Cooperation in Natural Disaster Management between South and North Korea

Cooperation in natural disaster management between the two Koreas, so far, has been limited. In inter-Korean cooperation, dialogues and conflicts were repeated depending on the political and military situation on the Korean Peninsula. The purpose of this study is to address factors affecting the inter-Korean natural disaster management cooperation and to prepare a plan to improve the cooperative system. According to the analysis results of this study, North Korea's vulnerability to natural disasters has increased, but the natural disaster management system lacks response capacity. In terms of disaster cooperation factors, there was no permanent consultative body. The cooperation regulations were not clear, and the establishment of a mutual cooperation system such as information sharing was insufficient. In addition, a consumer-oriented approach that considers North Korea’s needs first has been not enough. Based on these analysis results, this study suggests the establishment of a border management committee between the two Koreas and a disaster management agreement.