Antoine Bondaz, the Director of Korea Program on Security and Diplomacy at the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), explores the state of North Korea’s diplomatic relations with the international community. The author points out that despite severing relations with numerous countries due to international sanctions, North Korea maintains diplomatic exchanges with a significant number of countries, rendering its nickname “hermit country” outdated. Highlighting that North Korea has been growingly prioritizing its relations with like-minded regimes facing international sanctions and pressure like itself, Bondaz claims that North Korea will continue “selective engagement” with specific partners in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, while partially “decoupling” from hostile countries. This commentary was co-published by the FRS and Global NK.

Bumsoo Kim, Director of the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies (IPUS) at Seoul National University, analyzes the shifting South Korean public perceptions toward the unification of the peninsula. Based on the results of “2023 IPUS Unification Consciousness Survey,” Kim explains that with the newer generation reluctant or even indifferent about unification, the majority of South Korean citizens favor “peaceful coexistence and settlement.” Pointing out that South Korea’s past North Korea policy, which aimed to establish a “one nation, one state, one system, one government,” is outdated, Kim argues that the ROK government should instead recognize North Korea as a sovereign state, redefine bilateral relations accordingly, and pursue peaceful coexistence.