North Korea’s South Korea Policy: An Evaluation of Determining Variables and Prospects for 2012
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The focus of this article is twofold. First, it will review the variables that have critically impacted North Korea and its policies toward South Korea during the terms in office of several former South Korean presidents. Second, it will make some predictions about North Korean policy for 2012 based on an analysis of the characteristics and background of North Korea’s stance toward South Korea during the Lee Myung-bak government. Simply put, the two Koreas both tend to take relatively hard-line policies when North Korean regime is unstable,whereas soft-line policies emerge when the regime stablizes. North Korea’s policy toward South Korea is largely determined by U.S.-related variables; it is also affected, however, by whether South Korea takes a soft or hard stance toward North Korea. The North tends to approache the South at times when Seoul seeks to engage Pyongyang and Washington takes a tough stance. When Washington shows flexibility, Pyongyang does not take the initiative in the inter-Korean relationship but focuses on its relationship with Washington. In sum, variables related to the two Koreas tend to determine the larger direction of North Korea’s South Korea policy, while U.S.-related variables have more specific impact on the forcefulness of North Korea’s approach to South Korea. North Korea has generally taken a hard-line policy during the Lee government, but it has frequently and erratically shifted its tactics between highly provocative, threatening moves and sporadic, poorly-executed attempts at dialogue. It seems that Seoul’s consistent stance toward Pyongyang and the weakening of the inter-Korean dialogue system have forced the reclusive regime to make such erratic tactical changes. It is highly likely that North Korea will continue its unfriendly South Korea policy such as inflicting tensions and provocative acts as usual in 2012. Given that there are a number of factors contributing to the North’s negative strategies toward South Korea, North Korea will need to build tensions for internal consolidation,closing the door on the South’s North Korea policy. With upcoming presidential elections both in South Korea and the U.S. overlapping for the first time in 20 years, North Korea will also exert its utmost efforts to foment negative public sentiment in the South toward the existing policy and to replace the Lee administration with new government which is friendly to the North.
Abstract
The focus of this article is twofold. First, it will review the variables that have critically impacted North Korea and its policies toward South Korea during the terms in office of several former South Korean presidents. Second, it will make some predictions about North Korean policy for 2012 based on an analysis of the characteristics and background of North Korea’s stance toward South Korea during the Lee Myung-bak government. Simply put, the two Koreas both tend to take relatively hard-line policies when North Korean regime is unstable,whereas soft-line policies emerge when the regime stablizes. North Korea’s policy toward South Korea is largely determined by U.S.-related variables; it is also affected, however, by whether South Korea takes a soft or hard stance toward North Korea. The North tends to approache the South at times when Seoul seeks to engage Pyongyang and Washington takes a tough stance. When Washington shows flexibility, Pyongyang does not take the initiative in the inter-Korean relationship but focuses on its relationship with Washington. In sum, variables related to the two Koreas tend to determine the larger direction of North Korea’s South Korea policy, while U.S.-related variables have more specific impact on the forcefulness of North Korea’s approach to South Korea. North Korea has generally taken a hard-line policy during the Lee government, but it has frequently and erratically shifted its tactics between highly provocative, threatening moves and sporadic, poorly-executed attempts at dialogue. It seems that Seoul’s consistent stance toward Pyongyang and the weakening of the inter-Korean dialogue system have forced the reclusive regime to make such erratic tactical changes. It is highly likely that North Korea will continue its unfriendly South Korea policy such as inflicting tensions and provocative acts as usual in 2012. Given that there are a number of factors contributing to the North’s negative strategies toward South Korea, North Korea will need to build tensions for internal consolidation,closing the door on the South’s North Korea policy. With upcoming presidential elections both in South Korea and the U.S. overlapping for the first time in 20 years, North Korea will also exert its utmost efforts to foment negative public sentiment in the South toward the existing policy and to replace the Lee administration with new government which is friendly to the North.
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