Korean Unification StudiesKorean Unification StudiesA site for discussion and debate regarding issues relating to the unification of South and North Korea. The site brings together policy makers and academics from both Asia and the West to teach and to learn about Korean unification. Articles
?Reunification cost? is inappropriate
2007-10-31 22:47:00 ‘Reunification cost’ is not an inappropriate term in the context of current ROKG unification policy according to a recent article on korea.net. With an underlying faith that North Korea will not collapse, the article states: Think tanks, major financial institutions and individuals are busy estimating how much it may cost to reunite South and North Korea. They often refer ... More About: Cost , Prop
How to pay for Korean unification
2007-10-30 23:05:00 With estimates on the cost of unification providing such alarming figures (as in the last post), it is natural for people to wonder where the money will come from. A paper by Yang Un-Chol at the Sejong Institute gives a good summary of how this could be achieved. Amongst the methods, he lists: Inter-Kore an cooperation projects. Basically, ...
Unification Costs
2007-10-30 03:37:00 An ROK National Assembly Special Committee on Budget and Accounts has estimated that unification could cost around 1 trillion dollars - yes, 1 trillion - with the cost increasing further over time. The report notes the difference in timing. If unification occurs in 2015, it could cost around $858 billion over 10 years to absorb the North. If unification occurs in 2030, it could cost ... More About: Costs
Korean War Peace Treaty
2007-10-29 04:33:00 Song Min-Soon will visit the United States next month to discuss a Kore an War peace treaty to replace the armistice. There has already been, and there will be much more, talk on the role of US forces on the Korean peninsula after the signing of a peace treaty. On Friday, Foreign Minister Song stated that US ... More About: Peace , Korean War
He didn?t speak much but his hands were warm?
2007-10-27 09:56:00 I don’t know, but I think this may be going a bit far… Lee Su-Hoon, chairman of the Presidential Committee on the Northeast Asia Cooperation Initiative in an article on Korea.net gives his impressions of Kim Jong Il: Kim Jong-il, the leader of North Korea too showed calmness in his posture. But there was strength in his ... More About: Hands , Speak , Inter-Korean Summit , Were
USIP working paper on disabling DPRK nuclear facilities
2007-10-26 00:34:00 There is a new United States Institute of Peace (USIP) Workin g Paper entitled “Disabling DPRK nuclear facilities” written by David Albright and Paul Brannan. From the working paper: The primary goals of this Working Paper are twofold. First, to establish a definition for the term ?disablement? which has only recently achieved widespread usage in the disarmament ... More About: Nuclear , Facilities
Life in North Korea
2007-10-25 11:04:00 Great post over at North Kore a n Economy Watch on life inside North Korea . The post concerns a report by the Chairman of Good Friends, held at SAIS US-Korea Institute. Good friends is a South Korean NGO operating in North Korea and China, assisting refugees and alleviating hunger. It puts in a great effort, despite difficult political conditions. Visit North Korean ... More About: Life
Kim Man-Bok and the ten truths
2007-10-25 06:02:00 Kim Man-Bok the Director of the ROK National Intelligence Service (NIS) has an interesting piece entitled ‘Ten truths of the inter-Korean summit in words of NIS chief’. Kim refutes some of the popular criticisms regarding the summit and attempts to highlight its significance. Here’s a taste: It was during my visit to Pyongyang in early August that ... More About: Inter-Korean Summit , The Ten , Ruth
The CanKor Report
2007-10-25 01:49:00 If readers of this blog do not already subscribe to the CanKor Report , then I suggest you do so. The CanKor Report is an excellent monthly email subscription resource that both saves time and keeps you well informed. It contains very useful links to expert analysis from a variety of think-tanks and media sources. CanKor ... More About: Inter-Korean Summit
Korea.net review of Korea themed blogs
2007-10-24 11:21:00 Korea.net - the gateway to Korea - has included Korean Unification Studies in a short review of Korean themed blogs! Staff writer Kim Hee-Sung notes: …For a bit heavier stuff, there’s a blog on Korean unification studies (http://www.koreanunification.net/) that provides interesting news and personal comments, but with extra focus on the North. The blog, according to ... More About: Korea , Review , Blogs , Kore
Guest Post: Unification is dead
2007-10-24 01:16:00 Our first guest post is a doozy of a diatribe by ‘anonymous’. I must say though, I don’t adhere to the last line!!! —————— ;—————̵ 2;—————R 12;————— 212;——- Perhaps it was reflective of the ‘zero sum’ Cold War era, or perhaps it was actually reflective of the leaders themselves, but Park Chung Hee and Kim Il-Sung, both in their own way ... More About: Post , Dead , Guest
