In the Korean Peninsula, the concept of nationalism largely is tied to resistance against outside influence, primarily from Japan and to some extent from Europe. Like most things on the peninsula, it is expressed far differently in the South as compared to the North.
In South Korea, nationalism in an anti-Japanese sense still exists and plays a role in economic policy and trade, with the two countries occasionally butting heads with one another. However, primarily the nationalist identity of South Korea, particularly among the younger generation, is one defined by neoliberal values, with South Korea as its own unique state in the global western sphere, separate entirely from the Northern half of the peninsula. Skepticism towards Japan is definitely still a sentiment that defines South Korea, particularly the older generations, but they are now much more skeptical of their hostile twin to the North. Nearly sixty-nine percent of South Koreans say they support the reunification of the peninsula, although a fair number of younger South Koreans seem concerned that their welfare and economy would be negatively impacted by reunification.
Meanwhile, in the North, the national identity takes on a far different tone. It is a staunchly militarist one, dictated by the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea. Accurate, trustworthy polling of the people of North Korea cannot be found, so the only information on the state of nationalism in the DPRK can be found through the voices of defectors, as well as statements put out by the official state media apparatus of the regime. The nationalism of the Northern half of the Korean nation is one largely rooted in a hatred of the enemies of the Kim regime, as well as an adoration for its reigning and past heads. There is also a strong vein of ethno nationalism, a belief that the Korean race is inherently superior to all others. Frequently, the state media will release stories about supposed archaeological digs unearthing relics of Korea’s past, linking to some ancient and perhaps mythical origins for the Korean people, attempting to draw a direct link between the people who inhabited the peninsula tens of thousands of years ago to those residing in it today to try and demonstrate a grand historical lineage.
Sources:
The Rise of Nationalism in Korea. University of Hawai’i Press. University of Hawai’i. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23718828.pdf. Accessed 17 Oct. 2022.
Campbell, Emma. South Korea’s New Nationalism: The End of “One Korea”? Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 2016.
“A Peninsula of Paradoxes: South Korean Public Opinion on Unification and Outside Powers.” carnegieendowment.org, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 13 May 2020, carnegieendowment.org/2020/05/13/peninsula-of-paradoxes-south-korean-public-opinion-on-unification-and-outside-powers-pub-81737.
“North Korean Nationalism: Reading the Paleolithic Text .” isdp.edu, Jeonbuk National University, 19 Nov. 2021, isdp.eu/content/uploads/2021/11/North-Korean-Nationalism-Reading-the-Paleolithic-Text-IB-19.11.2021.pdf.
Historical Changes in North Korean Nationalism. 2007, www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43908751.pdf.