The thesis deals with a new concept of foreign policy conducted by the President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak. With special emphasis on the aspects of previous period, the thesis analyzes the formation of the global status of the Republic of Korea in international relations after 2008. Furthermore, it describes the political development of country's international status in its ups and downs and evaluates the causes and consequences of its way to develop international relations. On the level of international system, the thesis interprets in depth selected current international issues in East Asia, relations with neighboring countries as well as economic and cultural issues that directly determine the reconfiguration of existing foreign policy of the Republic of Korea.

This paper examines different foreign policies of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) with regards to a peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. The paper uses the theoretical framework of Social Constructivism to analyze what impact the different foreign policies of South Korea towards North Korea have had on their relations, thus providing an understanding of what impact those foreign policies have had on the peaceful reunification process of the Korean Peninsula. The paper will also look at the First Korean Nuclear Crisis, the Second Korean Nuclear Crisis, the ROKS Cheonan sinking and the shelling of Yeonpyeong, and with the help from the theoretical framework of Social Constructivism, analyze what impact those incidents have had on South Korea’s foreign policy and relations with North Korea, thus providing an understanding what impact those incidents have had on the peaceful reunification process of the Korean Peninsula.