Unjust Blame Without Authority on the Ministry of Unification... Expectations for the 'Powerful' Lee In-young

US-ROK Relations Dependent on North America... Evaluated as the Right Person for Inter-Korean Relations Solution
Blue House: "Will Creatively and Proactively Restore Trust Between North and South"
Lee In-young: "Restoring Inter-Korean Dialogue is Top Priority... Will Build the Dream of Unification"

Lee In-young, the nominee for Minister of Unification, is making a statement regarding his appointment as minister at the National Assembly on the 3rd. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

With Lee In-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, nominated as Minister of Unification, attention is focused on whether the Ministry of Unification can break through the limitations of the "ROK-US relations subordinated to North Korea-US relations" and open a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations.

The nominee is a symbol and one of the leading politicians of the 86 Group, referring to activists from the 1980s student movement. Amid opinions that a "strong" Minister of Unification is needed to break the deadlock in inter-Korean relations, Lee has consistently been considered a candidate.

A four-term lawmaker and former democracy activist, he has rich experience and expertise in inter-Korean relations, having served as chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea and the Committee on Inter-Korean Relations Development and Unification. He is also recognized for his reformist spirit, excellent planning skills, and strong execution during his tenure as a lawmaker.

◆Blue House: "Will Creatively and Proactively Resolve Inter-Korean Relations and Achieve Trust Restoration"

The Blue House has openly expressed such expectations.

Kang Min-sung, Blue House spokesperson, said at a briefing, "Candidate Lee In-young is the right person to steadily push forward national tasks such as inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula by creatively and proactively resolving the deadlocked inter-Korean relations based on the expertise and experience accumulated through field and legislative activities, thereby making a breakthrough in restoring trust between the two Koreas."

In particular, it is evaluated that a "powerful minister" is needed to implement President Moon Jae-in's "independent breakthrough in inter-Korean relations" policy, which aims to pursue cooperative projects between the two Koreas even under sanctions against North Korea. It is pointed out that the minister must be able to raise their voice in the power games within government ministries.

Former Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul resigned taking responsibility for the breakdown of inter-Korean relations, expressing regret over the reality that the Ministry of Unification could not create a breakthrough due to its limited authority, saying, "The burden to bear was too heavy compared to the authority given."

Kim said, "I hope my resignation will serve as an opportunity to renew the current atmosphere and reconsider the status and role of the Ministry of Unification."

Lee In-young, the nominee for Minister of Unification, is making a statement regarding his appointment as minister at the National Assembly on the 3rd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

◆Lee In-young: "Restoring Inter-Korean Dialogue Is Most Urgent... I Want to Build the Dream of Unification"

The nominee pointed out "restoring dialogue" as the most urgent task in inter-Korean relations and said he would implement humanitarian exchange and cooperation projects that can be done immediately. He emphasized to North Korea, "I hope we can prove together that we are a people who coexist and walk the path of greater prosperity through peace."

Meeting with reporters at the National Assembly, he said, "I agreed to the appointment process with an urgent feeling that we must open the path to peace again before the door to peace closes," adding, "I want to build the dream of peace and unification again with 50 million citizens and 80 million compatriots."

When asked what is the urgent and necessary task in current inter-Korean relations, he emphasized, "We definitely need to restore dialogue," adding, "In that process, we should first look into humanitarian and exchange cooperation issues that we can immediately undertake and revisit the promises made together by the South and the North in the past with trust and implement them."

When asked how he would overcome the criticism that the Ministry of Unification has "heavy responsibilities compared to its authority," Minister-designate Lee refrained from answering, saying, "I will talk about what I can do after passing the confirmation hearing process."

Regarding the evaluation that the Ministry of Unification is not taking the initiative not only in inter-Korean relations but also within government ministries, he only replied, "Please watch a little longer."

Lee In-young, the nominee for Minister of Unification, is entering the press conference room on the 3rd to make a statement regarding his appointment as minister at the National Assembly. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

◆About Lee In-young, Minister-designate of the Ministry of Unification

In 1987, he was the president of the student council at Korea University and the first chairman of the National Council of Student Representatives (Jeondaehyeop), leading student protests during the June Democratic Uprising. In 1999, he entered politics by joining the National Congress for New Politics as a "young blood" under President Kim Dae-jung.

In 2010, he entered the party leadership as a Supreme Council member at the Democratic Party convention, and last year, he was elected floor leader, contributing to the overwhelming victory in the 21st general election.

In a minority government situation, he was recognized for his negotiation and breakthrough skills by processing the so-called "4+1" revised election law and prosecution reform bills as fast-track legislation in cooperation with minor parties such as the Justice Party.

He has paid special attention to North Korean issues and policies toward the North. Since 2017, he has held the "Unification Walk" event every summer, walking the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with peace and security as the theme.

▲Chungju, Chungbuk (age 56) ▲Chungju High School ▲Korea University, Department of Korean Language and Literature ▲First Chairman of the National Council of Student Representatives (Jeondaehyeop) ▲Director of Northeast Asia Strategy Institute, Korea Peninsula Foundation ▲Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party ▲Chairman of the Committee on Inter-Korean Relations Development and Unification of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy ▲Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea ▲Chairman of the National Assembly Special Committee on Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation ▲Member of the 17th, 19th, 20th, and 21st National Assembly