CULTURAL IBERISM AND ITS APPLICABILITY TO THE KOREAN PENINSULA

Abstract

Fernando Pessoa envisioned “Iberismo” (or Iberism) not as a project of political federation or economic union, but as a form of cultural cooperation rooted in shared historical and spiritual traits. For Pessoa, one of the defining characteristics of Iberia is its “non-Latinity” — a disposition that distinguishes it from Latin Europe by embracing Arab and Islamic influences and fostering openness toward the Other. This openness is also evident in Portugal’s historical role as a mediator and exchange hub among Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe through the Atlantic Ocean, reflected in the Portuguese people's “plasticity” and “cosmopolitanism.” This study has sought to explore the applicability of Iberism as an analytical framework for models of unification on the Korean Peninsula. While political unification remains the normative ideal pursued by both Koreas, the prolonged reality of division has led to a growing proportion of South Korean citizens adopting increasingly pessimistic views toward political integration. Economic federation, in turn, represents an even more challenging domain of cooperation, given the stark structural contrasts between the two systems—capitalism and socialism, open free trade and a closed, state-led industrial model. Moreover, the economic gap between North and South Korea continues to widen, further constraining the feasibility of economic integration. With respect to cultural cooperation, which constitutes the primary focus of this study, existing forms of exchange have largely been temporary and event-driven in nature. In response, this article proposes more sustained collaboration in the fields of cultural heritage research and transmission, areas that can make substantive contributions to a shared understanding of Korean identity. Finally, affective forms of integration, as captured by the notion of -philia—denoting mutual affection toward the other—must be regarded as the least attainable form of integration in the contemporary Korean context, where enduring ideological conflict continues to foreclose the possibility of socially legitimate cross-border affinity.