Proposal for the Direction of Inter-Korean Peace and Cooperation Policy: Based on North Korea’s Perception of the Northern Sea Route

Key Points

• The research aims to analyze North Korea's changing perception of the Arctic and Northern Sea Route to propose a peace cooperation model.
• Conducted discourse analysis of articles from North Korea's state media, Rodong Sinmun, regarding the Northern Sea Route.
• Identified key themes related to economic opportunities and sovereignty threats.
• Proposed a framework for redefining the Northern Sea Route as a space for non-military cooperation.
• North Korea views the Northern Sea Route as both an economic opportunity and a space with inherent sovereignty threats.
• The study suggests redefining the route from a military-strategic competition zone to a non-military cooperation area.
• Proposed strategic actions include focusing on safety, phased participation, and establishing multilateral governance.

Abstract