Disagreements in Seoul’s Inter-Korean Policy

The question of South Korea’s unified inter-Korean strategy has already been brought up before, but the events of late 2025 vividly illustrate the deep contradictions between the country’s power factions. This conflict has long ceased to be held behind the scenes, having become public knowledge.

Two Factions: The Roots of the Disagreement

The appointment of Chung Dong-young as Minister of Unification was his key personnel decision. Chung is a symbolic figure who oversaw inter-Korean cooperation under President Roh Moo-hyun and even ran for president, having lost as a representative of his political circle. The supporters of the inter-Korean policy in the spirit of Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in have rallied around Chung, failing to realise that their time is already a bygone and that the current president is a populist and pragmatist.

However, except for Chung, none of the “old democrats” managed to obtain posts, key for defining Korea’s international politics. As a result, National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, and even Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back — all three —a dhere to a more traditional, pro-American, and realist stance.

Hence, it is possible to speak of two factions, which South Korean and some Russian experts refer to as the “Alliance Faction” (with the USA) and the “Autonomy Faction.”

The factions are tangibly colliding in several issues, with the president not taking a clear position but rather throwing only verbal support first behind one side, then behind the other. According to the supporters of the pro-American course, in the current situation, relations with the US are far more important for Seoul than those with Pyongyang, especially in view of Soeul having extremely slim chances of improving its ties with the DPRK.

Three Key Disagreements in South Korea’s DPRK Policy

There are three main areas of disagreement that have emerged in South Korea’s policy towards North Korea, with each of them having its own arguments behind it and consequences.

Military Exercises: A Tool for Peace or an End in Themselves?

The first conflict flared up around military drills conducted by South Korea both solely and together with the US.

The Autonomy Faction insists on scaling down the exercises, perceiving it as a condition for North Korea to respond to the initiatives of the Ministry of Unification and come to the negotiating table. According to Chung Dong-young, “The South Korea-US exercises are merely a means to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula, not an end in themselves.”

The........

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