The role of cooperation in the development of inter-Korean relations, 1972-2007

The division of the Korean peninsula is a unique case in the history of world politics and international relations. Also, it is still one of the main issues for the construction of a stable security regime in Northeast Asia. Finally, it is above all, the continuation of a "National Tragedy" that resulted in the loss of independence of the Korean people and the division of the Korean Nation, during and after Japanese colonial rule. Over the years, relations between the two Korean states have gone through ups and downs, often characterized by enmity and hostility. The first event in inter-Korean relations was in fact the Korean War (1950-53), which had the specific intent of reunifying the peninsula manu militari. Later, this attitude transformed into a hostile confrontation, until the establishment of a kind of “strategic rivalry” created space for timid experiments of cooperation. The end of the Cold War gave more freedom of action for the players involved, as well as a window of opportunity to intensify exchanges and cooperation between the two Koreas. In this context cooperation can be regarded as the key to the resolution of the inter-Korean dispute. In fact, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the North Korean regime managed to resist the crisis, avoid collapse and remain in power. The best chance for an improvement of the situation came from cooperation projects – in particular economic, cultural, humanitarian, military and even political– which made possible, in some specific historical periods, significant openings. In this dissertation I will start from outlining a theoretical paradigm of cooperation among states, that will be used to analyse the cooperative interactions that took place on the Korean peninsula. In particular, I will build a comprehensive model aimed at combining the different approaches to cooperation in existing literature. Great emphasis will be given to the strategies of creation of mutual trust in international relations, necessary to ensure long-term cooperation, and to engagement policies, seen as a constructive tool to begin a process of cooperation born from a situation of hostility. Afterwards, I will make a detailed reconstruction of the history of inter-Korean relations, paying greater attention to the historical phases in which the creation of episodes of cooperation has been possible. In this way, I will identify which were the conditions, both domestic and international, that made such developments possible. Finally, I will subject the cooperative relations on the peninsula to a detailed study through the theoretical framework outlined in the first part. In this way I will be able to assess the pre-conditions and causes of cooperation, as well as the results obtained and the effects on the political, economic and social equilibrium on the peninsula. In the latter part, particular attention will be given to the case of the construction of the joint industrial park in Kaesong and to economic cooperation, considered as one of the most promising possibilities toward building a peace-regime and the national reconciliation process.