Lee Sang-sin: Why most South Koreans no longer see unification as necessary
North Korea News Podcast by NK NewsShow Notes
Lee Sang-sin of the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) returns to the podcast to discuss the results of the think tank’s annual survey, which found for the first time ever that less than half of South Korean adults think that unification with North Korea is necessary.
The expert discusses how Seoul’s broad unification framework has remained largely consistent across administrations and explains KINU’s role as a think tank under the prime minister’s office, which allows it to support the Ministry of Unification while maintaining independence.
The conversation then turns to North Korea’s rejection of unification and dialogue and KINU’s expanded global surveys, which show stark differences in how foreign publics view the two Koreas.
Dr. Lee Sang-sin is a senior research fellow and polling expert at the Korea Institute for National Unification. He last appeared on episode 74 of the NK News podcast in June 2019.
About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.
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Editor’s note: This interview was recorded in July 2026. Some references to recent events and political developments reflect the situation at the time of recording and may differ from subsequent developments.
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