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Abstract:
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Based on interviews conducted in Seoul in July 2006, the author explores apparent
contradictions in South Korean perceptions of the United States’ attitude toward Korean unification.
These common perceptions regarding international support (or lack thereof) for unification are: 1) The
regional powers – China, the U.S., Japan and Russia – do not support the unification initiatives proposed
by South Korea; 2) Reunification is impossible without support from the regional powers, particularly the
U.S. and China; 3) North Korea, under the Kim dynasty, will never accept reunification under South
Korean terms; 4) North Korea’s main concern is survival; 5) Cooperating with North Korea is the only
sure way toward reunification; 6) Unification will eventually be realized. The author analyzes these
perceptions in relationship to U.S. interests in North East Asia and the Korean Peninsula, and he argues
that while Korean unification is not part of an explicit U.S. policy, neither is the U.S. intrinsically
opposed to reunification. Rather, the U.S. is more concerned about the proliferation of Weapons of Mass
Destruction and power balancing than it is about Korean unification, a fact that will not change in the
short term. |