Security Relations Between the DPRK and South Korea after the End of the Cold War: Reciprocity or Bullying?

BLINKA, Jan and Zdeněk KŘÍŽ. Security Relations Between the DPRK and South Korea after the End of the Cold War: Reciprocity or Bullying? Politické vedy. Banská Bystrica: Fakulta politických vied a medzinárodných vzťahov UMB Banská Bystrica, 2015, vol. 18, No 2, p. 43-65. ISSN 1335-2741.

Basic information

• Original name: Security Relations Between the DPRK and South Korea after the End of the Cold War: Reciprocity or Bullying?
• Authors: BLINKA, Jan (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Zdeněk KŘÍŽ (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: Politické vedy, Banská Bystrica, Fakulta politických vied a medzinárodných vzťahov UMB Banská Bystrica, 2015, 1335-2741.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 50601 Political science
• Country of publisher: Slovakia
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14230/15:00084109
• Organization unit: Faculty of Social Studies
• UT WoS: 000446215100003
• Keywords (in Czech): Jižní Korea; Severní Korea; reciprocita; oko za oko; teorie stimulus-response; Korejský poloostrov
• Keywords in English: North Korea; South Korea; reciprocity; bullying; stimulus-response theory; tit-for-tat; Korean peninsula
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to ask the question whether the relations between North Korea and South Korea folllow the premises of stimulus-response theory and thus are driven by reciprocity, or whether bullying strategy suits better to explain the relations between two Korean states. The presented data shows that reciprocating strategy was prevailing pattern of relations between Seoul and Pyongyang since the end of 80´s till 2013, thus supporting the empirical relevance of the stimulus-response theory. The existence of reciprocity-based strategies in inter-Korean relations has been revealed, both in their confrontational and cooperational formulation, whilst higher reciprocity was found in cooperative relations. Noteworthy, North Korean cooperative actions were of a milder character than South Korean ones, whilst South Korea did not respond by such strong confrontational actions, as were sent to it from the North. The results of the research are not significant only for theoretical level, but also for the policy-recommendation. T he implication for practical politics is that states intending to increase the level of cooperation with North Korea should adopt the reciprocating strategy in its cooperative form. This approach must be adopted in the long-term perspective, as North Korea is sensitive to incoming impulses and is ready to switch from cooperation to confrontation right away.