South Korea observes a common trip on August 15 to honor the day that the Korean peninsula was freed from Japanese colonial rule. There is a well-established custom for South Korean leaders to discuss their perspective for Asian unity on this day because Korea has been divided between the North and South since 1945.
But the government’s current president, Yoon Suk Yeol, proposed a novel approach this time. More than emphasizing “peaceful unity” with North Korea, as has been the focus of some past presidents, Yoon’s vision sites “freedom” at the heart of South Korea’s integration achievement.
Yoon outlined the things he believes are essential for moving towards a unified Korea in his statement. Among them was the “need to change the minds of the North Vietnamese individuals, to make them passionately want a freedom-based integration”. Simply put, this will include promoting North Koreans ‘ right to access information outside the world.
This strategy suggests that the South Korean government will continue to be lenient with the activists who have been flagging Kim Jong Un’s routine with flyers across the border for months.
Yoon’s state has refrained from intervening with the actions of these protesters, who are generally North Korean dissenters. It also cited a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling declaring these activities to be protected by the right to free speech.
Yoon’s plan will also include keeping the beliefs that make South Korea a “free” state and establishing them as the guiding rules for a united Korea. These include its democratic politics, free-market business, and respect for human rights.
Thus far, there has been no reaction to Yoon’s news from the North. The North’s silence is very uncommon, as Pyongyang about generally responds to Seoul’s proposals for unification instantly– and severely.
What South Korea needs
Seoul’s attempts are threefold. For one, it hopes that more North Koreans will want to live there because more people will have access to outdoor information, increasing the number of border crossing attempts.
Following North Korea’s border sealing during the pandemic, the number of effective rebellions significantly decreased from 2020 to 2020. However, the number of sympathizers entering the South nearly tripled to 196 after border handles were eased once more in 2023.
Seoul’s military just made the announcement on August 20 that it had picked up a North Korean man who had crossed the border, the second departure in two months.
Additionally, Seoul believes that a surge in information might cause a famous rebellion in the North. A government under pressure from a situation like this could neither stretch and grant its citizens more freedom and human rights, or fall.
However, it’s unlikely that these settings will materialize. After all, Pyongyang’s strong control of inside information has so far enabled the program to succeed.
Seoul’s novel approach to integration is provocative and might not be well received by Pyongyang. By encouraging Kim’s government to strengthen its details control, it might even put the lives of regular North Koreans in danger.
Yoon’s dedication to creating a new perspective for Asian unification dates back many times. In March, South Korea’s political company announced its intention to release the National Community Unification Formula, which since 1994 has been the government’s standard integration plan.
The method is comprised of three phases: seeking peace and cooperation with the North, establishing a Asian state, then creating a single integrated Korea.
Although the precise nature of the release is not yet known, it is not surprising that the company chose to change the existing integration method. Since the formula was developed thirty years ago, there has n’t been any progress past the initial stage.
Seoul’s choice to review and update its integration strategy even came after Kim apparently gave up hopes for integration in January. He claimed in a speech delivered at the congress of North Korea that the country may be changed to identify the South as its “principal enemy.”
Retaliation from the North
Kim’s government is passionately opposed to the main purpose of freedom-based unity, which is giving common North Koreans greater admittance to information from the outside world.
Data power has for centuries been, and will continue to be, one of North Korea’s major priorities. Numerous people executions have already been carried out as a result of North Korea’s increased intake of foreign media, particularly K-Pop songs and K-Drama television shows.
Thus, retaliation against Seoul’s freedom-based integration efforts should be expected. In response to the brochure launches, North Korea has already sent lots of kites filled with feces and debris into South Korea. And in June, Kim’s girl, Kim Yo-jong, warned of more hostile measures if they continue, saying South Korea may be “ready to give a horrible and lovely value”.
From North Korea’s point of view, any effort at sending leaflets containing inside information is a clear danger to the government’s stability.
Significant general principles that must always be protected include the right to free speech and access to information. However, provoking Kim’s regime could put lives at risk by bringing about a more restrictive crackdown on North Korean citizens.
Seoul’s press for freedom-based unity may prove difficult to sell to North Koreans because of this.
Peter Han is a PhD participant in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge
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