Reasons Behind the Strained Inter-Korean Relations and Ways to Improve Them

The historic North-South Joint Declaration issued on June 15, 2000, was a welcome change that placed inter-Korean relations on the track of reconciliation and cooperation towards national reunification. But the amicable progress in inter-Korean relations proved fleeting when the current south Korean regime persistently sought to pursue the policy of “reunification by absorption”; as a result, inter-Korean relations are now at their nadir. Reckless moves of the U.S. and south Korean authorities exacerbated the tension on the Korean Peninsula, leaving it on the verge of a war; the efforts to secure lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and reunify the country are now faced with serious challenges.