[Column] Korean reunification would benefit everyone, especially China

Posted on : 2012-06-21 14:04 KST Modified on : 2012-06-21 14:04 KST

A unified peninsula would reduce the likelihood of conflict among the powers of Northeast Asia

When it comes to discussing Korean reunification, China’s stance and attitude are rarely left off the agenda. It seems many in South Korea believe China wants to maintain the status quo on the Korean Peninsula and does not want reunification. Is this true?

China has always said that it is in favor of peaceful unification of Korea. It emphasizes the word “peaceful.” If the process of reunification is not peaceful, China will resolutely oppose it. China has experienced a great deal of armed conflict in its surrounding area. The damages sustained in those conflicts form the basis for the emphasis on peace and stability.

On the other hand, some say China does not welcome the idea of Korean reunification. A unified peninsula would mean US military forces being stationed right up against the Yalu River, on China’s current border with North Korea. This theory holds that the US military will remain on the Korean Peninsula after reunification.

The question is whether China would ever support reunification if it meant allowing the US a foothold along its border. Officials in both China and the US are concerned that the two powers could clash in the coming years. Conflict between them would be reminiscent of the historical tragedy at the end of the Joseon Dynasty, around the turn of the 20th century, when Korea was fought over as a colonial prize by foreign powers.

What is certain is that the Korean Peninsula will never suffer a repeat of history once it has been unified. The most remarkable aspect of Korean unification is that, when it occurs, traditional geopolitics on the peninsula will weaken and disappear in the process. It found itself at the center of a geopolitical power struggle at the beginning of the modern era because of imperialist competition. The geopolitical strategies of superpowers brought conflict to the Korean Peninsula. Today’s context is one of globalization and regional economic cooperation.

The reason the Korean Peninsula has failed to break out of its traditional geopolitical frame despite this is because it still remains subject to the geopolitical strategies of surrounding powers. National division provides these powers pretexts for intervention. Korean reunification is what is needed to eliminate such chances for intervention. Ultimately, Korean reunification must be not just about overcoming the division between North and South, but about attaining freedom by casting off the peninsula’s geopolitical yoke and escaping the influence of the strategies of superpowers.

No country would benefit from reunification of this nature more than China. Historically speaking, the more Korea is subject to the strategies of several powers, the greater the disadvantage to China. Early examples of this include the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945); more recent examples are the Korean War (1950-1953) and Korean national division; all of these have strongly affected China. Korean division has consumed many of China’s political, economic, diplomatic and national security-related resources. The more prominent the role of geopolitics on the Korean Peninsula, the deeper the conflict between the powers involved has become and the greater the pressure on China has grown. Korean reunification would end this historical trend once and for all.

Today, of course, some in South Korea and China see the other as a threat and are in many cases unable to ignore the concern they feel regarding each other. Both states have been unable for more than a century to meet each other as unified, sovereign nations, making conflict between them likely. This conflict is meant to determine their new geopolitical positions. The two states’ relationship has already matured to a point where such conflict can be overcome. When we look at the bigger picture, the driving force needed to fully overcome such conflict is the huge advantage that Korean unification will bring to both of them.

 

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