North Korea, formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a relic of the Cold War and the last remaining totalitarian Stalinist dictatorship world. Arguably the most secretive state in the world, North Korea poses a unique set of challenges to the world, particularly to its democratic and capitalist neighbor, South Korea, formally known as the Republic of Korea (ROK). As one of the last remnants of the Cold War era, North Korea remains an anomaly in the international system due to its unpredictable nature and disregard for international norms. With the recent bombing of the South Korean island of Yeongpyong and the sinking of the Cheonan warship, tensions between the two Koreas are at their lowest point since the end of the Korean War. The question remains what direction South Korea will need to take if it hopes to achieve lasting peace on the peninsula and whether the goal of reunification can be achieved in our lifetime. South Korea's past engagement policies, such as Nordpolitik and the “Sunshine Policy,” have proven to elicit some positive effects on improving relations. However, they failed to reduce existing military tension on the peninsula as the North continued to pursue a nuclear weapons program during their implementation. The current administration has adopted a more hardline approach, but even this has proven to only further increase tensions, as recent provocations demonstrate. In order for South Korea to successfully formulate a set of policies that elicit a positive response from North Korea, South Korea must carefully evaluate its past policy successes while also attempting to understand the reasons behind North Korean behavior. As the scholar Samuel S. Kim points out. ..... middle of paper ...... Politics of Engagement and North Korea: Identity, Norms, and Sunshine Politics. New York: Taylor & Francis.S., S. (2004). Inter-Korean relations: problems and prospects. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan.Edwards, Paul M (2005) The A to Z of the Korean War. The Scarecrow Press, New York, NY.UN Security Council, Resolution 84 (1950) of 7 July 1950, 7 July 1950, S/RES/84 (1950), available at: http://www.unhcr.org /refworld /docid/3b00f1e85c.html [accessed 5 April 2011]Choi, Yong Sang. “North Korea Flight 858 Admission to Terrorism.” Editorial. Daily Nk. 04 October 2010. Web. 03 March 2011. "Who's to blame for the armed clash in the West Sea of ​​Korea." Official statement. Korean Central News Agency. Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 27 November 2010. Web. 05 March. 2011. .