West Sea dispute - different folks, different strokes
2007-10-23 00:52:00 An interesting note to my last post on the West Sea. I noticed a South Korean press release from the Office of the President, dated 22 October, the same as the KCNA press release in the previous post. But, let me tell you, it’s not just the tone of language that is different. The two ... More About: Dispute , Diff
West sea border dispute - again
2007-10-22 00:31:00 North Korea has reportedly stated that it will not stand by idle as South Korean vessels violate their border in the West Sea. KCNA (see below) stated that the North Korean navy “…will never remain an onlooker to the South Korean naval warships’ reckless military provocation…” and that “the behavior is an unpardonable and undisguised provocation” I ... More About: Dispute
Quote of the week: ?It is very unlikely that North Korea will collapse?
2007-10-20 06:01:00 Roh Moo Hyun this week confirmed his belief in the stability of North Korea , stating that “it is very unlikely that North Korea will collapse”. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t bet money on it. You just never know… The aim of Roh’s speech was to build up support for the Sunshine Policy and its various ... More About: Collapse , Week
Cell phone usage in North Korea
2007-10-18 00:50:00 There is a good article on the Daily NK website on cell phones in North Korea and how authorities are attempting to crackdown on their use. Amongst the lines: “If someone is caught, the degree of punishment depends on to where he or she attempted to call. If they called someone in China, a $300 fine ... More About: Phone , North Korea , Cell Phone , Cell
Submit your post on Korean unification
2007-10-17 02:49:00 Tired of reading the same old, same old, from Gunther, Hans and Klaus? Do you have something to say??? Then submit your own post for Kore an Unification Studies using the “submit post” link at the top. You can write on anything even remotely related to Korean unification studies. If you have ideas, opinions, information or knowledge to share that will ... More About: Post , Submit
Vietnamese party chief visits North Korea
2007-10-17 00:49:00 General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem (who is also deputy prime minister) are on a 3 day visit to North Korea on the invite of Kim Jong-Il. The visit is significant for several reasons, which could also be considered rationales for the North Korea n side to sponsor the visit: Vietnam was voted in as non-permanent ... More About: Party , Chief
CRS Report on North Korean refugees in China
2007-10-16 01:42:00 In the case that you are unaware there is a new CRS Reoport on North Korean refugees in China . From the summary: This report examines both the situation of North Korean refugees in China and human rights issues because they are frequently raised simultaneously, particularly in a congressional context. Although the issues surrounding those North Koreans ... More About: Report , Refugees
China halts food aid to flood victims in DPRK
2007-10-16 00:50:00 The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has released their latest Situation Report on the DPRK floods. Amongst the highlights: WFP reports that arrival of food stocks in-country for emergency relief were critically affected by the cessation of cross-border movement of railway wagons from China following a long-pending dispute over delays. As ... More About: Food , Victims , Victim , Flood
Personalities in Korean unification: Kim Yang Gon
2007-10-15 00:57:00 Kim Yang Gon (pictured right) is the Director of the United Front Department (UFD), an intelligence agency under the Kore an Worker’s Party (KWP) of the DPRK. His role in facilitating dialogue between the two Koreas is rarely acknowledged, but nevertheless highly significant. It is believed that he is a very close confidant of Kim Jong-Il. Kim Yang ... More About: Personalities
Reform by any other name
2007-10-11 00:33:00 Apparently, during the South-North Korea Summit, North Korea was displeased with South Korea’s use of the terms ‘reform’ and ‘openness’ in connection to the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC). As a result of this the Ministry of Unification, and a host of other ROKG agencies have removed these terms from policy documents, official speeches, websites, and announcements regarding the GIC. Roh ... More About: Reform , Inter-Korean Summit
Celebrating 9 October
2007-10-10 03:37:00 North Korea marked the anniversary of the 9 October 2006 nuclear test with an editorial in the Rodong Sinmun that celebrated the test as a “truly great miracle” which made North Korea “soaring as a powerful and great nation”. Any ideas that North Korea will give up all of its nuclear assets should be banished from the mind. ...
