Are the two Koreas destined to remain controlled by one another indefinitely? This is a question raised by the current Asian Games in China, where the athletes from South and North Korea have yet again highlighted the state of their relationship. After matches, North Korean players were seen refusing to even make eye contact with their southern counterparts and one coach asked that South Korean journalists not refer to the North as North Korea.
This is a stark contrast to the Asian Games in Indonesia in 2018, when the two countries fielded unified teams for certain events. It appears that the relationship between the two Koreas has regressed in the past five years. It is clear that the situation on the divided peninsula is dependent on the political power in Seoul as well as Washington, with Pyongyang remaining largely unchanged.
The question is which direction should the consistency go in. Many agree on the need for the peaceful reunification of Korea, but the strategies of the two camps – progressives and conservatives – are so vastly different that it casts doubt on their goals. It is only when centrists take the lead that a solution can be found.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and his administration have caused concern in this regard. During the recent Chuseok holiday, Yoon was busy and Seoul and Pyongyang exchanged harsh words. Yoon has stated that if North Korea uses nuclear weapons, the two allies will respond with overwhelming force, and he has attacked the previous Moon Jae-in government’s “fake peace”.
North Korea has not been idle in the face of these remarks, ridiculing Yoon’s speech at the UN General Assembly and stipulating the policy of strengthening its nuclear force in the constitution. It appears that hawks are making North Korea’s nuclear provocation a certainty.
The reunification of Korea, if possible, will be a long process and Yoon must know that progressive former presidents spent more on defense buildups than conservatives. Without such efforts, both Koreas will remain puppets of superpowers for a very long time.