박근혜 정부의 대북정책과 남북관계: ‘한반도 신뢰프로세스’를 중심으로

Abstract

This article aims at analysing the ‘Korean Peninsula Trust-building Process’ which is the Park Geun-hye Government’s North Korean policy and predicting its impact on the relationship between the North and South. For this purpose, the article explores the present situation of North Korean nuclear issues and suggests three scenarios on how to develop the future inter-Korean relations. It also tries to recommend some attentive points in propelling the ‘Korean Peninsula Trust-building Process.’In implementing the ‘Korean Peninsula Trust-building Process’, peace is to be safeguarded on the basis of a firm and resolute security posture. All provocations are to result in commensurate costs. At the same time, peace will be made along with the stable development of inter-Korean relations. The ultimate goal of the trust building process is to usher in a new Korean Peninsula where the happiness of all its inhabitants in the North and South is assured and to build a base of peaceful unification on the Korean Peninsula in the future. ‘Trustpolitik’on the Korean Peninsula makes efforts to take an alignment policy, which would involve aligning South Korea’s security with its dialogue with the North and inter-Korean dialogue with parallel international efforts. An alignment policy would entail sometimes assuming a tough line against North Korea and would be a flexible policy open to negotiations other times. It will, over time, reinforce trust between the two Koreas. Thus the main idea of the Park Government’s the ‘Korean Peninsula Trust-Building Process’ is to be able to advance a true peace building and a peaceful unification over a long period on the basis of such mutual trust between the North and South.