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.” In this context, Kim points out that South Korea’s past North Korea policy, which aimed to establish a “one nation, one state, one sys-tem, one government,” does not reflect the shifting perception of Koreans, and argues that the ROK government should instead recognize North Korea as a sovereign state, redefine bilateral relations accordingly, and pursue peaceful coexistence.
