Psychological Assessment of South Koreans' Perception on Unification Laws: How Legal Psychology Impacts Perspectives on Korean Unification Policies

Introduction. In order to implement the «Special Presidential Declaration for National Pride and Unification Prosperity», South Korea enacted and promulgated the «Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act» on August 1, 1990, expressing its commitment to a North Korea policy and unification policy based on constitutional rule of law. As a result, the Ministry of Unification currently is in charge of a total of 31 related statutes: 11 laws, 12 presidential decrees, and 8 ministerial decrees. However, despite South Korean's high public interest in North Korea and inter-Korean relations, there is a lack of public awareness regarding laws relevant to unification. This is partly because North Korea policy has primarily been led by the President and the executive branch, whereas the legislative body, the National Assembly, played a relatively minor role in inter-Korean and foreign relations. Effective rule of law reduces corruption, protects individuals from minor injustices, supports responsible governance, respects fundamental rights, and forms the foundation for a just, peaceful, and opportunistic community. In the context of unification, achieving an ideal unified state necessitates securing a legal system that ensures a fair society governed by rational and public rules, rather than arbitrary rule by leaders. Methods. This research conducted a survey on 225 South Korean citizens aged 19 and older using an online questionnaire to investigate their legal consciousness regarding unification-related laws. Results. Descriptive statistics revealed a low public awareness of unification-related laws, and low legal consciousness on the Unification law. Further correlational analysis revealed a positive correlation between cognitive and emotional dimensions of legal consciousness and supportive attitudes towards unification and reconciliatory North Korea policies. Discussion. Based on these findings, it is suggested that the government could consider expanding the functions of the Unification Law Database operated by the Ministry of Unification and strengthening legal education in the curriculum conducted during the Unification Education Week by the National Institute for Unification Education.