김정은 시대 북한의 대외정책과남북 교회 교류 전망

Abstract

In Kim Jong-Un Era, the situation around the Korean Peninsula is rapidly changing due to the denuclearization issue. Depending on the future development of North Korea's denuclearization, it is possible to see the vitalization of South-North private exchanges and the active exchanges between South and North churches. The impetus for such rapid changes in the Korean Peninsula depends on the determination structure of foreign policies of North Korea. Therefore, the decision-making agent driving the changes of North Korean society would have a crucial influence on the South-North private exchanges and the exchanges between South and North churches. The foreign policies of North Korea are decided by four kinds of manpower structure such as the highest decision-maker, political leader class, policy leader class, and practical working class. The highest decision-maker calls Kim Jong-Un, and the political leader class includes the members of political bureau, vice-president, and the chairperson of supreme people's assembly, who exercise the influence to the decision of foreign policies. The South Korea's unification policies and private exchanges toward North Korea have been diversely changed in accordance with the political interest of each government. Through the 'Inter-Korean Basic Agreement' in December 1991, the policy frame of South-North relationship was established. The 6․15 Declaration in 2000 or the 10․4 Declaration in 2007 worked as the important transition point in South-North relation. Depending on the change in policies, the exchanges between South and North churches were more vitalized or backed away. Recently, the policy that crucially froze the South-North relation could be the 5․24 Action announced in 2010. This 5․24 Action became a huge obstacle element not only for the political relation between South and North, but also the exchange/cooperation between South and North churches. After Kim Jong-Un seized the power, the continuous missile and nuclear tests were led to the withdrawal of Kaesong Industrial Complex. The withdrawal of Kaesong Industrial Complex that played the role as a window for exchanges between South and North, meant the closure of the last window for South-North exchanges. The distant relation between South and North churches was led to the reduction of church's role as a bridgehead of unification, and Korean church only depended on informal exchanges. The 6th nuclear test of North Korea was another barrier to exchanges between South and North churches. Especially, because of the UN's sanctions against North Korea, South Korea had no other choices, but to participate in the international sanctions. In this reality, Korean church could not play a huge role as it was remained as a political dependent variable in the exchanges between South and North churches. Therefore, in this reality, the future exchanges between South and North churches have the limited structure depending on the direction of policy. Even though it is currently in the middle of dialogues for the denuclearization of North Korea, however, the exchanges between South and North churches could be still limited. Nevertheless, separately from the political resolution, Korean church should be continuously cooperating and exchanging with North Korean church for the role and responsibility of church. Just like the German church led the unification of Germany by sticking to the neutral position in politics and performing its role and responsibility, Korean church also needs to follow the steps of German church.