Relations between North and South Korea are strained

After the death of Kim Il-Sung, the early years of Kim Jong Il's regime saw a relatively static situation between North and South Korea, despite the countries' participation in multiparty negotiations on nuclear issues and South Korea's provision of aid to the North. At the turn of the 21st century, there was significant optimism that the longstanding issues dividing the two Koreas might be resolved. South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung initiated a policy of reconciliation with the North, known as the “sunshine policy.” In June 2000, he made a historic visit to North Korea—the first by any Korean head of state—and the two leaders developed a five-point joint declaration outlining steps toward national unification. A select number of North and South Koreans were allowed to participate in cross-border family reunions. Later that year, at the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, athletes from North and South Korea marched together under a unified flag depicting a silhouette of the Korean peninsula, although they competed as separate teams. The countries repeated this gesture at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens but were unable to reach an agreement to do the same at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. During this period, Kim Jong Il's government also reestablished diplomatic relations with several Western countries and committed to maintaining a moratorium on missile testing.

Efforts to restore North-South dialogue continued. In May 2007, trains from both North and South Korea crossed the demilitarized zone for the first time since the Korean War. Later, in October, the two Koreas held a second summit where South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun traveled to P’yŏngyang to meet with Kim Jong Il.

The December 2007 election of Lee Myung-Bak as South Korean president marked the beginning of a cooling period in inter-Korean relations, as Lee adopted a more hard-line stance toward P’yŏngyang. Tensions escalated when the North Korean government announced in January 2009 that it was nullifying all military and political agreements with South Korea. In May of that year, North Korea declared the cancellation of all business contracts with South Korea related to the joint-venture Kaesŏng Industrial Complex, although little changed in practice.

In March 2010, the South Korean warship Ch’ŏnan (Cheonan) exploded and sank in the Yellow Sea near Paengnyŏng (Baengnyeong) Island, close to the maritime border with North Korea. An international team of investigators concluded in May that a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine caused the explosion. In response, South Korea ended all trade relations with North Korea and declared its intention to resume propaganda broadcasts along the border. Denying responsibility for the attack, the North Korean government severed all ties with South Korea. Read More.......