Is South Korea in a crisis?

Even without mentioning the particulars in each and every area, it does at least seem apparent that crises abound. That’s why some are referring to it as a “polycrisis.” It’s also a case where various crises are dovetailing in a vicious cycle.

Looking at a reality without any clear solutions or way out, I find myself recalling the words of the world-renowned scholar Jared Diamond. Describing a crisis as a situation in which people face an immense challenge that cannot be overcome with the typical approaches and solutions, he stressed that overcoming such a crisis requires the pursuit of “selective change.”

The implication of the words “selective change” is that we have a choice and that by making it, we can achieve significant transformation. So what sort of choice is available?

As a matter for South Korean society and politicians to seriously discuss, I would suggest the idea of ruling out the possibility of armed reunification in the case of a contingency on the peninsula. It may sound strange, but it’s a choice that potentially offers us various beneficial changes.

I’ll start by discussing what gave me this idea. There were three main factors.

The first was the crisis in inter-Korean relations, which are spiraling into antagonism. The second was the crisis at home in South Korea, which faces issues of cost-of-living, inequality and population decline. The third was the global crisis, as exemplified by climate disasters.

These three crises are interconnected, and overcoming them will thus require selective change rooted in convergent thinking.

Ruling out an armed reunification scenario may not be a panacea, but it is well worth discussing as part of public discourse. The military strategy for achieving Korea’s reunification by force in the event of a war or “upheaval” in Choson — that is, North Korea in its own terms — is something that demands massive inputs of human and material resources on a daily basis and that has a negative impact in terms of climate and the environment.

Image: iStock/Im Yeongsik