Confront or conciliate? The divided characterization of North Korea in educational resources for unification in South Korea
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32870/mycp.v15i44.953Keywords:
North Korea, South Korea, unification of the Korean peninsula, unification education, educational resourcesAbstract
This research explores the influence of political ideologies on the characterization of North Korea in educational resources for unification in South Korea. Using content analysis, the ideological influ- ence of two conservative governments (2008-2013 and 2013-2017) and one progressive government (2017-2022) is examined through the complemen- tary educational resources of the National Institute for Peace, Unification, and Democracy Education. The originality of the study lies in examining the educational resources promoted by a South Korean government institution and the resulting, ideo- logically based characterization of North Korea. The results show that inter-Korean relations have been characterized by a confrontational perspective on the one hand, and a conciliatory perspective on the other, while the internal situation of North Korea has been interpreted by a denunciatory viewpoint on the one hand, and a sympathetic viewpoint on the other, respectively. The study concludes that ideological bias plays a significant role in the divided characterization of North Korea through a hegemonic relationship conditioned by cultural arbitrariness.Downloads
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