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Do you think that the whole South Korea wants to unify North Korea, or that North Korea wants to unify with South Korea? In fact, the situation has changed a lot now.

On August 15th, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made a statement saying, "We do not pursue unification of North and South Korea in any form." What does this mean? "Not pursuing any form" means that they will not say they will do anything to achieve unification, nor will they say they will fight to unify with North Korea. It also tells the other side: we respect each other's systems, and we won't use any means to force a military unification. It tells them: I won't attack you, you live your life, I live mine, it's fine like this.

Photo of Yoon Suk-yeol

Some people might think that in a country like South Korea, saying such words would cause the entire population to oppose it. Actually, it's not like that. The changes in South Korea over the years may have gone unnoticed: "unifying with the North" is an idea from the older generation; younger generations think "the North is the North, what does it have to do with me?"

There is a survey from 2023 — only 22.4% of South Koreans in their early 20s believe that unification is necessary. That is, less than a quarter of people in their 20s and 30s think it's necessary to unify with the North. However, half of those over 60 think it's essential to unify with the North. This shows the change of the times.

Young people in South Korea no longer consider these matters as top priorities or things that must be done. Additionally, 52% of South Koreans prefer a "peaceful coexistence between two countries," with half believing that "you live your life, I live mine, living separately is fine." Only 28% support a "unified national system." This is the change in public opinion in South Korea.

Photo of young people on the streets of South Korea

Young people don't care about these issues; they are now concerned about whether they can get into big companies, whether they can become civil servants, whether they can attend good universities and have good jobs, whether there is inequality at home, how much money they can earn, gender conflicts, and all the problems related to education for the middle class. They don't have time to worry about what's happening in North Korea. Their main concern is: if we unify with them, I will spend a lot of money helping them rebuild, then how will I live my life? Like having a poor relative, would you want to bring him to live with you? No, you wouldn't.

But the question is, what do the North Koreans think? North Korea has also undergone significant changes in recent years under Kim Jong-un: they no longer mention "unification at all costs," but instead refer to South Korea as an "enemy state." As for data on how many North Koreans want to unify with the South, North Korea cannot obtain such data. However, from the official perspective, North Korea's official position has given up on "peaceful unification."

Certainly, another industry believes that "if the other side is an enemy state, we will fight." But if you look at it from another angle, they don't necessarily want to unify the South. As long as you don't attack me, I can accept it, and it's okay.

Photo of the street in South Korea

With this principle, now that Yoon Suk-yeol is president, there is some hope for a slight easing of relations between the North and South on the Korean Peninsula. Of course, every year when South Korea and the United States conduct military exercises, North Korea always protests and opposes it; and when North Korea conducts satellite-related tests, South Korea is always worried. Both sides know each other well.

However, from the logic of their open policies, neither side wants to swallow the other, and none can swallow the other. At this point, "you live your life, I live mine," and limited exchanges are on the agenda.

From this perspective, their peaceful coexistence and stability on the Korean Peninsula is a good thing for the stability of the entire East Asia region and for a peaceful and stable environment around us.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7539470146096661031/

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