by the U.S. in 1948, and U.S. troops fought for over three years in the Korean War, 1950-1953. This influence continued with U.S. support of various dictators in the 1970s and 1980s. Through all of this, both the South Korean and North Korean governments still dream of reuniting the country. 

Recorded: September 6, 2016