Korea Policy
From the Issue
Korea Policy Vol. 3, Issue 1About Korea Policy
Korea Policy is the premier journal for analysis and commentary on developments affecting the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Bridging scholarly insight and policy relevance, Korea Policy features original research and expert perspectives on strategic, political, economic, and other issues shaping Korea’s role in the world. In this way, KEI aims to inform academic debate, guide policy discussions, and foster a deeper understanding of the important partnership between the United States and South Korea. Contributions come from leading scholars, practitioners, and emerging voices across various fields.
Korea Policy is an open-source academic journal commissioned, edited, and published by the Korea Economic Institute of America in Washington, D.C
Author: Christopher Green
Theme: Inter-Korean, Foreign Relations, Security, Geopolitics
Published July 29, 2025
Download PDFNorth Korea’s explicit abandonment of peaceful unification, formalized by Kim Jong Un’s public announcement in 2024, appears to mark a decisive rupture in inter-Korean relations. Yet, South Korean politics and public sentiment have long been shifting away from unification, and as such Kim’s actions also reflect a broader societal and generational divergence. As the unification paradigm erodes on both sides, policymakers in South Korea and its partners must embrace managing a divided Korean Peninsula while preserving stability and human security.
Policy Recommendations
- To manage this new reality, South Korean policymakers should recalibrate strategic communication and education to reflect the practical reality of the two Koreas while maintaining constitutional commitments in principle. They should also retain conditional, transactional engagement windows with North Korea where tangible restraint is demonstrated.
- The U.S. and South Korean militaries should maintain deterrence while restoring communication channels to manage escalation risks effectively.
- The international community should support engagement efforts that refocus on stability, reduce nuclear risks, and promote human rights rather than pursuing unification as the assumed end goal. In addition, like-minded partners should closely monitor the roles of China and Russia in enabling North Korea’s hostile posture while coordinating with regional countries to avoid escalation.