JPI

The North Korean nuclear problem, one of the most difficult issues to resolve, has become a regional concern of East Asia beyond the Korean Peninsula for the last 20 years. The regionalization of the North Korean nuclear problem means that this issue can determine the future of the region, and also makes regional actors closely intertwined. For North Korea, which is using the nuclear program as diplomatic leverage to sustain its regime, the regionalization of the nuclear issue is their survival strategy. As the nuclear problem is not just North Korea’s issue, we need to view it as a concern of the Korean Peninsula and East Asia. This essay will address the North Korean nuclear problem as a thought challenge.

Even if Jeju has taken initiative in humanitarian assistance to North Korea, authorities in Pyongyang is reluctant to improve the relationship with South Korea. In this circumstance, despite our enthusiasm and willingness, we cannot expect continuous and stable exchanges and cooperation with the North. Moreover, given the recent inter-Korean relations, it is hard to produce a meaningful outcome with the North for the time being. Nonetheless, the strained inter-Korean relationship needs to be re-established, and also substantive preparations and efforts are necessary towards non-hostile coexistence, avoiding unrealistic discussions. This essay explored ways to achieve non-hostile coexistence.