Sunshine in Korea
Subtitle: The South Korean Debate over Polices Toward North Korea
Publisher: RAND Corporation
Published: March 25, 2003
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 144
ISBN-13: 9780833033215
Subjects: International relations; Korea (South); History - General History; History: World; Korea; North Korea; South Korea; USA; Korean reunification question (1945- ); Asia - Korea; Kim, Dae Jung; Non-Classifiable; Foreign relations; 1988-; Korea (North); Politics and government
First sentence: In December 2002, South Koreans will elect a new president.
Description: The debate in South Korea over the government's engagement policy toward North Korea (the so-called "sunshine" policy) did not start with Pyongyang's recent admission that it has been secretly pursuing a nuclear weapons program in violation of multiple international commitments. However, the evolution of the debate will be an important determinant of how the South Korean and broader international response to this latest North Korean challenge ultimately ends. Examining the public South Korean debate over dealings with North Korea, this book reviews the relevant historical background, focusing on the evolution of "engagement" as the goal of South Korean policy toward the North. It examines the critical assumptions and central concepts motivating the new policy adopted by President Kim after his inauguration and analyzes the key issues in the public debate over this new policy. It also identifies the major actors and describes their respective positions on the government's approach to North Korea, as well as how these actors have affected public debate over government policy. The book concludes by assessing the sources of public controversy existing today, the likely short-term effects on South Korean policy, and the potential longer-term implications for South Korea, the United States, and U.S.-South Korean relations.