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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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Key Concerns in the Lead Up to a New Unification Plan

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  * Pyongyang and Seoul are not far from Dorasan Station on the inter-Korean border ⓒ iStock   Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Sciences_Sogang University Recently, the Ministry of Unification of South Korea reported its plan to start new discussions on unification measures to the President. The South Korean government’s official unification plan is the “National Community Unification Formula”. This unification plan was proposed by then-President Kim Young-sam on August 15, 1994. The Ministry of Unification announced that it would propose a new unification plan in 2024 in commemoration of the "30th anniversary of the National Community Unification Formula." The situation around the Korean Peninsula and inter-Korean relations have changed beyond recognition over the past 30 years. As such, it seems there is no avoiding discussions on new unification measures. In this article, I would like to ask questions about necessary concerns before discussing new ...
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Two States on the Korean Peninsula: Rethinking Inter-Korean Relations

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  * In August 1945, despite the joy of liberation, the Korean Peninsula was divided by the great powers into North and South along the 38th parallel. ,  @IL Young Jeong Il Young Jeong Senior Research Fellow_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University On August 15, President Lee Jae-myung, in his address marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation, stated that “the South and the North are in a special relationship in which both sides should respect and recognize each other’s systems, while pursuing peaceful unification.” He further emphasized that “the South respects the current system in the North, will not seek any form of unification by absorption, and has no intention of engaging in hostile acts.” In relation to this, on August 13, the National Policy Planning Committee, which finalized the state agenda of the Lee administration, proposed the task of “redefining inter-Korean relations on the basis of reconciliation and cooperation and institutionalizing peaceful co...
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People’s Sovereignty Before ROK–U.S. Coordination on North Korea

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  * On July 31, 2025, South Korea's Foreign Minister, Park Hyun, is shaking hands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the Korea-U.S. Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the United States. ⓒ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Il Young Jeong Senior Research Fellow_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sparked controversy by pushing to establish a regular policy coordination meeting with the United States on North Korea policy. At a regular press briefing on December 9, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il stated that the government is working  the convening of a “regular ROK – U.S. policy coordination meeting (TF)” to discuss “overall North Korea policy, including measures for engagement with North Korea.” The Lee Jae-myung government has declared itself a government of popular sovereignty and has emphasized a North Korea policy based on the sovereignty of the people. Yet the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — rather than the mini...
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