Editing Korean reunification (section)

==History==
{{Further|Aftermath of the Korean War|North Korea–South Korea relations}}

=== Bilateral agreements ===
==== North-South Joint Communiqué, 1972 ====
After the [[détente]] between the [[United States]] and [[China]], the North and South Korean governments made in 1972 the [[July 4 South–North Joint Statement]] to improve the relations between the two countries on July 4, 1972. It had a representative of each government secretly visit the other's capital city, and both sides agreed to a North-South Joint Communiqué, outlining the steps to be taken towards achieving a peaceful [[reunification]] of the country:
# Unification shall be achieved through independent Korean efforts without being subject to the external imposition of interference.
# Unification shall be achieved through peaceful means, and not through the [[use of force in international law|use of force]] against each other.
# As a homogeneous people, a great [[national unity]] shall be sought above all, transcending differences in ideas, ideologies, and systems.
# In order to ease tensions, and foster an atmosphere of mutual trust between the South and the North, the two sides have agreed not to slander or defame each other, not to undertake armed provocations whether on a large or small scale and to take positive measures to prevent inadvertent military incidents.
# The two sides, in order to restore severed national ties, promote mutual understanding, and expedite independent peaceful unification, have agreed to carry out various exchanges in many fields such as culture and science.
# The two sides have agreed to cooperate positively with each other to seek early success of the North-South [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]] talks, which are underway with the fervent expectations of the entire people.
# The two sides, in order to prevent the outbreak of unexpected military incidents and to deal directly, promptly, and accurately with problems arising between the North and the South, have agreed to install a direct telephone line between Seoul and Pyongyang.
# The two sides, in order to implement the aforementioned agreed-upon items, to solve various problems existing between the North and the South, and to settle the unification problem on the basis of the agreed-upon principles for the unification of the [[Fatherland]], have agreed to establish and operate a North-South Coordinating Committee co-chaired by Director [[Lee Hu-rak|Yi Hurak]] [representing the South] and Director [[Kim Yong-ju]] [representing the North].
# The two sides, firmly convinced that the aforementioned agreed-upon items correspond with the common aspirations of the entire people, who are anxious to see an early unification of the Fatherland, hereby solemnly pledge before the entire [[Korean people]] that they will faithfully carry out these agreed-upon items."<ref>''Korean Quarterly'' 14:3 (autumn 1972):58-60.</ref>

The agreement outlined the steps to be taken towards achieving a peaceful reunification of the country. However, the North-South Coordination Committee was disbanded the following year after no progress had been made towards implementing the agreement. In January 1989, the founder of [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]], [[Jung Ju-young]], toured North Korea and promoted tourism in [[Mount Kumgang]]. After a twelve-year hiatus, the prime ministers of the two Koreas met in [[Seoul]] in September 1990 to engage in the [[Inter-Korean summits]] or High-Level Talks. In December, the two countries reached an agreement on issues of reconciliation, [[Non-aggression pact|nonaggression]], cooperation, and exchange between North and South in "The Agreement on Reconciliation, Nonaggression, Cooperation, and Exchange Between North and South",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/t/ac/rls/or/2004/31012.htm|title=Agreement on Reconciliation, Nonaggression and Exchanges And Cooperation Between the South and the North|website=2001-2009.state.gov|access-date=2018-11-19}}</ref> but these talks collapsed over [[North Korea and weapons of mass destruction#International inspections|inspection of nuclear facilities]]. In 1994, after former U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]]'s visit to [[Pyongyang]], the leaders of the two Koreas agreed to meet with each other, but the meeting was prevented by the [[Death and state funeral of Kim Il Sung|death of Kim Il Sung]] that July.<ref>Ch'oe, Yong-ho, Bary William Theodore. De, Martina Deuchler, and Peter Hacksoo. Lee. Sources of Korean Culture: From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century. Vol. 2. New York: Columbia Univ., 2000. 425-6. Print.</ref>

==== June 15th North–South Joint Declaration, 2000 ====
[[File:June 15th Joint Declaration 6.15 공동선언.jpg|alt=June 15th Joint Declaration signed by Kim Jong Il and Kim Dae-jung|thumb|June 15th Joint Declaration signed by Kim Jong Il and Kim Dae-jung]]
In June 2000, North and South Korea signed the [[June 15th North–South Joint Declaration]], in which both sides made promises to seek out a peaceful reunification with the co-existence of two systems:<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/791691.stm|title=North–South Joint Declaration|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=15 June 2000|access-date=2018-11-19}}</ref>

# The North and the South agreed to solve the question of the country's reunification independently by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation responsible for it.
# The North and the South, recognizing that the low-level [[federation]] proposed by the North and the [[commonwealth]] system proposed by the South for the reunification of the country have similarity, agreed to work together for the reunification in this direction in the future.
# The North and the South agreed to settle humanitarian issues (such as the [[North Korean famine]]) as early as possible, including the exchange of visiting groups of separated families and relatives and the issue of unconverted long-term prisoners, to mark August 15 this year.
# The North and the South agreed to promote the balanced development of the national economy through economic cooperation and build mutual confidence by activating cooperation and exchange in all fields, social, cultural, sports, public health, environmental and so on.
# The North and the South agreed to hold an authority-to-authority negotiation as soon as possible to put the above-mentioned agreed points into speedy operation.

