ABSTRACT
The 1990 rapprochement is being pursued by both sides in a radically altered global and inter-Korean environment. As seen from Seoul, the priority in the current talks should be to soften the rough edges of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) activism, finesse the unification issue, and seek North Korean acquiescence to political and military confidence-building measures that could set the stage for arms control negotiations. The chapter shows that 1991 should be a year for serious bargaining between the two Koreas. That may entail a readiness on both sides to pursue confidence building and some initial arms control measures simultaneously rather than in sequence. The Republic of Korea military buildup, of which "Team Spirit" is merely a testing component, is not so much the cause of inter-Korean tension as its result. The real basis for South Korean mistrust is the continued DPRK insistence on a unified Korea, presumably under a made-in-Pyongyang design.
