Patrick C.

Agonias AB CDA, LJL3

06/16/12 PHIFOCY

THE SUNSHINE POLICY OF SOUTH KOREA

The Sunshine Policy is the foreign policy, formulated under the administration of former President of South Korea Kim Dae-jung. It was mainly influenced by a number of variables. The first condition is that the Korean peninsula is considered as one of the last relics of the Cold War in Asia. This kind of atmosphere has defied the global trend of progress towards a post-Cold War order. Kim knew that the two Koreas have engaged in a vicious cycle of suspicion, distrust and mutual negation, often resulting in military clashes. He knows that this hostile stance towards each other would be disadvantageous to both Koreas. In response, Kim pursues two goals under his administration: to establish a peaceful coexistence and to ease the tensions between the two states. The second condition is to maintain peace in the Korean peninsula. The South Korean government knows that the North, despite its food shortage and poor economy it is still an enormous military power. They pose a tangible threat to South Korean security. The North is believed to go to any lengths to sustain its internal system, even the launch of suicide attacks. The third condition is South Koreas continued build up of national strength. Democracy has taken root and secured the legitimacy of its political system. In addition, the South has the upper hand when it comes to its economy over the North. Also, in terms of military power, the South maintains a sufficient deterrent through the South Korea US alliance structure. The forth condition is that the North Korean economy must be revived. Not only will it save the population from mass starvation and malnutrition, it would also ease the burden that will ensue in the unification process. The recovery of its economy is not only for humanitarian reasons but also a necessary step towards the unification of both Koreas. Lastly, the Sunshine Policy itself is only a continuation of the unification policy of previous administrations. In the past, the South Korean government has always pursued various policies for reconciliation and cooperation over the years with the North. The main principles of the Sunshine Policy are: no absorption of North Korea in the process of unification, intolerance of any armed provocation destructive to peace, the principle of reciprocity and the separation of the economy and politics.

Unfortunately from 2006 and the following years the relationship between North and South Korea are strained. This is the result of the following nuclear and missile tests conducted by the North Korean regime. On 2008, the current president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak and his administration took a harsher stance on North Korea. The relationship was even more strained on 2009 when North Korea conducted another nuclear test. Finally on November 2010, the South Korean Unification Ministry officially declared the Sunshine Policy a failure, thus ending the policy that hoped to reunify the two Koreas.

REFERENCES:
Kyung-suk, C. (2002). The Sunshine Policy: The Background. The Future of the Sunshine Policy: Strategies for Survival , 3-17. Salmon, A. (2010). South Korea: Policy of engagement with North is a failure. Retrieved June 16, 2012, from Cable News Network : http://articles.cnn.com/2010-1119/world/south.korea.sunshine.policy_1_inter-korean-relations-mount-kumgang-northkorea?_s=PM:WORLD