The Sunshine Policy and Security on the Korean Peninsula: A Critical Assessment and Prospects

Has the Kim Dae Jung administration’s “Sunshine policy” really improved security on the Korean peninsula? Could peace and security be better achieved by some other means? Before assessing the achievements of the Sunshine policy, several issues beg investigation. What did the Sunshine policy seek to achieve in terms of security, and what were the underlying assumptions on the interconnections between the policy and security? How did its security policy implementation process unfold over time? Finally, how can one assess the overall management and remaining tasks of the Sunshine policy? These issues are the focus of this examination.