한국정부의 기능주의 대북정책 한계성 및 대안 모색: 최근 국제정세 및 남북 상호인식 변화를 중심으로

Abstract

In the past, there have been several cases where representative and symbolic inter-Korean exchange projects such as the suspension of tourism to Mt. Geumgang and the closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex failed during the conservative administrations such as Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. The progressive Moon Jae-in administration, maintaining close ties with Kim Jong-un, has held two or more US-DPRK summits, and linked the 'New Economic Map of the Korean Peninsula' with North Korea's special zone strategy to increase economic benefits and induce military and security stabilization in both South and North Korea. A qualitative change in inter-Korean relations was expected in the sense of seeking common prosperity, but after the US-DPRK summit in Hanoi, all channels of US-DPRK dialogue and even basic inter-Korean exchanges have been halted. Regarding this, some domestic and foreign scholars are presenting an analysis that realistic political and security environmental factors such as the nuclear issue surrounding the Korean Peninsula have hindered the functionalist economic integration engine between the two Koreas. The author considers external factors such as the U.S.-North Korea relationship as a factor to consider, but internal conflicts between the two Koreas, such as the conservative government's perception of security in North Korea and the spread of fear of North Korea's absorption and unification due to the recent expansion of the gap in national power between the two Koreas, acted as detrimental factors as well. First of all, this study deals with the theoretical background and working principle of past North Korea integration policies, which are based on the functionalism of the South Korean government. Although the South Korean government has continuously pursued a functionalist policy toward North Korea since the 1970s, the inter-Korean integration policy has been halted or reduced, revealing the reasons why it has not achieved the desired results relatively. To this end, we analyze the North Korea policies of previous governments that promoted inter-Korean economic cooperation through the theories of ‘functionalism’, ‘new functionalism’ and ‘neo-realism’. In addition, by analyzing the process of inter-Korean economic cooperation in three dimensions: international environmental factors, inter-Korean factors that affect inter-Korean relations, and inter-Korean individual internal factors, the inter-Korean integration promotion and hindrance factors are analyzed in detail, and furthermore, the interrupted inter-Korean integration is analyzed. Specific policy alternatives for integration progress will be explored and reviewed. In order for the change between North and South Korea to bear fruit of inter-Korean integration, an integrated approach of three elements that interact with each other is required, and the South Korean government needs to establish a new unification strategy and lead the implementation of the changed attitudes of the three sides.