Seoul National University has been working on various levels, including research, education, and policy development to fulfill its social responsibilities as a national university. It also aims to realize the reunification of North and South Korea and world peace. The Institute for Peace and Unification Studies, which was established in 2006 as the “Unification Research Center” has served as the centerpiece of SNU’s efforts and has evolved over the years. In particular, in 2011, the institute was reorganized and renamed to its current name in recognition of the importance of peace research.
Since the late 2000s, the institute has been conducting the Unification Perception Survey, the North Korean Unification Perception Survey, and the North Korea Social Change Survey, as well as measuring and publishing the Inter-Korean Integration Index every year. This is because we have determined that the most necessary task for research and policy formulation on North Korea and unification is the collection and accumulation of basic data. This data has been utilized in a number of academic studies, and has also contributed to the formation of public opinion in our society and the government’s policy toward North Korea.
In addition, since 2010, we have been operating the Peace and Humanities Research Group with the support of the Humanities Korea (HK) project for 10 years to establish peace studies based on the Korean Peninsula issues. Since 2015, we have been conducting the Foundation for Unification and Peace Project by organizing a collaborative network of researchers and research institutes who are interested in unification and peace issues. Through this project, we have accumulated knowledge related to North Korea, unification, peace, security, and human rights every year and have contributed to the cultivation of experts in related fields. In addition, we have established a global network and carried out various cooperative projects for the realization of sustainable peace at the global level.
Education related to North Korea, reunification, and peace are also an important responsibility of the institute. To this end, the institute operates the Unification Academy and the Peace Academy for university students and the general public. Since the institute moved to Siheung Campus in 2020, it has been operating the Citizen Peace School and the Leaders Academy in cooperation with Siheung City. The institute also runs the Unification Studies Forum and the Peace Studies Forum to discuss important and timely topics related to unification and peace. In addition, the institute publishes the SCOPUS-registered English-language journal Asian Journal of Peacebuilding and the KCI-registered Korean-language journal Journal of Peace and Unification Studies twice a year, respectively.
Based on its accumulated experience and competencies on research related to North Korea, Northeast Asia, and the reunification of the two Koreas, the institute is expanding its horizons and scope of activities beyond the Korean Peninsula. The institute is strengthening exchanges and cooperation with overseas research institutions. Through these efforts, the institute aims to become a world-class research center not only in North Korean studies and unification studies, but also in the field of peace studies. We look forward to your encouragement and advice so that the institute can develop into a cradle of wisdom that contributes to the unification of the Korean Peninsula and global peace.
Thank you.
IPUS Director Kim, Bumsoo
IPUS Annual Report 2023-2024 (English ver.)
