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What Does North Korea Pursue Using Peace?—Focusing on Rodong Sinmun during the Kim Jong Un Era of 2012–2022

여현철|Ezra Kim|Sokchun Chang
한국국방연구원 (Korea Institute for Defense Analyses)|2023.09|The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis|제35권 제3호|pp. 399-426|DOI 10.22883/kjda.2023.35.3.004

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키워드

peaceRodong SinmunKim Jong Unperception of peaceSouth Korea strategy

초록

This study aimed to examine North Korea’s strategy through an in-depth analysis of how North Korea is utilizing peace during the Kim Jong Un regime. To this end, this study analyzed the definition of peace as stated in the dictionary and its implied meaning, i.e., the overall context of the claim by analyzing the keyword peace as it appears in Rodong Sinmun, which is North Korea’s propaganda outlet and serves as the channel to officially announce its stance. Through the analysis, this study identified changes in North Korea’s strategy of using peace under the Kim Jong Un regime. The major results of the analysis are as follows: First, the Kim Jong Un regime has maintained the stance and strategies towards unification and South Korea that were adopted during the Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il eras. Second, from the third period, North Korea, which self-proclaimed that it had secured its position as a legitimate nuclear state based on the 2017 declaration of completing the state nuclear force, deployed a more coercive strategy toward South Korea compared to the previous periods. Third, North Korea is using peace as a policy means to strengthen internal solidarity, secure the legitimacy of the Kim Jong Un regime, and justify its nuclear possession. Fourth, the sharp decline in the frequency of references to peace since 2019, amid the prolonged strained relations between the two Koreas, suggests a change in North Korea’s strategic perspective. Through this study, we derived the domestic and foreign meaning of peace that North Korea claims and identified the characteristics of North Korea’s stance and strategy in dialogue and negotiations. Thus, these findings will help shape South Korea’s mid- to long-term policy toward North Korea and establish a response strategy within the political landscape of Northeast Asia which is changing on a high-level scale due to North Korea’s completion of nuclear weapons. Also, the findings will provide an opportunity for an in-depth approach and response to the peace strategy that North Korea claims.

Abstract

This study aimed to examine North Korea’s strategy through an in-depth analysis of how North Korea is utilizing peace during the Kim Jong Un regime. To this end, this study analyzed the definition of peace as stated in the dictionary and its implied meaning, i.e., the overall context of the claim by analyzing the keyword peace as it appears in Rodong Sinmun, which is North Korea’s propaganda outlet and serves as the channel to officially announce its stance. Through the analysis, this study identified changes in North Korea’s strategy of using peace under the Kim Jong Un regime. The major results of the analysis are as follows: First, the Kim Jong Un regime has maintained the stance and strategies towards unification and South Korea that were adopted during the Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il eras. Second, from the third period, North Korea, which self-proclaimed that it had secured its position as a legitimate nuclear state based on the 2017 declaration of completing the state nuclear force, deployed a more coercive strategy toward South Korea compared to the previous periods. Third, North Korea is using peace as a policy means to strengthen internal solidarity, secure the legitimacy of the Kim Jong Un regime, and justify its nuclear possession. Fourth, the sharp decline in the frequency of references to peace since 2019, amid the prolonged strained relations between the two Koreas, suggests a change in North Korea’s strategic perspective. Through this study, we derived the domestic and foreign meaning of peace that North Korea claims and identified the characteristics of North Korea’s stance and strategy in dialogue and negotiations. Thus, these findings will help shape South Korea’s mid- to long-term policy toward North Korea and establish a response strategy within the political landscape of Northeast Asia which is changing on a high-level scale due to North Korea’s completion of nuclear weapons. Also, the findings will provide an opportunity for an in-depth approach and response to the peace strategy that North Korea claims.

참고문헌 (62)

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