The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology (문화기술의 융합)

The International Promotion Agency of Culture Technology (국제문화기술진흥원)
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Changes and Implications of North Korea's Discourse on a Peace Treaty during the Kim Il-sung Era

김일성 시기 북한의 평화협정 담론 변화와 함의

  • Eun-mi Lee (Dept. of North Korean Studies, Dongguk Univ.)
  • Received : 2024.05.21
  • Accepted : 2024.09.01
  • Published : 2024.09.30
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Abstract

For us, as 2023 marked the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice Agreement, it provided an opportunity to reflect once again on the potential for transitioning the armistice into a peace treaty, officially ending the Korean War, and establishing a peace regime that could promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Since the Geneva Conference of 1954, North Korea has made various statements regarding a peace treaty. It can be seen that North Korea aimed to strengthen its own power and achieve a balance of power by entering into a peace treaty with South Korea or the U.S. This paper aims to examine the reasons why North Korea, a signatory of the Armistice Agreement of 1953, became interested in forging a peace treaty and to establish the foundation of how North Korea's discourse on a peace treaty has changed over time. By examining cases of North Korea's proposals for an inter-Korean or a North Korea-U.S. peace treaty since the 1954 Political Conference to the period from the 1950s to the 1990s, this paper seeks to explain the background behind North Korea's peace treaty discourse and to consider the implications of these changes for South Korea and the U.S., which would be parties to such a peace treaty. Additionally, the paper aims to explore the implications for South Korea and the United States, not only in relation to North Korea but also considering the United Nations Command and the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, when entering into a peace treaty with North Korea.

우리에게 2023년은 정전협정 체결 70주년을 기념한 만큼 정전협정을 평화협정으로 전환해 한국전쟁을 종결하고 한반도 평화와 안정을 도모할 수 있는 평화체제에 대해 다시금 되새길 수 있는 계기였다고 할 수 있다. 북한은 1954년 제네바 정치회담 당시부터 평화협정에 관한 다양한 담화들을 발표하였다. 남한 또는 미국과의 평화협정을 체결함으로써 북한 스스로의 힘을 키워 세력균형을 맞추려고 했다고 볼 수 있다. 본 논문에서 1953년 정전협정 체결의 당사국인 북한이 평화협정에 대한 관심을 갖게 된 계기를 살펴보고 북한의 평화협정 담론이 언제부터 어떻게 변화했는지 그 기초를 세우고자 한다. 1954년 정치회담 당시부터 1950년~1990년 시기 동안 북한의 남북 및 북미 평화협정제안 사례들을 살펴봄으로써 북한의 평화협정 담론이 변화한 배경을 설명하고 이러한 변화가 평화협정 당사국들이 될 한국과 미국에게 어떤 함의가 있는지를 고찰하고자 한다. 북한과의 평화협정 체결 시 북한뿐만 아니라 유엔군사령부와 한미 상호방위조약과 관련 한국과 미국에게 어떤 시사점을 줄 수 있는지를 고찰하고자 한다.

Keywords

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