The Korean Odyssey

  * North Korean Defectors Face Another Struggle for Survival Beyond Division.   @iStock   Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University As of the end of June 2024, there are 34,183 North Korean defectors settled in South Korean society. The South Korean government refers to these defectors as the "forerunners of unification" or the "advance guard of unification." This is because how well defectors adapt serves as a measure of how prepared our society is for unification. Despite facing social prejudice and economic hardships, many North Korean defectors express that they are happy in South Korea. However, the challenges they face as "marginalized" or "outsiders" in our society are significant. Even so, they rise again each day to face life anew.     The Aspiration of North Korean Defectors to Belong to the 'Average' For North Korean defectors, fully integrating into South Korean society is far from ...

  * Ribbons symbolizing hopes for Korean reunification are tied to the barbed wire along the Demilitarized Zone(DMZ) fence .   @iStock Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University With the arrival of autumn, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea is in the process of reviewing the new year’s budget proposal. While our Constitution grants the government the authority to prepare and submit the national budget, it entrusts the National Assembly with the power to review and finalize it, ensuring that the budget can only be confirmed through the Assembly’s deliberation and resolution(Article 54 of the Constitution). This article aims to critically examine the 2025 budget proposal of the Ministry of Unification and to suggest new, necessary initiatives.   The Ministry of Unification’s Distorted Budget, Losing Its Primary Role The Ministry of Unification’s budget is, quite literally, distorted. The 2025 budget proposal amounts to a to...

  * North Korean Soldiers Are Marching Through Mansudae Plaza.   @iStock Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University Recent media coverage has been dominated by reports of North Korea's dispatch of troops to Russia. In response, the South Korean government has hinted at the possibility of providing lethal weapons to Ukraine. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration in South Korea is currently facing a crisis, with public support plummeting to around 20%. From the perspective of the embattled Yoon administration, which is even facing discussions of impeachment, the news of North Korea's troop dispatch could be seen as a last-ditch lifeline for political survival. However, this move poses a dangerous gamble, jeopardizing the lives of South Korean citizens and potentially accelerating the downfall of the Yoon government. Why is this so?   North Korea's Participation in the Ukraine War Becomes a Reality On October 18, South Korea's National I...