==== October 4th Declaration, 2007 ====
During the 2007 high-level inter-Korean talks held in Pyongyang between Kim Jong Il and Roh Moo Hyun, both sides agreed to the October 4th Declaration, improving on inter-Korean relations on the basis of the June 15 Joint Declaration. The eight points of the declaration signed on the 4th of October 2007 are as follows:

# "The north and the south shall uphold and positively implement the June 15 Joint Declaration.
# "The north and the south agreed to convert north-south relations definitely into those of mutual respect and confidence, transcending the difference in ideology and system.
# "The north and the south agreed to closely cooperate with each other in the efforts to put an end to hostile military relations and ensure détente and peace on the Korean peninsula.
# "The north and the south, based on the common understanding of the need to put an end to the existing armistice mechanism and build a lasting peace mechanism, agreed to cooperate with each other in the efforts to push forward with the issue of arranging a meeting on the territory of the Korean peninsula of the heads of state of three or four parties directly concerned to promote the matter of declaring an end to war.
# "The north and the south agreed to reactivate economic cooperation and bring about its sustained development on the principles of ensuring common interests and prosperity and meeting each other's needs with a view to balanced development of the national economy and common prosperity.
# "The north and the south agreed to develop exchanges and cooperation in social and cultural fields such as history, language, education, science and technology, culture and the arts, and sports to add brilliance to the time-honored history and fine culture of the nation.
# "The north and the south agreed to push forward humanitarian cooperation.
# "The north and the south agreed to strengthen cooperation on the international arena in the efforts to protect the interests of the nation and the rights and interests of overseas Koreans."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Declaration for Development of North-South Relations, and Peace and Prosperity|url=http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?lang=eng&ptype=cfotpo&no=5|website=Uri Minzokkiri|access-date=2021-03-28|archive-date=2022-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904150815/http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?lang=eng&ptype=cfotpo&no=5|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Panmunjom Declaration, 2018 ====
In April 2018, at the north-south summit talks at the "House of Peace" in Panmunjom, Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in signed the [[Panmunjom Declaration]], declaring that there would be no longer war and a new era of peace has opened on the Korean peninsula. They declared as follows reflecting the firm will to put an end to division and confrontation, to open up a new era of national reconciliation, peace and prosperity and more actively improve and develop the north-south ties. A brief outline of the three main points of the agreement are as follows:

# "The north and the south will achieve comprehensive and epochal improvement and development in the north-south ties and thus relink the severed blood vessel of the nation and bring earlier the future of common prosperity and independent reunification.
# "The north and the south will make joint efforts to defuse the acute military tensions and to substantially defuse the danger of a war on the Korean peninsula.
# "The north and the south will closely cooperate with each other to build a durable and lasting peace mechanism on the Korean peninsula."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula|url=http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?lang=eng&ptype=cfotpo&no=6|access-date=2021-03-28|archive-date=2020-12-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201231072604/http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?lang=eng&ptype=cfotpo&no=6|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Internationally ===
A [[Unified Korean sporting teams|unified Korean team]] marched in the opening ceremonies of the [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000]], [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004]], and [[2006 Winter Olympics|2006]] Olympics, but the North and South Korean national teams competed separately. There were plans for a truly unified team at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]], but the two countries were unable to agree on the details of its implementation. In the [[1991 World Table Tennis Championships]] in [[Chiba Prefecture|Chiba]], [[Japan]], the two countries formed a unified team. A [[Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics|Unified Korea]] women's ice hockey team competed under a separate IOC country code designation (COR) in the [[2018 Winter Olympics]]; in all other sports, there were a separate [[North Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics|North Korea team]] and a separate [[South Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics|South Korea team]].<ref>{{cite news|title=N. Korea to send 22 athletes in three sports to PyeongChang Winter Olympics: IOC|url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2018/01/20/0200000000AEN20180120003653315.html|access-date=20 January 2018|agency=Yonhap|quote=The team [Unified Korea women's ice hockey team] will use the acronym COR and will be the first joint Korean sports team at an Olympic Games.|date=18 January 2018}}</ref>