Korean Governments have suggested unification policies or devices for copying with the partition of the Korean Peninsula and performing unification. In process of taking unification policies, Korean governments have kept pace with changing domestic and international environment.
When South Korea's situation was disadvantageous, she assumed the defensive policies. On the other hand, when South Korea's situation was advantageous, she took the positive policies. Then, when South Korea's power was equal with North Korea's, South Korea's attitudes were competitive.
According to the passage mentioned above, South Korea's unification policy is similar to the history of power competition with North Korea.
By the way, most studies about unification in Korean Peninsula have focussed on either the factors or the actors of taking unification policies or devices. Especially, studying methods in government's formal unification policy have been the chronological and studies on the devices of political parties in South Korea have been focussed on the actors of the political process and platform.
Being concerned on unification environment, the unification problem related with domestic and international environmental factors was studied. Especially, studies on unification problems started in the international interaction briskly.
This tendency means the problem on the partition of Korean Peninsula cannot be solved peacefully between South Korea and North Korea because of intercooperation of interest relationship with four strong powersthe U. S. A., China, Russia and Japanaround Korean Peninsula. This thought reflects on the international circumstances which surround North ＆ South Koreas.
In the present time, the studies, which include the issues mentioned above, are very few. Because of the existence of the relation between the Cold War and Korean political system, it was difficult to study the unification policies widely in the past. For example, except for the government parties and conservative opponent parties, the progressive political parties and nongovernment political groups had the restriction in their unification discussions; the unification policies and devices must be able to preserve the legitimacy of Korean regime and sovereignty. This result is caused by Korean narrow political terrain. However, compared to the past, political terrain on unification discussion changed more broadly in 1980's. From Chun, Doohwan's government, South Korea developed the economic and social status more than North Korea. Therefore, South Korea government's attitude began to change compromisingly and comprehensively from competitively and hostilely as international circumstances had been changed.
Moreover, while new international orders were being built up with breakdown of socialism nations, South Korea drove the 'Northward Policy', and South Korea and North Korea agreed with 'SouthNorth Basic Consent'.
From Kim, Ilsung's death, South Korea has a difficulty in advancing the relationship with North Korea and North Korea makes efforts to convert good relationship with the U. S. A. for the strategy of her regime maintenance.
As the result, the advanced relationship between South and North Koreas and unification problems are inactive.
Therefore, the goal of this study is to analyze and find the characteristics of followingsthe contents of government's unification policy from Chun, Doohwan to Kim, DaeJung, political parties' unification devices and nongovernment political groups' discussions on the unification.
Thus, this study consists 6 parts where we can find the general introduction in chapter 1, consideration of the unification environment in chapter 2, analysis of unification policy of Korean governments from Chun, Doohwan to Kim, DaeJung in chapter 3, comparing with the characteristics in chapter 4, evaluation unification policy of Korean governments in chapter 5 and the conclusion in chapter 6.
To summarize,
① Unification policies and devices in Chun, Doohwan's government are meaningful for finding concreteness of coexistence.
② Rho, Taewoo's government had confidence about the unification policies and devices for two reasons. One is the breakdown of the socialism nations and the other is that Rho, Taewoo built the government by people's direct election. For the same reasons, Rho's government suggested the 'Korean National Coexistence Unification Device'.
③ In Kim, Youngsam's government, the basic philosophy of unification was based on the liberal democracy and the approached viewpoint of unification was set 'National Coexistence Unification Device' by 3 stages and 3 bases.
④ In Kim, Daejung's government, yet, the unification policy has not suggested concretely, but suggested the comprehensive policy toward North Korea known as the 'Sunshine Policy'. This reflects several reasons.
One is that pressure policy against North Korea was not efficient for setting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula in the past.
Another is that the conditions in the Korean Peninsula is not liable to perform unification now.. The other is that the military conflict risk must be removed and the peaceful coexistence must be completed.
Therefore, Kim's government announced the division policy between political and economic factors.
At the civilian level, the economic cooperation and the civilian interactions are fine. However, the North Korea's submarine intrusion, missile launch and doubtful underground facilities are obstacles to Kim, Daejung government's the 'Sunshine Policy'.
North Korea's submarine intrusion is natural for South Koreans to debate the efficacy of Kim, Daejung's North Korea Policy and 1,500 kilometers range missile launch is certain to disturb security and stability in the Korean Peninsula, as well as in the Northeast Asia.
Therefore, this becomes more questionable if the 'Sunshine Policy' is effective in dealing with North Korea.
Finally, the followings conclude the unification policy characteristics of Korean governments from Chun, Doohwan to Kim, Daejung.
① From Chun's government, the conception of Nation was an important subject. The systematic unification devices based on the conception of Nation, were announced. Those are 'National Harmony Democratic Unification Device'→'Korean Nation Coexistence Unification Device'→'Nation Coexistence Unification Device'→'Republic Federal Unification Device'.
② The gradual and stepbystep transitional systems are made during the progress of unification.
③ The basic viewpoint to North Korea has changed as South Korea's companion from the object of absorption.
④ The approaches to North Korea has functional and real direction based on economic and social condition from the political and military.
⑤ As the government has been changed, the internal institutional and legal equipment toward the relationship with North Korea has been also changed in the positive way.
Briefly concluding, we should concentrate on forming cooperative relation between the two countries where Koreans can have the initiative and lead the way to achieve our ultimate goal, unification on our own.
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