Jung Dae-cheol, chairman of the Korea Constitutional Association, speaks at a unification forum at Heungsadan headquarters in Seoul on April 21. [Photo by Jang Moon-gi]
Jung Dae-cheol, chairman of the Korea Constitutional Association, a group of former lawmakers, on April 21 criticized North Korea’s claim of an “hostile two states” approach, calling it “an anti-Korean, anti-historical theory that denies the Korean people.”
Speaking at a unification forum at Heungsadan headquarters in Seoul, Jung said the “two states” line overturns Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il’s asserted rationale for unification and their claim of “one Korean people.” He said it also contradicts past inter-Korean agreements, including outcomes from inter-Korean summits.
Jung described the idea as a “permanent division theory,” arguing that the Korean people are “a real concept” that has maintained a shared identity and cannot be sustained or discarded by political declaration. He said the peninsula has a historical record of living as a unified state for at least 1,300 years.
Jung said Kim Jong Un, chairman of North Korea’s State Affairs Commission, may have advanced the hostile two-states line because it has become difficult to beat South Korea in system competition. He said Kim may believe peaceful unification is impossible and only unification by force is feasible, or may have concluded that improving inter-Korean relations does not benefit North Korea. Jung also said North Korea could be seeking gains by sharpening inter-Korean confrontation within a “new Cold War” structure centered on South Korea-U.S.-Japan versus North Korea-China-Russia.
Jung urged the South Korean government to pursue a broad policy response guided by principles he listed as firmness, indivisibility, consistency and noncompromise. He said Seoul should lead unification discourse centered on freedom, peace and a national community, and reaffirm the government’s commitment to peaceful unification.
He warned that repeated small clashes could expand into a larger war, and said military confrontations should be avoided and deterred. He called for South Korea, the United States and Japan to share information and expand South Korea-U.S. combined exercises to help prevent clashes or war.
Jung also urged efforts that can emphasize the goal of integration and shared identity for North Korean residents. He said the government should continue to announce plans for humanitarian aid to North Korea and repeatedly stress to the international community South Korea’s sense of responsibility for North Korean residents.
Speaking at a unification forum at Heungsadan headquarters in Seoul, Jung said the “two states” line overturns Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il’s asserted rationale for unification and their claim of “one Korean people.” He said it also contradicts past inter-Korean agreements, including outcomes from inter-Korean summits.
Jung described the idea as a “permanent division theory,” arguing that the Korean people are “a real concept” that has maintained a shared identity and cannot be sustained or discarded by political declaration. He said the peninsula has a historical record of living as a unified state for at least 1,300 years.
Jung said Kim Jong Un, chairman of North Korea’s State Affairs Commission, may have advanced the hostile two-states line because it has become difficult to beat South Korea in system competition. He said Kim may believe peaceful unification is impossible and only unification by force is feasible, or may have concluded that improving inter-Korean relations does not benefit North Korea. Jung also said North Korea could be seeking gains by sharpening inter-Korean confrontation within a “new Cold War” structure centered on South Korea-U.S.-Japan versus North Korea-China-Russia.
Jung urged the South Korean government to pursue a broad policy response guided by principles he listed as firmness, indivisibility, consistency and noncompromise. He said Seoul should lead unification discourse centered on freedom, peace and a national community, and reaffirm the government’s commitment to peaceful unification.
He warned that repeated small clashes could expand into a larger war, and said military confrontations should be avoided and deterred. He called for South Korea, the United States and Japan to share information and expand South Korea-U.S. combined exercises to help prevent clashes or war.
Jung also urged efforts that can emphasize the goal of integration and shared identity for North Korean residents. He said the government should continue to announce plans for humanitarian aid to North Korea and repeatedly stress to the international community South Korea’s sense of responsibility for North Korean residents.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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