The Korean Odyssey

  Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Sciences_Sogang University In recent years, global conflicts and crises have continued unabated. The strategic competition between the United States and China has expanded into a global conflict structure, not just in Asia. Adding to this are the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the Israel-Hamas conflict, making for a tumultuous international landscape. The conflict in international politics is leading to new tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Recently, the close ties between North Korea and Russia have heightened tensions on the peninsula. In June, North Korea and Russia declared a "comprehensive strategic partnership" during a summit. As North Korea-Russia relations strengthen, the strategic calculations of neighboring countries around the Korean Peninsula are becoming more complex. This article analyzes the changes in the Korean Peninsula's situation due to Russia's southward advance and explores alte

  *South and North Beyond the Fence of the Demilitarized Zone.  @iStock   Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Sciences_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

  * Panmunjom.  In the last 70 years, why has the armistice system not eventually transitioned into genuine peace?   @iStock Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Sciences_Sogang University July 27, 2023 marked a full 70 years since the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. While no one could have known it at the time, this armistice went on to become the longest sustained ceasefire in human history. Have we become too comfortable with the armistice system status quo? In the span of the last 70 years, why has the armistice system not eventually transitioned into genuine peace? To answer these questions, I will revisit the history of the ceasefire, identify potential lessons learned, and look for possible routes to not just suspend the war but truly end it.   70 Years That Nobody Saw Coming On July 27th, 1953, the Commander-in-Chief of United Nations Command (representing the South) and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the Commander of

   * It is impossible to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula without dialogue between parties. @iStock Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Sciences_Sogang University So far, efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula over the past 30 years have failed. However, denuclearization is a necessary prerequisite to peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large. In the previous installments of this series, I have discussed the reasons why denuclearization efforts are trapped in a vicious cycle and argued that South Korean nuclear armament would not bring peace to the peninsula. This final essay in my “Korean Peninsula Denuclearization Series” will seek potential paths for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Naturally, I cannot cover all possible measures to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula within the span of a short column. Instead, I will put forth three key ideas drawn from the lessons learned over the past 30 years of denuclearization efforts.   The L