South Korean views of North Korea have changed before, but this time may be different

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju pose with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook on the top of Mount Paektu on September 20 after their summit. Photo: AFP/KCNA via KNS

Published: 4:12pm, 6 Oct 2018Updated: 4:12pm, 6 Oct 2018

As developments on the Korean peninsula continue to unfold (“US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday”, October 3) it might be worth taking stock of South Koreans’ changing sentiments towards North Korea.

While the two Koreas have historically had a fragile relationship, there was a change after South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office. In February, North Korea took part in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, with the two sides fielding a unified hockey team, followed by the inter-Korean summit in Seoul in April.

Before this, South Koreans disliked the hermit kingdom. It was common to see social media posts mocking Kim Jong-un. However, after the summit, South Koreans expressed positive views on North Korea and its leader.

However, this is not the first time Seoul’s view of Pyongyang has been transformed.

After the Korean war, South Korea regarded North Korea as its foe. Until the 1980s, successive governments encouraged South Koreans to dismiss their secluded neighbour as the enemy. When North Korean leader Kim Il-sung died in 1994, Seoul fretted that a war would break out.

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