ARI Director Nae-young Lee’s Special Lecture at Waseda University, Japan

1. Host & Conference Name: The 59^th Asia Seminar hosted by the Organization for Asian Studies, Waseda University

2. Date and Time: Fri., 8^th Jul. 2011, 16:30~18:00

3. Venue: Multipurpose Lecture Room, Waseda University Building No. 26 (Ookuma Tower)

4. Topic: Koreans’ National Identity and Changes in Their Perception of North Korea and Unification

5. Content: South Koreans’ perception of and attitude toward North Korea and unification are important factors in forming their national identity. Most South Koreans have an ambivalent attitude towards North Korea. On one hand, they feel a sense of kinship with North Koreans as compatriots. On the other hand, however, they perceive North Korea as a separate, hostile country that threatens its security. Changes in South Koreans’ perception of North Korea have a great influence on their attitude towards the appropriateness of and formulas for unification. This lecture looks into what changes have occurred in South Koreans’ perception of and attitude towards North Korea and unification by comparing and analyzing the results of both the 2005 Korean Identity Survey jointly conducted by the East Asia Institute and the JoongAng Daily and the 2010 National Identity Survey jointly conducted by the East Asia Institute and ARI.