Only Koreans can unify Korea

By Ranjit Kumar Dhawan

Korean unification has been one of the most complex issues in the world. Despite several attempts to unify the Korean Peninsula it has remained divided for the past seven decades since liberation from the Japanese colonial rule (1910-45). While the Cold War has ended in other parts of the world, the Korean Peninsula continues to be a Cold War zone. Koreans living on both sides of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which divides the two Koreas still dream for the unification of their country.

However, both North and South Koreans have traditionally relied on foreign powers to unify their country. Probably there is some historical connection to this Korean mindset. In ancient times the Shilla kingdom of Korea made an alliance with the Chinese Tang dynasty to defeat the Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo and Baekje in order to unify the Korean Peninsula in 668 C.E.

But in the modern period the Korean Peninsula was divided along the 38th parallel in 1945 by the Allied Powers against the wishes of the Korean people. In 1948 an election was organized by the United Nations to unify peninsula. Nevertheless, in this election only South Koreans participated as it was opposed by the North Koreans. This led to the establishment of two Korean states which were supported by the rival super powers of the Cold War period.

The North Korean leader Kim Il-sung lobbied with the leader of Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin to unify the Korean Peninsula through a military invasion of South Korea. It was only when Stalin gave “permission” to Kim that the North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950 to unify the country. After three years of a horrific Korean War an armistice agreement was signed on July 27, 1953. But even this agreement was not signed between the two Koreas but by the foreign powers.

In contrast to the dependence of the Koreans on foreign powers, the United States (US) and China normalized their relations in 1972 when President Richard Nixon visited Beijing. After being betrayed by their close allies, the first joint communiqué between North and South Korea happened on July 4, 1972. But in this case Koreans took the help of the Red Cross to interact with each other for national unification.

In 2000 President Kim Dae-jung made a historic visit to North Korea to attempt to normalize relations, but his efforts were ridiculed by then US President George W. Bush. Later in 2013 President Park Geun-hye came out with “trustpolitik” to increase economic interdependence and trust between the two Koreas. But instead of talking to the North Koreans President Park sought help from foreign countries for her idea of Korean unification.

This shows that Koreans have relied on foreign countries for the unification of their own country. But it is worth asking what have these countries done for unification in the last six decades after the end of the Korean War? While the two German states reunified peacefully, why are the two Koreas still divided?

It is for the two Koreas to discuss issues which are of concern to them and find a solution to their problems without any foreign interference. Only Koreans can unify the peninsula because Korean unification may not be in the interest of some of the foreign powers.

The author teaches at the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Delhi, India. His e-mail address is rkdhawan13@hotmail.com.