[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] On the 17th, President Moon Jae-in received the first report of the new year from the Northern Economic Cooperation Committee, which is promoting economic cooperation in the 'Northeast 3 Provinces' border area between China and North Korea. As President Moon recently emphasized independent 'inter-Korean cooperation promotion' that does not violate the framework of North Korean sanctions, attention is focused on whether a concrete blueprint will be presented soon.
It was confirmed that President Moon received a report on the progress so far from Kwon Gu-hoon, chairman of the Northern Committee, in a private meeting at the Blue House that morning. Since multiple agenda items were reported, it is expected that discussions were held not only on Mount Kumgang tourism but also on additional cooperation projects such as railway and road connections and the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Park Jin-gyu, secretary for New Southern and New Northern Policy at the Blue House, also attended the meeting. The Blue House recently expressed its intention to focus on the new economic initiative for the Korean Peninsula by renaming and changing the role of the existing trade secretary to 'New Southern and New Northern Policy Secretary' through organizational restructuring.
The northeastern region of China, which the Northern Committee is focusing on, is a key hub of President Moon's 'New Economic Initiative for the Korean Peninsula.' In particular, the railway and road connection projects in the border area are the top priority as a 'bridge nation,' which President Moon has repeatedly emphasized.
This report from the Northern Committee was made shortly after President Moon mentioned the promotion of 'inter-Korean cooperation.' At a New Year's press conference on the 14th, President Moon said, "There are indeed many restrictions on cooperation due to international sanctions, but within the limited scope, there are many things that can be done between the South and the North," adding, "First, cooperation in the border area can be pursued, and individual tourism does not violate international sanctions, so it can be sufficiently explored."
No Young-min, Chief of Staff to the President, also clearly stated in an interview on a radio program the day before, "(Individual visits to North Korea) do not fall under UN sanctions on North Korea," and "That is something that can be implemented at any time, and we are reviewing it."
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