Inside And Outside Factors Affecting South Korea Policy Research

This thesis is divided in to four sections:Section One: The background of chapter one content as well as the theoretical framework foranalysis in the report, and will also provide a brief introduction to primary research backgroundand goals to develop my thesis. Section one will, therefore, provide a point of reference andoverview of the theories and analytical framework used in the main body of the thesis.Since the division of the Korean Peninsula, the nature North-South relations have defined thecore issues in the region. Research into issues arising from the division must start by first gaining abasic insight into the current status of North-South relations as well as the design, implementationand results of unification policy on behalf of South Korea. Here, the nature and results of this policycan shed light on the status quo of North-South relations. This thesis will attempt to analyze thelogic behind and policy design of the unification policies implemented by the previousadministrations of South Korea, and will attempt to reveal the various factors that have influencedthe reasoning and methodology of those policies. If possible, the thesis will further discuss anypossible routes that can be followed in the development of the relationship between North and Southin order to provide examples and theoretical support to the South Korean administration’s designand implementation of future policies regarding the relationship between the north and south, aswell as to the peaceful development of the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia.The theoretical framework and analytical methodology for this thesis is based on the preceptthat, the North-South issue is essentially a conflict between two separate regimes comprised of aculturally homogenous population; and while the nature of North-South relations arises from andinfluences affairs within the two countries, it also has enormous implications for the surroundingcountries. This thesis will construct an analytical framework, which draws on theories ofnationalism and structural functionalism in international relations, neo-functionalism, andnon-balance of power theory to dissect internal and external factors that influence South Koreasunification policy directed at North Korea.Section Two: The beginnings of the North-South split and the commencement of hostilities,including background and trends of international influence on the conflict.Section two will start by introducing the background of North-South hostilities， focusing inpart on the impact of the post WWII alliances on the political arrangement of the peninsula as wellas the actions of the US-Soviet Joint Commission and the United Nations Korea RecoveryCommittee following the Korean War. This will allow us to gain a deeper understanding of thegenius of North-South hostilities, and how larger countries like the US and the Soviet Union, as wellas other external factors, helped shape relations on the peninsula. Section Three will investigate the domestic status of South Korea during direct confrontationwith North Korea, specifically focusing on internal development trends when Syngman Rhee andChang Myon were in office. During the Syngman Rhee administration, because of the nature ofinternalional relations during the Cold War, the Korean Penninsual baceame the site of a proxy warbetween communist and capitalist global powers, solidifying the hostile nature between the twocountires, and making direct dialouge between the two countries extremly difficult. Whereunification policy is concerned, Chang Myon insisted on unification through force, and was one ofthe main domestic political actors whose political stance and decisions lead to the Korean War. Latein the Syngman Rhee administraion, however, democratic refomrs led to an easing of the directconfrontation policy, which had previously defined Nort-South Relations.Section Three: Constitutes the core content of this thesis, including chapters four, five, six,seven, and eight. This section focuses on four periods following the Korean War,“the period ofrelaxed relations between North and South Korea,”“post cold war democratization,”“the newcentury,” and “the period of movement in North-South Relations” and their implications forNorth-South relations. Moreover, section three will analyze and comment on the formation andimplementation of unification policy over the last half century, covering the governments of ParkChung-hee, Doo hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Kim Young-sam, Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, and mostrecently, Lee Myung-bak as well as the reasoning behind and outcomes of those policies over thelast half century. The analysis and commentary here, will work to achive the primary goalmentioned at the beginning of this abstract, to “analyze the logic behind and design of theunification policies implemented by the previous administrations of South Korea…attempt toreveal the various factors that have influenced the reasoning and methodology of those policies. Ifpossible, the thesis will further discuss any possible routes that can be followed in the developmentof the relationship between North and South in order to provide examples and theoretical supportto the South Korean administration’s design and implementation of future policies regarding therelationship between the north and south, as well as to the peaceful development of the Koreanpeninsula and Northeast Asia.”I maintain that the unification policies during the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyunadministrations made tremendous contributions towards, in the words of Kin Dae Jung,“realunification.” Here, functionalist and neo-functionalist thoery formed the logical basis of unificationpolicy, and has determined the policy framework of effective unification policy toward North Korea.Chapter Seven,“South Korean Unification Policy Toward North Korea Case Studies: a comparativeanalysis of the ‘Sunshine Policy’ during Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations”,therefore, constitutes a primary focal point of this thesis. This chapter will conduct a policy comparison of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun unification policies on three levels:internationally, domestically and on the North-South bi-lateral level. Then after analysing of thesucesses and limitations of the unification policy during both administrations across the three levels,I will indetify both nessecary revisions to the policy and appropriate development trends therein.As an opposing response to the unifying the north policy of the Kim Dae-jung and RohMoo-hyun administrations, the "Nuclear Free·Open Door·3000" policy implemented by the LeeMyung-bak administration has not only failed to achive the goal of "Pressuring North Korea toGive Up Nuclear Weapons", but has further deteriorated the relationship between the north andsouth.Section Four: The conclusion,"Evaluation of South Korea’s Unification Policy Based on TheDevelopment of the North and South and Prospects for the Future", focuses on the unificationpolicy of the Park Geun-hye administration since her election in February of2013. This finalsection will attempt to forecast the content, measures and efficacy of the Park Geun-hyeadministration’s unification policy, and analyze the internal and external factors of the unificationpolicies of previous administrations of South Korea. If successful, this analysis will help forecastthe direction of the relationship between the north and south, as well as the subsequent status ofthe Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, as new unification policies are implemented.