Strengthening Public Diplomacy with the United States and China for a Korean Unification

Abstract

Throughout the history of South Korean diplomacy, many different government entities have launched a wide variety of different initiatives with the goal of promoting international exchange. However, those efforts did not achieve desired results, failing to gain the support and understanding of neighboring powers with regard to the South Korean vision for a Northeast Asia peace agreement and reunification Korean peninsula. Two of these powers, The United States and The People's Republic of China, are paying close attention to the DPRK nuclear and missile development programs, as well as the Six-party talks, considering how these issues will impact their own countries. As such, South Korean foreign policy toward the United States and China—countries which are very important political and economic actors—will be foundational for laying a framework for a future unified Korean peninsula. Apart from the need to consider neighboring powers in relation to public diplomacy, there is also the practical need for a more efficient system for strategic implementation of public diplomacy efforts that will help to bring unification. To that end, this paper will explore the complex web of parties interested in the security situation on the Korean peninsula, while also asserting that Korea must create foreign and domestic public diplomacy strategies that are more effective and pragmatic toward said parties, learning from past failures. In addition, this paper will recommend that Korean diplomats develop communication objectives that go beyond simply enhancing the Korean national brand and image, to communication strategies that emphasize management of international and strategic problems in ways that articulate Korean policy positions, while also raising awareness of Korean issues and concerns.