According to Yonhap News Agency, President Yoon’s proposal, detailed in his Liberation Day address, marks a significant shift from South Korea’s 1994 unification strategy which focused on reconciliation and cooperation while respecting the political system of the North. The new vision includes defending freedom in South Korea, fostering change in North Korea, and enhancing international cooperation. Yoon proposes a unification approach centered on convincing North Koreans that their lives would improve through unification under a free system.
The plan also includes the establishment of an official dialogue platform with North Korea, addressing issues from tension reduction to economic cooperation, part of what has been dubbed the “Aug. 15 unification doctrine.” Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo highlighted the need for a proactive action plan rather than relying on North Korean goodwill.
However, some experts caution that this approach could be perceived by Pyongyang as a push for “unification by absorption,” potentially leading to increased hostilities. Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, noted that emphasizing this type of unification could prompt the North to accelerate plans for a hereditary leadership succession and tighten its control, further deteriorating conditions for its people.
The backdrop of this new unification vision is a period of particularly strained inter-Korean relations, marked by North Korea’s continued weapons tests and hostile rhetoric towards the South. In response to North Korea’s actions, South Korea has resumed anti-Pyongyang broadcasts across the border. Given these tensions, experts remain skeptical about North Korea’s willingness to engage in dialogue based on the new unification doctrine proposed by Yoon.