korean unification studies

The South Korean Government South-North Korean Summit portal which has been set up is well worth a read. It contains an introduction to the Summit, unification policy documents, great images and interestingly enough, samples of coverage by foreign media on the Summit. Hopefully the entire resource will be archived given its importance in terms of both [...]

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There seems to be one possibility that has been overlooked by most analysts in the Syria-North Korea connection – the possibility that the ‘relevant materials’ taken by Israeli commandos before the facility was destroyed, were in fact North Korean engineers. Sure it’s pure speculation, but so is just about every other report on the Syria-North [...]

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After discussions with several North Korea specialists, I have come to agree with their conclusion that the current Six Party Talks are merely a diplomatic game from which North Korea will exact every possible concession, before closing up shop and heading home. Quite simply, the final goal of the Six Party Talks process, namely complete, verifiable, [...]

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Ironically, Roh Moo-Hyun has inherited his current capacity to negotiate with North Korea from Park Chung-Hee. Park, believed the key to unification of the nation was in building up the South to match and exceed the North. “In all fields of endeavour, political, economic, diplomatic, social and cultural, our achievements must be overwhelmingly superior to [...]

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Yonhap has reported on the possible schedule for the 2-4 October inter-Korean Summit. The schedule includes: 2 October morning, Roh to cross inter-Korean border, via western section DMZ 2 October day, Roh to be greeted by Kim Yong-Nam on outskirts of Pyongyang 2 October day, Roh to undertake talks with Kim Yong-Nam at Mansudae Assembly [...]

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Accomodation for the Second South-North Summit has been worked out according to the ROKG. At a press conference on 20 September it was stated that: President Roh Moo-hyun will stay at the Paekhwawon State Guest House. Paekhwawon, is an official state residence reserved for visiting heads of state and was used by Kim Dae-jung, during the first inter-Korean [...]

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Today, when one learns of secret contacts between North and South Korea the idea of illicit money springs to mind. How much money was promised to North Korea? Was the summit bought with tax payer’s money? But secret contacts have been part and parcel of North-South relations since day one. The July 4 South-North Joint Communiqué [...]

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One Free Korea has a must read interview with Andrei Lankov. Check it out!!! “Some people see all these exchanges as a “reward” to Pyongyang. But it is not [a] reward. The goals of these policies are, first, to shatter the foundation of dictatorship, and, second, to facilitate the evolution of the country after the [...]

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