Peace Movements in South Korea and their Impacts on the Politics of the Korean Peninsula

After experiencing the two brutal world wars in the last century, warfare is still largely regarded as the most direct and effective solution to any global or regional conflicts. However, thanks to the widespread emergence of anti-war movements and ideology promoted through demonstration and public education, the conception and the acceptability of warfare have altered comprehensively, and states especially find it harder to justify their military actions due to the strong resistance from the civilian movements. When democracy did not bring peace and reconciliation between the two Koreas after the end of the Cold War, civic groups in South Korea continue their protest against the government over issues related to militarism. Through three cases studies: deployment of Korean troops overseas, US military bases in Korea and reconciliation between the two Koreas, this essay shows that the peace movements in South Korea have largely transformed both trust building in the US–South Korea alliance and inter-Korean relations.