korean unification studies

After a recent interview with an academic, I made some notes, which I leave for your perusal:

Regional powers have a very limited interest in the unification of the Korean peninsula. The key reason for this is that a unified Korean peninsula is a strategic uncertainty. The current strategic situation already has a higher level of strategic uncertainty than the preceding 50 years of ideological based enmity. This includes:

• A North Korea that requires more careful management to avoid both breakout (nuclear acquisition) and breakdown (implosion or collapse).
• A growing China that through economic attraction alone is disrupting existing relationships. As it begins to exert diplomatic and military power commensurate to its growth, will further disrupt existing relationships.
• A resurgent Japan that is increasingly uncertain of the emerging strategic situation. As it seeks to attain a more independent and capable role, commensurate to existing economic strength, diplomatic and military normalization is a natural and unavoidable consequence. This will further add to regional uncertainty.

A unified Korean peninsula adds to this uncertainty in several ways:

• Which way will a unified Korean peninsula lean? The Korean peninsula, as a dagger aimed at the Japanese archipelago and a bridge to the Manchurian heartland, is essential to the security of regional states.  Better that it is divided rather than unified and leaning in the wrong direction.
• How will a unified Korean peninsula deal with territorial disputes that it has with its neighbors? History demonstrates that nationalism in post-authoritarian states is often a problem. A unified peninsula may exhibit these tendencies.

For China and Japan in particular, a peninsula that continues to be divided along lines vaguely reminiscent of the Cold War reduces one aspect of uncertainty. Accordingly, there is no strategic rationale for support of Korean unification. I dont know, what do you reckon?