Ministry of Unification: "Efforts Needed to Meet Requirements to Receive Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund"

"Government support may be abused or misused"
"Lee Young-sik identified as from the Propaganda Department"

On the 25th, Chosun Central TV reported, "This year, spring began about ten days earlier than last year in most regions of our country, except for the northern inland areas."

Amid some domestic movements aiming to open the door to inter-Korean exchange and cooperation triggered by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, the Ministry of Unification stated on the 26th that if support from the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund is desired, the appropriate requirements must be met.

An official from the Ministry of Unification said to reporters on the same day, "We must consider the public nature of the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund and the transparency in the process of providing aid to North Korea," adding, "Efforts to meet the requirements in this special situation of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation are necessary."

This remark came in response to a question suggesting that "the Ministry of Unification might be demanding excessively high requirements and standards for private inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects."

The official emphasized, "If specific and detailed requirements are not examined in the process of deciding government support, there are quite a few cases of misuse or abuse."

When asked whether the threshold at the Ministry of Unification has recently become higher, he said, "Additional verification of past cases is needed, but even in the past, all legal requirements were met before processing."

Earlier on the 24th, the Ministry of Unification also stressed that domestic private organizations seeking to receive the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund for COVID-19-related aid to North Korea must reach an agreement with the North.

At that time, a Ministry of Unification official explained the specific requirements for aid projects to North Korea, saying, "We have established and are implementing regulations on the handling of humanitarian aid and cooperation projects for North Korea to ensure appropriate and efficient promotion and fund support."

The official explained that private organizations must meet requirements such as ▲ signing an agreement with the North ▲ securing funding ▲ having a concrete plan for procuring and transporting supplies ▲ ensuring transparency in distribution to receive fund support from the Ministry of Unification.

Regarding calls from the United Nations and the international community for easing sanctions on North Korea in relation to COVID-19, the Ministry of Unification is cautious and intends to closely monitor the situation.

The Ministry of Unification official said, "There have been mentions of the need to ease sanctions on North Korea in connection with humanitarian aid due to COVID-19," but added, "However, it seems that no concrete actions to ease sanctions have been taken yet." He further explained, "The government will also review this issue comprehensively within the broader framework of sanctions on North Korea."

On the 25th, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party, reported on its front page that North Korean workers (cadres) and builders are dedicating themselves to the construction work to complete the Pyongyang General Hospital by October 10, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party. Behind the flood of support materials at the construction site, a slogan reads, "Let us fully demonstrate the superiority of our country's socialist health care system!"

Meanwhile, regarding Ri Yong-sik, the First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party who appeared in North Korean media on the same day, the Ministry of Unification stated that it is gathering specific information.

An official from the Ministry of Unification said, "We understand that Ri Yong-sik has worked in the Propaganda and Agitation Department," adding, "According to reports on the 7th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Party at the end of last year, Ri Yong-sik was appointed as the First Deputy Director of the Party Central Committee at that time, and we are continuing to monitor the situation since then."