Sadae: Attendance to the Great

"A shrimp among the whales” described Korea’s position in East Asia, especially being caught in the middle of 2 East Asian super weights China and Japan. To survive, the Koreans relied on diplomacy establishing good special relations with greater power – in this case, China. Such became the cornerstone of Korea’s centuries-old doctrine known as Sadae (Attendance to the Great).

Sunshine Policy

Kim Dae-Jung

The Sunshine Policy was a program of reconciliation between North and South Korea under President of the Republic of Korea, Kim Dae-jung. It began a process of acceptance and interaction between the two Koreas. Ultimately, the policy resulted in many historic events.

Nordpolitik: Engaging with the Communist Bloc

Nordpolitik or Northern Policy defined the Republic of Korea's foreign policy towards the communist countries by then-President Roh Tae Woo. With the Détente of the 1970s, The Republic of Korea transitioned from diplomacy based on ideology to one based on practicality and tolerance paving the way for the expansion of the East Asian country's global presence.  Strategically, it also intended to isolate the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) or at the very least, bring them to the negotiation table.