From Peaceful Unification to Two Koreas? Paradigm Shifts in Inter-Korean Relations

North 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.