Skip to main content

Roh Tae-Woo and “Nordpolitik”

Image
By

Roh Tae-woo was president of South Korea from 1988 to 1993 and is generally regarded as the first democratically elected President of South Korea. One of Roh’s best-known policies was his “Nordpolitik” foreign policy strategy in which he worked to establish economic and diplomatic relations with the “Northern” (Communist) nations, including the communist nations of East Europe, the Soviet Union, and China. This policy boosted South Korea’s own position in the world order while North Korea, which failed to successfully make similar overtures to the US and Japan, became further isolated following the collapse of the Soviet bloc. The normalization of diplomatic relations with other Communist countries would go on to set the stage for Roh’s successor Kim Dae Jung and his “Sunshine Policy,” which emphasized cooperation over coercion.


Comments

Post a Comment

Best click

South Korea’s New Government Must Realize Participatory Democracy in Its North Korea and Unification Policy

By
* The Newly Inaugurated Lee Jae-myung Administration,  @ Office of the President of the Republic of Korea Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University With the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration in South Korea, the propaganda broadcasts that once echoed across the inter-Korean border have come to a halt. This is perhaps one of the most dramatic signs of the change brought about by the shift in power. Encouraged by North Korea’s active response, the South Korean government is now cautiously exploring ways to resume inter-Korean dialogue. Recently, the Lee administration launched the National Policy Planning Committee, chaired by Lee Han-joo, and has begun the process of formulating policy tasks across various sectors. This article proposes steps the government should take to restore procedural democracy and realize participatory democracy in the formulation and implementation of its North Korea and unification policies.   An ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A 'Proper Distance' Is Needed in Inter-Korean Relations

By
* The Bridge of No Return in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)   @iStock Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University On December 3 of last year, political turmoil erupted in South Korea following the declaration of martial law by former President Yoon Suk-yeol. This crisis ultimately concluded with Yoon's impeachment. Now, South Korea is preparing for an early presidential election. The people’s courageous stand against the coup attempt has safeguarded democracy, and their choice at the ballot box is just one month away.   The daunting array of domestic and international challenges ahead leaves no room for complacency. South Korea now faces a presidential election amid what may be the gravest national crisis in its modern history. This article proposes policy alternatives concerning the Korean Peninsula that the new government should consider. In particular, it offers suggestions for how inter-Korean relations should be managed going forwa...
Post a Comment
Read more

North Korea’s State Revenue and Non-Tax Burdens

By
For those who can read Korean, KDI has a comprehensive and detailed breakdown of the North Korean government's overall revenue structure here . For English language writing on the various ways the North Korean government taxes its citizens despite the country having formally abolished taxes, I shamelessly suggest my own article on 38 North .
Post a Comment
Read more