Dan Gudgeon: How South Korea’s language on North Korea shapes peace narrative

North Korea News Podcast

In this episode, we speak with Dan Gudgeon, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Vienna, about how peace narratives shape inter-Korean relations. Drawing from his research on South Korea’s Sunshine Policy era, Dan explains how national identity and "ontological security" influence public and political willingness to engage in peace building. He then discusses whether peace narratives can coexist with military deterrence, how global powers like the U.S. influence inter-Korean diplomacy, and what lessons South Korea should take if peace with the DPRK talks resume. Dan Gudgeon is a post-doctoral researcher and lecturer in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Vienna. He attained his Ph.D. from the University of North Korean Studies and previously worked for the Korean Sharing Movement, an inter-Korean cooperation NGO in Seoul. 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 insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.