[Journalism Internship] Reunification hopes dim further on North’s troop deployment

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[Journalism Internship] Reunification hopes dim further on North’s troop deployment

Published: 22 Nov. 2024, 10:15

A large number of North Korean soldiers march in formation. [YONHAP/AP]

Jeong Jihoon, Kim, Junsung, Lee Junghoon, Park Sunwoo

Amid rapidly escalating inter-Korean tensions with North Korea's troop deployment to Ukraine and the release of trash balloons, hopes for eventual reunification between the long-separated neighbors are fading fast.

The increasing hostility of Pyongyang’s stance toward Seoul is pushing many South Koreans, especially those in the younger generations, away from the idea of unification.

Among individuals aged 19 to 29, only 28.2 percent responded that unification is necessary, down significantly from 54.1 percent in 2018, while 41.2 percent responded that it was not necessary, up from 17.6 percent in 2018, according to Seoul National University’s Institute for Peace and Unification Studies’ 2023 Unification Awareness Survey.

Hostile perceptions in the South toward the North this year increased by 3.7 percent compared to the previous year, the highest increase since the 2007 survey.

Moreover, the School Unification Education Survey conducted jointly by the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Education on approximately 74,000 students from 756 elementary, middle and high schools across the country last year found that 49.8 percent responded that “unification is necessary.”

This is the first time it has fallen below 50 percent since the survey began in 2014.

Such a shift in perception among younger generations is driven by the increasing hostility between the two Koreas.

The North's recent behavior over the past two years showed a significant shift in its stance toward the South, moving away from past reunification rhetoric to an adversarial posture, embodied in Kim Jong-un’s “two hostile states” doctrine from the speech at the 9th Plenary Session of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers Party of Korea in December last year.

This policy not only designates South Korea a primary enemy but reflects a broader ideology in the North’s approach.

Troops take part in training in North Korea on Oct. 2 [KOREA CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

Most recently, Pyongyang's deployment of at least 3,000 troops to Ukraine in support of Russia further complicates diplomatic relations, entrenching North Korea’s ties to adversarial powers and positioning itself as an active player in global conflicts.

This engagement has been seen by South Korea and its main ally, the United States, as a direct insult and a destabilizing element for the security of the nation.

Seoul has responded by strengthening its supply measures and considering further offensive weapons systems for Ukraine.

President Yoon hinted at possible intervention, saying, “We would consider supplying weapons for defensive purposes as part of step-by-step scenarios, and if it seems they are going too far, we might also consider offensive use,” on Oct. 22.

The United Nations Security Council is also closely watching developments.

At a recent UN Security Council meeting, the United States questioned Russia about deploying North Korean troops to support its war in Ukraine. The U.S. envoy cited intelligence on North Korea training troops for Russia, raising concerns over potential advanced military aid in exchange. Russia denied the U.S. claims but avoided a direct answer.

Meanwhile, Seoul criticized Pyongyang’s actions, and Tokyo expressed concerns over the regime's missile tests, seeing them as significant threats.

A trash balloon lands in Incheon on Sept. 6 [INCHEON FIRE DEPARTMENT]

Prior to the troop deployment, a series of trash balloon releases have been already driving aggression across the demilitarized zone, symbolizing the intensifying psychological warfare.

Over 6,000 trash balloons sent by the North sometimes landed in rural and coastal areas in the South, posing harm to local wildlife and adding to pollution, while also wreaking havoc in urban regions.

A North Korean trash balloon crashes on the rooftop of a multifamily house in Goyang, Gyeonggi, sparking a fire in July. [YONHAP]

On July 24, a fire broke out on the rooftop of an apartment complex in Goyang, Gyeonggi, sparked by one of the trash balloons, with no casualties reported.

While these balloons have not directly caused any casualties, they generate discomfort and anxiety for citizens in South Korea as a form of psychological warfare.

The balloons may also become a public health hazard, as they contain used masks and cigarette butts.

An official of the Goyang City government, which conducted a response drill for a potential hazard caused by trash balloons, said, “If North Korea’s trash balloons contain lethal biochemical substances, border areas like Goyang could suffer significant damage, which is why we are conducting response drills.”

In response to this incitement, South Korea has reactivated loudspeakers along the border for the first time in six years, sparking controversy, with some supporting a tough government response while others condemned the move to be further aggravating the situation.

Seoul is also bolstering its military ties with the United States.

The defense ministers of South Korea and the United States said in a joint statement that they "condemn in the strongest possible voice" North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia.

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun added that “sending our military observation team to Ukraine is a military objective.”

Politicians are calling for action as the prospect of unification continues to fade.

“It is difficult for inter-Korean relations to be easily restored, but perceptions are changing, especially among the younger generation,” Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Lee Yeon-hee publicly asserted during the first debate of the Platform Policy Division under the DP’s National Convention Preparatory Committee on July 11.

“We need to discuss the one nation, two countries [two-state theory],” said Lee, adding that the party “must think about how to resolve inter-Korean relations when we take hold of the administration.”

BY JEONG JIHOON, KIM JUNSUNG, LEE JUNGHOON, PARK SUNWOO [[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]]