Unification has been a primary ethos of both South and North Korean identity since the peninsula was split in two, a sine qua non of a shared ‘minjok’ bloodline that stretches back (accordingly) 5000 years.
But what was once self-evident for South Koreans is no longer so, particularly among younger, more diverse, more metropolitan South Koreans that seek and appreciate community and connections beyond tribal ethnic dimensions.
Darcie Draudt, an expert in Korean identity and South Korea’s changing multiculturalism, explains how these concepts and ideas impact Seoul’s policy towards North Korea.
Darcie Draudt is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of political science at Johns Hopkins University, and was recently in Seoul as a Korea Foundation dissertation fieldwork fellow and a visiting scholar at the Yonsei University department of political science.
About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.
Featured image: DPRK Today