This study briefly examines how divided nations preserve and transform national identity through comparative analysis of Poland's partition period (1795-1918) and Korea's ongoing division since 1945. The central claim is that the preservation of a shared national identity amid political division facilitates prospects for reunification, whereas the formation of divergent identities legitimizes continued political separation. Poland's experience demonstrates how maintaining unified national consciousness across political boundaries facilitated successful reunification in 1918, despite 123 years of occupation.

In contrast, Korea's division has produced two distinct national identities that, while sharing cultural and historical roots, have developed competing claims to authentic Korean nationhood, thereby deepening the political divide. This comparative analysis reveals that national identity functions not merely as cultural preservation but as a political tool that can either enable or disable reunification process. The findings have implications for understanding contemporary Korean reunification prospects and broader influence of national identities on inter- and intranational conflicts.

The project is funded by a UniKorea grant, financed by the UniKorea Foundation