North Korea watchers unimpressed by South’s unification proposals
Continuing sanctions, Kumgang suspension, military drills symptomatic of flawed approach, experts say
Experts polled by NK News regard South Korea’s new push for unification, emphasizing mutual cooperation projects and the anniversary of liberation, as underwhelming and misguided.
The plan, jointly presented on Monday by Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, seeks to standardize unification policy across different sectors of the South Korean government. It proposes, among other things, a railway connecting Seoul to the North Korean cities of Pyongyang and Sinuiju, and the establishment of cultural centers in both capitals, and a number of commemorate events marking the 70th anniversary of liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
