ABSTRACT
As a fledgling international organization of the time, only beginning to find its place in the new global order post World War II, the United Nations (UN) played a critical role in shaping the trajectories of the two Koreas. While the UN historical accords defined the arc of the Korean Peninsula over the decades, the historical discords under the UN’s premise were the key obstacles behind Korea’s unification. Major power politics against the backdrop of an intensifying Cold War was not only a key element behind the division of the Peninsula, but also the main obstruction hindering the unification of the sub-continent. Over time, the identity of ‘Korea’ has become more associated with the South under the UN and western discourses, whereas North Korea is seen as a hermit kingdom, diplomatically isolated at the UN owing to its nuclear program. Such dominant perceptions, fuelled by unrelenting major power politics between key external parties involved—the USA, China, Russia, and Japan, continue to impede Korean unification even today. This chapter seeks to understand the historical connotation of ‘Korea’ within the UN discourse, by revisiting the accords and discords, to offer a light on the future of Korea as a singular entity.
