April 26, 2024
Analysis

North Korean serial ‘Echo of Hallasan’ spins Jeju massacre into tale of unity

The 2002 TV production showcases a shift in tone toward South Korea during the Sunshine Policy era

Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung’s Sunshine Policy promoting engagement with North Korea enjoys a mixed public legacy, with critics pointing to its failure to bring about immediate rapprochement between the two Koreas.

Yet that appraisal, while understandable on an emotional level given the Korean Peninsula’s long division, overlooks the policy’s real success in easing the political mood between the Koreas and preparing the soil for their future reconciliation.

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