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North Korean Political Factions

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 The “Soviet faction” was largely composed of Soviet-Koreans who had entered the Peninsula during the Soviet occupation towards the end of WWII and entered the North Korean Communist Party on the basis of their membership in the Soviet Communist Party. The “Yan’an faction” refers to Koreans who had fought against the Japanese in the Yan’an area of China alongside the Chinese Communist Party.

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Peace and democracy on the Korean Peninsula are inseparable

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  * The tense atmosphere at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) .   @iStock Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University As we enter 2025, South Korea faces a grave domestic and international situation. President Yoon Suk-yeol's attempt to impose martial law and incite rebellion at the end of 2024 plunged the nation into shock but ultimately failed due to the united resistance of the people. However, the resulting turmoil has continued into 2025. Even more shocking is the fact that the rebellious forces attempted to provoke North Korea to justify the imposition of martial law. The government, which should be safeguarding national security and pursuing peace on the Korean Peninsula, sought to undermine democracy by exploiting the weakest links of the division system. Reflecting on this series of shocking events, we are once again painfully reminded that peace and democracy on the Korean Peninsula are inseparable. However, we cannot remai...
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Social Dialogue for Peace and Unification on the Korean Peninsula Must Embrace Future Values

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* Citizens Discussing Peace and Unification on the Korean Peninsula Il Young Jeong Senior Research Fellow_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University With the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration in South Korea, the Ministry of Unification has been rebuilt. One of the most notable aspects of the recent organizational restructuring of the Ministry is the large-scale introduction of social dialogue mechanisms and public – private cooperation bodies. This article seeks to propose key considerations that should be addressed in Social Dialogue 2.0 on the Korean Peninsula being pursued by the South Korean government and civil society.   The Rise of Social Dialogue During the 22nd presidential election, President Lee Jae-myung pledged to promote the “activation of social dialogue” on North Korea and unification policy. Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young has also emphasized a “people-sovereign North Korea policy,” stating that citizens — the sovereign power holders ...
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Interpreting Kim Jong-un's Statement on the 'Hostile Two-State Relationship' Regarding Inter-Korean Relations

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  *South and North Beyond the Fence of the Demilitarized Zone.  @iStock   Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University Kim Jong-un's statement on the 'hostile two-state relationship' regarding inter-Korean relations is causing controversy. Starting from the end of last year, Kim Jong-un's remarks on the "hostile two states" have shaken not only the academic community but also the political sphere and civil society in South Korea. The unfortunate aspect is that some experts have hastily defined the 'two-state system' on the Korean Peninsula as an irreversible reality and begun to seek alternatives. I believe that we must be cautious of hasty judgments because Kim Jong-un's "hostile two states" argument differs from the process of discourse formation previously shown by North Korea. In this context, I intend to analyze Kim Jong-un's two-state theory and argue that his discourse remains incomplete. Kim ...
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