Publication

This brief examines ‘trustpolitik’, which is the policy adopted by South Korean President Park Geun-hye towards North Korea in 2013. More specifically, the brief's authors 1) examine the confidence-building concept and its predecessors; 2) gauge their effectiveness and how they have influenced inter-Korean relations; and 3) conclude that a substantial rapprochement between the two countries is impossible without first addressing the broader problems of peacebuilding and nuclear regulation. In light of these requirements, the authors believe Seoul should try to implement a more proactive, trust-building approach in dealing with Pyongyang and provide steps on how this can be done.