South Korea Focuses on Peaceful 'Coexistence' with North Korea

ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/Paran Koo

South Korea is shifting its policy focus toward peaceful coexistence with North Korea instead of pressure and confrontation, as outlined in the Korean Unification White Paper, the South Korean Unification Ministry's annual report.

The report contained "tones" very different from the previous government.

The document reflects the efforts of the South Korean government, now under the leadership of President Lee Jae Myung since June 2025, to improve relations on the Korean peninsula based on mutual trust.

Yonhap reported on Monday, May 18, that the South Korean government, which was previously quite conservative under Yoon Suk Yeol, is trying to bring about change in North Korea through pressure and the influx of information from outside.

The latest White Paper contains three main principles, namely South Korea respects the North Korean system, does not pursue reunification through absorption, and does not engage in hostile activities.

Based on these principles, the South Korean government has established its main policy as peaceful coexistence and common growth on the Korean peninsula.

Among the measures mentioned, the Lee government decided to stop sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to North Korea and stop broadcasting through loudspeakers along the border area, as an effort to ease military tensions and rebuild trust.

The document also outlines plans to revive the September 19 Military Pact, which was signed by former President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018, as well as pursuing a bilateral agreement to build a systematic foundation for peaceful coexistence.

The change in policy priorities is evident from the use of language in the White Paper. The mention of "peace" and "peaceful coexistence" jumped to 196 words from the previous 29 words; while "meeting" or "dialogue" increased to 58 words from the previous 16 words.

In contrast, the section on human rights (HAM) in North Korea was significantly cut. The term "North Korean human rights" has decreased to 26 times from the previous 156 times, while "freedom" has decreased to three words from the previous 43 words in the White Paper.

The mention of "North Korean defectors" also dropped to only 10 times from the previous 203 times.

Although Seoul offers a peaceful approach, inter-Korean relations remain practically frozen. There has been no inter-Korean human exchange for the past five years and no economic exchange at all, according to the White Paper.

Meanwhile, Pyongyang has strengthened its "Two-State Policy", the official doctrine of North Korea and South Korea are at war, by revising the constitution to remove all references to reunification and severing remaining ties with Seoul.