Fueled by nationalist fervor, Koreans have considered it a top priority to resolve the issue of national unification. However, looking at the unification of Germany, we should consider if South Korea and North Korea belong to the same nation, something Koreans have never doubted. It is true that people currently living in South Korea and North Korea were part of the same nation during the reign of the Unified Silla Dynasty (668-935) and have a shared history and experience. However, it is about time that we seriously pondered the different historical paths that South Korea and North Korea have taken since Korea split into two nations.
Although many may speak of the differences between South Korea and North Korea, we have yet to genuinely consider the impact they will have on unification. Korean society always considers it taboo to discuss any topic that may obstruct the eventual unification of the two Koreas.
Former German chancellor Willy Brandt, who laid the foundation for German unification, once said that "things of the same nature will eventually get together." Nobody was suspicious of Brandt's remark when he first broached the idea. However, he ignored the fact that East Germany was typical of a socialist nation. He believed that the ties between German compatriots were far stronger than the effects of political systems or ideologies. In the same way, many West German politicians slipped into the delusion that the East Germans were their fellow countrymen, and as long as East Germany could follow in the footsteps of West Germany it would transform itself into another West Germany. We now realize that this line of thinking was wrong and that it is absurd to place the idea of similarities between compatriots above the influence of national systems and ideologies.
Similarly, according to South Korea, once unification is achieved on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea will also achieve an economic miracle, as South Korea did. This mistaken view will certainly take us nowhere.
The North Koreans remain locked in the idea that society or the nation must bear the burden of failure, a belief which is reflected in the failure of the policy on North Korean refugees. Not only that, North Koreans' image of their society is virtually identical.
Germany's policy of national assimilation failed because it ignored the effects of socialism on human nature. No matter how grand the policy, how much special consideration was given or how much money was spent, socialism's effect in molding human nature meant that Germany's plans for assimilation came to nothing. This same problem is the biggest obstacle to the unification of the two Koreas.
The article is an extract from the recently published book South Korea and North Korea, United We Fall by Park Seong-cho and the Unification Policy Research Team of Seoul National University.
TRANSLATED BY DANIEL CHENG
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.