A South Korean expert on unification and security affairs claimed on Wednesday that the establishment of an inter-Korean alliance, rather than complete unification, is the more realistic goal for Seoul to achieve by 2030.
 
Director of the Sejong Institute’s Office for Unification Strategy Studies Cheong Seong-chang made the claim during a speech delivered at the 30th Sejong National Strategy Forum held in Seoul.
   
Cheong said there is very little possibility that the North’s regime will collapse in the near future, and that unification must be achieved through South Korea’s leadership. He said that taking into consideration the control over elites and general population by the North’s authorities, the chances of North Korea’s democratization by 2030 are also improbable.
 
Cheong said that the most worrisome factor about North Korea in 2030 will be its nuclear capability, adding that the most realistic goal is to persuade Pyongyang to cease further development of nuclear weapons.