What would unification mean for the North Korean people?

Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The desire for unification among North Korean people could be driven by several factors, rooted in both the tangible benefits they hope to gain and a sense of shared heritage with the Korean people in the South. Here's how these motivations and visions for life post-unification could be framed to address their aspirations and expectations:

1. Economic prosperity and personal wealth

For many Koreans in the North, unification represents a pathway out of poverty, opening doors to improved living conditions and economic security. They may envision a future where they can own property, start businesses, or choose careers that align with their skills and interests -- opportunities currently limited in North Korea. Unification could mean the freedom to accumulate wealth, pass assets down to future generations, and live without fear of losing property due to communist state policies.

2. Access to modern healthcare

Koreans in the North have endured severe limitations in healthcare, leading to preventable suffering. Unification could promise access to the advanced medical infrastructure of South Korea, including well-equipped hospitals, diverse medical treatments, and higher-quality pharmaceuticals. They could hope for a future where treatable illnesses don't lead to loss of life or mobility, enabling them to live healthier, longer lives. Universal healthcare or other supportive systems could make quality care accessible, providing North Koreans with a safety net previously unavailable.

3. Educational opportunities for future generations

Education in North Korea is primarily focused on ideological indoctrination rather than skill development. Korean parents may dream of a future where their children receive education that equips them with practical skills -- like engineering, sciences, technology, and foreign languages -- that prepare them for a globalized economy. This change in educational focus could lead to more opportunities for youth, providing them with the tools to achieve professional success and contribute meaningfully to society.

4. Greater freedom and human rights

Unification would likely introduce freedoms Koreans in the North have never known: freedom of speech, freedom of movement, and freedom of expression. These rights could allow them to engage in political discourse, pursue their personal interests, and even travel freely within their own country and beyond. Such freedoms could empower individuals to build lives that are secure, fulfilling, and independent from government oversight.

5. Stable employment and career growth

Unification may offer Koreans in the North more stable employment with fair wages, safer working conditions, and career advancement opportunities. The South's robust economy and industrial diversity could provide Koreans with gainful employment that fosters skill development, offering job security and pathways to career growth in fields that align with their interests.

6. Strengthened cultural and family ties

Many Koreans in the North have extended family members across the border with whom they've had limited or no contact. Most family members who recall or experienced direct contact have passed on, so only descendants on both sides of the DMZ remain. For them, unification would mean reuniting with relatives they have never known and reestablishing familial bonds that have been severed for decades. Culturally, they may see unification as a restoration of the Korean identity, "minjok" and the spirit of the Han, where shared traditions and history can be celebrated freely.

7. Vision for a collective Korean identity and stronger nation

Unification could also mean pride in rebuilding Korea as a single, more influential nation on the global stage. By combining the resources and resilience of the Korean people in the North and South, they could envision a unified Korea that is not only economically strong but also a leader in technology, culture, and international diplomacy.

"End State" of unification for North Koreans:

The "end state" of unification, from the North Korean perspective, would ideally be one where their basic needs are met, opportunities for advancement are accessible, and their freedoms are protected. In this vision, Koreans in the North would no longer experience hunger, political repression, or isolation from the world. Instead, they would live with rights and opportunities on par with their Southern brothers and sisters, where their children can thrive and where they can contribute to a unified, prosperous Korea.

The key to all of the above is communication between the people of the North and South. Most people believe this to be nearly impossible, given the extreme lengths the Kim family regime is willing to go to ensure the Korean people in the North are isolated and kept ignorant of life in the South and the outside world. However, the North Korean diaspora and non-governmental organizations, as well as Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, have achieved success in penetrating the "information Maginot Line" that Kim Jong Un has tried to construct around North Korea. Much more can and must be done with a comprehensive information campaign that is the connective tissue among human rights, a common Korean people's vision of an end state, and a free and unified Korea.

Perhaps the best description of an "end state" comes from Greg Scarlatoiu, the President and CEO of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, in his weekly column with Radio Free Asia. He speaks with authority from his own experience, having lived through the Romanian revolution that overthrew a communist dictator and close friend of Kim Il Sung:

"Are the North Korean people called to spread instability and violence? Absolutely not. All they want is a decent life for their families. There is only one solution to the problems surrounding North Korea, including nuclear weapons, missiles, and the export of violence and instability. The only way for the North Korean people to develop their homeland and bring peace and prosperity to their families is unification under a prosperous free democratic state. And one day, just like the people of a free and prosperous democratic South Korea, the North Korean people will become a force for good in the world. Let us hope that one day they will bring peace and prosperity, not instability and violence, to others."

Conclusion

Ultimately, there must be a common end state that all Korean people desire and seek to achieve. But the members of the international community who support the Korean people's quest for freedom and the basic human right of self-determination of government must consider the acceptable durable political arrangement that will bring security and prosperity to the Korean Peninsula and the region. The only way to see an end to the nuclear program and military threats, as well as the human rights abuses and crimes against humanity being committed by the Kim family regime, is through the achievement of unification and the establishment of a free and unified Korea. Such a Korea must be secure and stable, non-nuclear, economically vibrant, and unified under a liberal constitutional form of government based on individual liberty, rule of law, and human rights as determined by the Korean people. A free and unified Korea, or in short, a United Republic of Korea (UROK).

David Maxwell is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel who has spent more than 30 years in the Asia Pacific region. He specializes in Northeast Asian Security Affairs and unconventional and political warfare. He is Vice President of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a Senior Fellow at the Global Peace Foundation. Following retirement, he was Associate Director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. He is on the board of directors of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and the OSS Society, and is a contributing editor to Small Wars Journal.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.