Divided Nations as a Process: One State, Two States, and In-between

Abstract This article take as its point of departure the cur rent situation of Korea: a nation divided into states with different systems, tied to the two blocs in several ways, and the July 4 1972 communiqué where leaders of the two Koreas express a desire to move towards reunification of the two coun tries. The article suggests a scenario originally pre sented at the International Conference for the Unification of Korea in Kyoto, August 1972. In the first phase of the scenario, passive peace ful coexistence is brought about through a general armistice, also including a stop on mutual defama tion. In the second phase, this is broadened to ac tive peaceful coexistence by including a general North-South coordinating committee, as well as highly specific and ad hoc commissions for con crete tasks of cooperation — particularly the re unification of divided families. In the third phase, this is broadened further to an associative system which would include broad, functionally diffuse and permanent cooperation commissions, some kind of common territory around Panmunjom, and an all-Korean superstructure based on the commis sions, on periodical meetings of the leaders, and on Korean assemblies. Finally, if the last phase is desired, total reunification can take place from that stage on, by merging corresponding institu tions. Any association, and particularly reunification, of different systems must take place on a basis of equity. Also, while it should include institutions, it should preferably start with the type of co operation where many people from North and South would participate, not only the leaders. The process will have to be kept flexible in order to be realistic, as the distance from the present two states to a future possible one state formula must be viewed as a continuum, not a sudden jump.