Koreas joint oil exploitation
2007-10-09 00:56:00 The possibility of the two Kore as undertaking joint oil exploration projects in North Korea adds another reason as to why surrounding states view Korean unification as problematic. The arithmetic is simple. A Korea divided, is easy to control - a Korea united is that much more difficult. Negotiating with South and North Korea, despite the latter’s often hyperbolic description as ... More About: Exploitation , Inter-Korean Summit
Kim Jong-Il is an internet expert!
2007-10-08 14:39:00 According to AFP, Kim Jong -Il let out at the recent Summit that he is an internet expert. I wonder if he has seen our site… and if so - where are the comments??? I’m dying here!!! Share This More About: Internet , Expert , Kim Jong-il , Pert
All else is measured by this?
2007-10-08 08:24:00 The South-North Summit came up with a Declaration that potentially could have a large impact on unification. But ultimately, any progress towards unification - both material and immaterial aspects - can be measured by progress in just one field - support for divided families. In the Declaration, point number 8, entitled ‘Promotion of Humanitarian Cooperation’ includes ...
Message for Nel Chesum
2007-10-08 08:01:00 On Friday I was given a series of photocopies from a guy called Nel or Neil Chesum (who someone later called ‘Brad’) at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Seoul. Well, Nel, if you can contact me regarding the copies I will arrange an interview. Thanks! Share This More About: Message , Mess
Co-opting the North Korean elite into economic reform
2007-10-08 01:17:00 There’a a good article in the Chosun Ilbo today on the role of investors in contributing to inter-Korean reconciliation. Although I can’t say that I agree with the whole article, which with lines such as: One of the facts confirmed in the second inter-Korean summit is that North Korea is willing to push ahead with an ... More About: Reform , Economic , Elite
Different takes on the South-North Declaration
2007-10-06 05:19:00 Below are a few different views that I have received from various academics, analysts, activists and business people on the 4 October 2007 Declaration on the Advancement of South -North Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity: The Declaration is a worthless piece of paper like all agreements with North Korea. North Korea will cease to adhere to the Declaration ... More About: Inter-Korean Summit , Lara
Declaration on the advancement of South-North Korean relations, peace and p
2007-10-04 14:05:00 On 4 October 2007 Kim Jong-Il and Roh Moo-Hyun signed the Declaration on the Advancement of South -North Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity. The Declaration, containing 1240 words revolves around 8 key points. The key points include: unification policy - reiteration of support for the June 15 Declaration inter-Korean relations - including mutual respect and trust, non-interference in domestic ...
South-North Korean Summit, Day 3 - the tabloid questions
More articles from this author:2007-10-04 01:15:00 Until all the details are released, it is very difficult to assess the value of the Summit . But, details mean nothing when we look at the all important tabloid questions: Why did Kim invite Roh to stay another day? Apparently, Kim Jong-Il requested that they have a long lunch and perhaps let the talks extend for another day. ... More About: Questions , North , Korean , South 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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