Ministry of Unification: "Lee In-young's Remarks Are Not Detached from International Community's Perception"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Ministry of Unification stated that Minister Lee In-young's remarks about the need to reconsider sanctions against North Korea are not disconnected from the international community's perception.

Lee Jong-joo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, told reporters on the 3rd, "Some reports have interpreted the minister's remarks differently from their intent and context," clarifying this point.

Earlier, Minister Lee, in an interview with the Financial Times, raised the need to verify the effectiveness of sanctions against North Korea, saying, "If the sanctions were not the original purpose but have ultimately made the lives of residents difficult, how can we improve this? At the very least, these points should be clearly evaluated and addressed."

Subsequently, the U.S. State Department and the European Union (EU) rebutted the minister's remarks, stating that "the humanitarian difficulties faced by North Korean residents are the responsibility of the North Korean regime, not the sanctions."

The spokesperson explained that the minister's remarks were "an acknowledgment of the need to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness about five years after strong sanctions against North Korea were implemented," and added, "It is also different from the intent to convey the minister's remarks as if North Korea's difficulties were caused solely by sanctions."

He also said that Minister Lee's mention of exemptions from sanctions on non-commercial public infrastructure such as railroads and roads was "a statement based on the premise that there is an international consensus on the parts contributing to denuclearization and that they will not be militarily diverted."