ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses one of the most relevant aspect of South Korea’s foreign policy: relations with North Korea. Inter-Korean relations have been considered as a crucial part of Seoul’s foreign policy over the years: the goal of national unification is enshrined in Article 4 of the South Korean constitution and the dynamics of confrontation and cooperation between the two Koreas have influenced not only the situation on the peninsula, but the broader East Asian balance of power. During the three decades after democratization, the different South Korean governments have managed relations with Pyongyang in very different ways, according to the different beliefs of the two main political traditions. Despite the fact that North Korea represents an existential threat to the survival of the country, there has been little bipartisan consensus on how to deal with Pyongyang’s regime. The purpose of this chapter is to analyse the different approaches to inter-Korean relations of recent South Korean administrations, emphasising the specific characteristics of progressives and conservatives. Through this perspective we will be able to assess the consequences of the domestic political divide on one of the most divisive foreign policy issues in South Korea.
