Korea’s Policy Towards DPRK Since Kim Dae-jung: Evolution And Evaluation

As one of the international hot issues, the Korean peninsula issue has attracted the attention of international scholars. As China is an important member of the northeast Asian region, the stability of the Korean peninsula relates to the national interests of China and the peace and stability in the Northeast Asia, and a stable and peaceful Korean peninsula will provide China with a good external development environment. Researches on the Korean peninsula issue are not only conductive to the national unity on the peninsula, but also have an important effect in maintaining the national security environment of China and promoting the harmonious development in the Northeast Asia and even the entire Asia-pacific region. The policy of the Korean government towards DPRK directly affects the development of north-south relations and the situation on the peninsula. Studies on the evolution of Korea’s policy towards DPRK and its gain and loss have important reference value for China to understand the foreign policies of the neighboring countries, promote the solution of the DPRK nuclear issue, adjust the foreign policy in the Northeast Asia, strengthen cooperation in the Northeast Asia region and build the Northeast Asian security mechanism.This paper mainly adopts the literature analysis method. Chapter I describes and interprets the policy of the four governments under Kim Dae-jung and Roh Mu-Hyun, Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye towards DPRK; Chapter II analyzes the reasons for evolution from international, domestic and individual levels; Chapter III investigates the effects and evaluation of policy towards DPRK in different periods. Through a overall grasp and understanding of the evolution of Korea’s policy towards DPRK from Kim Dae-jung to Park Geun-hye period, the following conclusion is drawn: in fact, Korea and DPRK never give up the idea of “absorbing unity” and both of them hope to realize the unification dominated by itself; the United States occupies the absolute initiative over the power structure on Korean peninsula; and “No war, no unification and peaceful coexistence” will be the long-term future of the Korean peninsula.