NORTH KOREA'S ROCKET REVOLUTION

After the peninsula was divided by a long-term ceasefire, Pyongyang and Seoul raced to build weapons that could obliterate each other

- WORDS MIGUEL MIRANDA

A common misconception about the rivalry between the Koreas is that they were lavished with unquestionable support by their Cold War allies. The truth is far more complicated and the best example was a diplomatic crisis that swirled between Seoul and Washington, DC, in 1970. The Republic of Korea (ROK) was at loggerheads with the United States over the debacle in Vietnam and future military assistance. The underlying issue: modifying Nike Hercules surface-to-air missiles to make them into ballistic missiles for striking ground targets. The Americans had very strong misgivings and the CIA had unshakable suspicions about Seoul's enthusiasm for nuclear energy research.