Korean Peninsula policies of ASEAN: Efforts to promote peaceful unification

This study analyzes ASEAN policies related to efforts to promote peaceful unification on the Korean Peninsula, which are hampered by differences between the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). This research aims to explore the structural factors that hinder unification and how ASEAN leverages the three pillars of the ASEAN community: political-security, economic, and socio-cultural, to support the unification process. This research method uses a qualitative approach with descriptive analysis, relying on primary and secondary data from sources related to ASEAN, DPRK, and RoK, and applying Realist and Liberal perspectives in international relations. The results show that although ASEAN has made efforts to build constructive relations with the two Koreas through dialogue and economic cooperation, the main challenges remain political and ideological differences, unstable leadership in the DPRK, and nuclear threats. The discussion included the difficulty of achieving rapid unification with external influence from major countries. In conclusion, although ASEAN's efforts have not yielded maximum results, ASEAN still has an important role to play in providing a platform for dialogue and building the foundations of long-term peace on the Korean Peninsula.