National unification and popular sovereignty

The disintegration of the Soviet Union has resulted into the formation of new sovereign states either through secession or unification. National unity became a major political issue in the German unification process and this was intensified by its rapidity. Korea faces a similar situation and may draw lessons from Germany. However, the perception of similarity must be informed by two major points. First, the starting points of unification are disparate and, second, cultural differences impact the concept of how the national state relates to democracy.