Chapter Twelve
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separation of politics from economics and the use of the principle of
flexible reciprocity.”^10 In practice, these pillars translated into giving aid
and foodstuffs to the North in exchange for family reunions, and the
opening of tourism across the border to Mt. Kumgang in the North, as well
as cooperation on work at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. From 1998
until 2009, the South sent hundreds of millions of US dollars’ worth of
aid,^11 and the tourism and family reunions helped Korean civilians feel the
benefits of relaxed relations to some extent.^12
After two years of relative success in implementing the Sunshine
Policy, the two governments met for an historic inter-Korean summit in
June of 2000. Memorably, Kim Dae Jung and Kim Jong Il even embraced
in front of television cameras. At the summit, the two recognized one
another’s legitimacy, worked out economic agreements, and put aside
political tensions. Reunification was even mentioned, though as an
eventual future possibility for “posterity to settle slowly in the future,” as
Kim Jong Il said at the time.^13 In general, the Kim Dae Jung Presidency
was characterized by a liberal take on foreign policy, which emphasized
the absolute gains possible through mutual cooperation and trust. For his
historic work towards peaceful cooperation and improved relations with
the North, Kim Dae Jung was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the year
2000.^14
The South–and its allies, at least in rhetoric–imagines that the slow
reintegration of the North, after a series of economic reforms, may be a
possibility worth preparing for and encouraging. This helps to explain the
South’s relatively Kantian attitude of friendship towards the North despite
the North’s occasional treatment of the South as a Hobbesian enemy. For
the South, opening dialogue and trade with the North can help pave the
path towards sustainable peace. For example, the Korean Development
Institute has stated that, “inter-Korean trade is certainly a catalyst for
encouraging various inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation, a
prerequisite to the ultimate goal of reunification and creating an economic
community in the Korean peninsula.”^15
(^10) Kim, The Two Koreas and the Great Powers, 320.
(^11) Cho, “Collective Identity Formation ...,” 2011; Kim, The Two Koreas and the
Great Powers, 321.
(^12) Kim, The Two Koreas and the Great Powers, 325-326.
(^13) Kim, The Two Koreas and the Great Powers, 321.
(^14) Nobel Prize Website, 2011.
(^15) Koh, Kim and Lee, “Summary: Analysis of Inter-Korean Trade: Structural
Changes and Policy Implications.”