Today, with the South mired in a recession, such yearnings are giving way to flinty pragmatism. Gradual unification, yes. A sudden German-style collapse, with the attendant social and economic costs, no thanks. The trouble is, as the North continues to starve itself to death, the trickle of defectors is becoming a stream. While the numbers remain low compared to exoduses elsewhere, North Korea's isolation makes the situation unique.
Defectors require intense debriefing and indoctrination - and even then they feel like outcasts.
The South Korean government estimates as many as 3,000 Northerners are hiding in China, waiting to make the dash to freedom. Defector support groups say the number is 100,000 or more. Lots of defectors nowadays are leaving the motherland not for political reasons, but just to stay alive. Hence, few seem even marginally special in South Korea. They are perceived as a liability - economic rather than political refugees.