Enzo de Sá Galvão Porto: The Korean War | Enzo de Sá Galvão Porto

Hi folks, my name is Enzo, I'm 11 years old, and today I would like to talk with you about a very current issue: war. Did you know that we are possibly facing a third world war? As this is a very extensive issue, I'd like to talk specifically about the Korean War and its impact on today's world. You must have already seen the following news in the media, on television, and in the newspapers. But to comprehend what they mean and what's happening now, we need to go back in time and understand a little history. It all started in 1910 when the Korean Peninsula was under the rule of the Japanese empire. Their rule was so intense that the Japanese prohibited the Koreans from speaking Korean or having Korean names - to kill the Korean culture and to impose the Japanese one. Following the Second World War, Japan lost its rule over the peninsula. However, the Soviet Union only agreed so it could have control over one part - the north. And the United States, for fear of losing the agreement, controlled the southern part. Then the Cold War began in 1947. Each country defended its part, and there were many invasions of enemy territory. Alternately, the South almost took over the North, and the North almost took over the South. Then China decided to intervene. When it started to launch its army, the two sides knew that they couldn't win. So, in 1953, they signed an armistice. Approximately 4 million people died, the majority of them civilians. An absurdity, right? With the end of the war, the two Koreas remained divided, and the geopolitical conflicts continued. Today North Korea is a communist regime, and South Korea has a capitalist system. And even with very different governments, the two Koreas had very similar economies until approximately the 1970s. But South Korea knew how to invest. It invested in development, technology, health, and education, so it started to grow, while North Korea stayed stationary. Let's talk a little about the difference between the two Koreas. Do you know what this is? It's a nighttime satellite photo to show you what I said before: South Korea is totally illuminated, showing high development, while North Korea has little illumination. Let's talk a little about the governments. Until now, North Korea has had only three leaders, while South Korea has had 12. This allows you to see dynasty versus democracy. Here you can see how North Korea has invested in its armaments. In total, it has 1.19 million active military personnel, while South Korea has 630,000. Here is some information I would like to share with you: Per year, North Korea earns US$ 952 million with exports in coal briquettes. Meanwhile, South Korea earns approximately US$ 63 billion - not millions, but billions of dollars - exporting circuit boards. Few highways in North Korea are paved. Can you imagine a country that's only focused on armaments and has very few paved highways? Another thing, even with similar genetics, North Koreans are shorter. And guys, seriously, how can anyone today live without a cellphone? Approximately 10 million people in North Korea have a cellphone. That sounds like a lot, doesn't it? But compared to the total population, it's very little. South Koreans live longer. They live, on average, 85 years, while North Koreans, 70 years. What can you accomplish with 15 more years of life? Now, let's think: Will all these threats and missiles launched by Kim Jong-un take him somewhere? In my opinion, this causes fear and terror in neighboring countries, like South Korea and Japan, and insecurity for everyone about a war that, for all we know, won't lead us anywhere. And you? What do you think about this? Because I can't do it alone. I need your help to alert the whole world that we and upcoming generations need a peaceful world without wars. Thank you for your attention. (Applause)