Peace through neutrality: Unification through a non-aligned Korea



Opinion Peace through neutrality: Unification through a non-aligned Korea "Neutralization" of the peninsula could end the decades-long division of the peninsula Kwak Tae-Hwan October 4, 2016 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Eric Lafforgue Koreans wish to achieve Korean unification as a long-term goal, but many obstacles hinder the unification process: from hardline policies coming from Seoul and Pyongyang to the ebb and flow of international geopolitics. The ROK and the DPRK have insisted on their preferred unification formulae: Seoul cannot accept Pyongyang’s Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo (DFRK) formula, while Pyongyang cannot accept Seoul’s Korean National Community (KNC) formula. Koreans wish to achieve Korean unification as a long-term goal, but many obstacles hinder the unification process: from hardline policies coming from Seoul and Pyongyang to the ebb and flow of international geopolitics. The ROK and the DPRK have insisted on their preferred unification formulae: Seoul cannot accept Pyongyang’s Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo (DFRK) formula, while Pyongyang cannot accept Seoul’s Korean National Community (KNC) formula. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Opinion

Peace through neutrality: Unification through a non-aligned Korea

"Neutralization" of the peninsula could end the decades-long division of the peninsula

Kwak Tae-Hwan October 4, 2016

Peace through neutrality: Unification through a non-aligned Korea

Eric Lafforgue

Koreans wish to achieve Korean unification as a long-term goal, but many obstacles hinder the unification process: from hardline policies coming from Seoul and Pyongyang to the ebb and flow of international geopolitics.

The ROK and the DPRK have insisted on their preferred unification formulae: Seoul cannot accept Pyongyang’s Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo (DFRK) formula, while Pyongyang cannot accept Seoul’s Korean National Community (KNC) formula.

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About the Author

Kwak Tae-Hwan

Dr. Kwak Tae-Hwan, Professor Emeritus at Eastern Kentucky University, former President of KINU (Korea Institute for National Unification), Chair-Professor and former Director of IFES, Kyungnam University, is a specialist on Northeast Asian affairs, inter-Korean relations, and Korean peace and unification issues. He taught international relations for over thirty years at Eastern Kentucky University and Korean universities. Dr. Kwak is a recipient of Global Peace Foundation's 2012 Innovative Scholarship for Peace Award. He has worked for more than fifteen NGOs. He is now Chairman, Institute for Korean Peninsula Future Strategies. Chairman of the Korean Peninsula Unification Council through Neutralization, Executive Adviser of the Northeast Asian Community Studies Institute, and President of Korean Unification Strategies Research Council (LA, USA). Dr. Kwak is the author, editor, and co-editor of 31 books, including One Korea: Visions of Korean Unification (Routeledge, 2017), North Korea and Security Cooperation in Northeast Asia (Ashgate, 2014), etc. He has authored more than 250 scholarly articles and is a freelance writer for Korean daily newspapers, monthly magazines, and the Internet.

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