8 February: South Korean National Identity and Changing Perceptions on Unification

Time
11.00-13.00 hrs

Venue
Gravensteen
Room 1.11
Pieterskerkhof 6
Leiden

Apart from annual lecture series with an eclectic mix op topics, MEARC also organises themed lecture series. Each lecture series is designed by one or more members of our research community

South Korean National Identity

South Korean national identity has witnessed substantial changes in recent years, driven in no small measure by changing perceptions of North Korea and the question of Korean unification. The main purpose of this lecture is to examine these changing perceptions and attitudes toward North Korea and Korean unification by analyzing and comparing public survey data on national identity conducted in 2005 and 2010 respectively.

The surveys show that, while the majority of Koreans maintain ambivalent perceptions on North Korea, negative feelings towards North Korea have increased markedly. Secondly, rather than identification with the North Korean people, the perception of North Korea as a separate county has increased. Consequently, public support for economic aid to North Korea has decreased markedly in recent years. With changing attitudes towards North Korea, skepticism towards Korean unification, particularly among younger generations, has been on the rise. Concern over the economic cost of unification is a particular concern in this respect, with a clear unwillingness to pay an extra tax for financing unification.

These findings have both theoretical and policy implications. On a theoretical level, changing perceptions of North Korea and Korean unification are a crucial component of a changing South Korean national identity. In terms of policy, the increasingly negative public attitude towards North Korea undermines the sustainability of an engagement policy towards North Korea. In view of the possibility of a sudden collapse of the North Korean regime, the lack of political leadership in preparing unification at a time when public skepticism about unification is on the increase is also worrisome.

Nae-Young Lee

Nae-Young Lee is a professor of Political Science Department at Korea University. Professor Lee is currently the Director of the Asiatic Research Institute at Korea University and the Director of Public Opinion Research Center at the East Asia Institute. His research interests are Korean politics, electoral politics, public opinion, and East Asian political economy. Professor Lee received his Ph.D. in Political Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States. His previous positions include professor of School of International Studies at Kyunghee University, Research Fellow at the Sejong Institute, and Visiting Scholar of the Asia Pacific Research Center at Stanford University.

AMT on Korea

The research profile Asian Modernities and Traditions (AMT)  aims to raise the strength and visibility of research, teaching and dissemination on Asian studies at Leiden University.

Leiden Researchers on Korea

Leiden Projects on Korea

Lieden Resources on Korea


Related topics

North Korea after Kim Jong Il: Chances for change?

The king is dead. Long live the king?

Korean resources

Go to: Centre for Korean Studies

Go to: History as Social Practice

Go to: Korean Histories  (e-journal)

Go to: Korean Collection of the East Asian Library