Kim Il Sung, Park Chung Hee, and the Failure of Korea’s Reunification, 1971–1973
Wilson Center Global Fellow Sergey Radchenko and Senior Scholar Bernd Schaefer published "Kim Il Sung, Park Chung Hee, and the Failure of Korea’s Reunification, 1971–1973" in "Cold War History."
Wilson Center Global Fellow Sergey Radchenko and Senior Scholar Bernd Schaefer published an article "‘Red on White': Kim Il Sung, Park Chung Hee, and the Failure of Korea’s Reunification, 1971–1973" in in the journal Cold War History.
The articles argues that in 1971–1973 North Korea’s leader Kim Il Sung used the Sino-American rapprochement and the Soviet-American détente to pursue Korean reunification on his terms; his aim was to ‘democratize’ and then ‘revolutionize’ South Korea and so achieve through dialogue what he failed to achieve through militancy. Kim’s game was based on a misreading of the political dynamics in South Korea and on misplaced confidence in North Korea’s attractiveness. He also misjudged his ability to obtain China’s and the USSR’s backing for his schemes.
About the Authors
History and Public Policy Program
The History and Public Policy Program makes public the primary source record of 20th and 21st century international history from repositories around the world, facilitates scholarship based on those records, and uses these materials to provide context for classroom, public, and policy debates on global affairs. Read more
Cold War International History Project
The Cold War International History Project supports the full and prompt release of historical materials by governments on all sides of the Cold War. Through an award winning Digital Archive, the Project allows scholars, journalists, students, and the interested public to reassess the Cold War and its many contemporary legacies. It is part of the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program. Read more
North Korea International Documentation Project
The North Korea International Documentation Project serves as an informational clearinghouse on North Korea for the scholarly and policymaking communities, disseminating documents on the DPRK from its former communist allies that provide valuable insight into the actions and nature of the North Korean state. It is part of the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program. Read more
