Paradigms of Political Integration and Unification: Applications to Korea

Since national independence and national unification are often viewed as norms of the international polity, divided states and peoples are considered abnormal, and there are a variety of theories seeking to show how a divided people can achieve unification. Some theories stress the role of attitudes, others focus on material conditions, such as levels of communication and trade. In the study of integrative efforts in Western Europe, there has been some controversy over the assessments based on disparate theoretical perspectives. In order to identify the issues involved, the paper provides a guide to the theories and definitions used by the following: Karl Deutsch, Ernst Haas, David Mitrany, Joseph Nye, Amitai Etzioni, Leon Lindberg and Stuart Scheingold, Johan Galtung, and others. Applications of integration theory paradigms to Third World countries have demonstrated additional problems in academic theorizing about political unification. Nonetheless, while interest in European integration is decreasing, the era of the New International Economic Order presupposes increased concern for integrative efforts in the Third World. The paper concludes with an examination of current prospects toward Korean unification in light of existing theoretical approaches and trends. The main need today is to construct an infrastructure of informal interaction between the peoples of North and South. After social communication is frequent, the two regimes can take up proposals for formal integration in more practical terms.