South Korea will take economic integration with North Korea even if full denuclearisation is off the table
Ramon Pacheco Pardo says Seoul is pushing for economic cooperation with the North, knowing the odds of full denuclearisation are slim, out of both hope and necessity
From Seoul’s perspective, this is the bedrock of a lasting sustainable peace on the Korean peninsula – linking North Korea to one of the most economically dynamic regions in the world. This would fundamentally transform North Korea’s relations with the outside world. It would significantly increase the incentives for Pyongyang to seek cooperation and avoid a return to provocations.
To explain why the South Korean government sees this as the best chance to transform inter-Korean relations in the immediate future, it is necessary to first understand the prospects of denuclearisation from a South Korean perspective. In short, few policymakers and analysts in the country believe that full denuclearisation will ever happen.
That boat has sailed. Partial dismantlement of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes might be possible. But South Korea, and the international community at large, have to work with North Korea as it is. This includes economic cooperation.