이명박 정부의 대북정책과 북한의 반응 : 새로운 대북정책을 위한 제언

Abstract

Lee Myung-bak government's North Korea policy is based on the negative evaluation of the Sunshine Policy of the last decade. It announces a fundamental policy shift from that of the two previous governments, but never attempts to isolate or antagonize North Korea. As Minister of Unification said on March 26, South Korean government plans to continue inter-Korean economic cooperation and humanitarian aid to the North. To upgrade inter-Korean relations, however, North Korean nuclear issue needs to be resolved and North Korea needs to reform and open. In fact, there is a certain limitation to inter-Korean economic cooperation without denuclearization and openness of North Korea, although South Korea can be flexible to demand these two conditions if Pyongyang intends to do it sincerely. North Korea strongly criticizes and rejects it, and the stagnation of inter-Korean relations is expected. North Korea has raised tension on the Korean Peninsula since President Lee Myung-bak was inaugurated on February 25 after a long silence since his election last December. North Korea seems to aim at nullifying Lee Myung-government's North Korea policy by encouraging domestic friction over how to handle North Korea in South Korea. North Korean another purpose is to enhance its own political stability by stopping the negative influence of South Korean conservative government into North Korea.