Territory, identity and space as assemblage: alternative Unifications on the Korean peninsula

ABSTRACTThe paper re-assesses South Korean unification narratives in the context of territory and critical approaches to territory. From this, the paper identifies a set of underlying assumptions and expectations of South Korean government and civil society. The paper explains why division and unification are commonly assumed as a zero-sum relationship and primarily based on a bounded and homogenous understanding of spatiality and territory. From this, the paper indicates how alternative conceptions of space, networks and territory might be used to recast the site and nature of Korean territorial unification.