ABSTRACT
The most important socio-cultural contact in Yemen appears to have been informal meetings between Yemenis abroad. While there are positive impacts of socio-cultural contacts on inter-Korean relations, the development of inter-Korean relations clearly shows that mutual distrust is the major impediment to forming closer relations. The main lesson for Korea from German and Yemeni unification in 1990 is that unification may take place unexpectedly and require ad hoc policies to implement. In addition, neither China nor Russia exert the same degree of influence over North Korea as the Soviet Union did over East Germany. A "now-or-never" opportunity may develop also in Korea, but to follow Yemen's laissez-faire approach to unification would be highly dangerous, particularly if a decision was made not to unify the armed forces when strong tensions have long dominated inter-Korean relations. Improved knowledge is the most important way to eradicate the superior attitudes that South Korea's economic superiority creates.
