Ministry of Unification: "No Special Comment on Kim Yo-jong's Statement... Joint Exercises Should Not Create Tension" (Comprehensive)

Lee Jong-joo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, is holding a briefing on the restoration of inter-Korean communication channels at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 27th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Ministry of Unification maintained its existing stance that there is "nothing special to comment on" regarding the statement made on the 1st by Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea, and emphasized that the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises should not become a trigger for increasing military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

At a briefing on the 2nd, Lee Jong-joo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, stated, "The Ministry of Unification has consistently strived to respond wisely and flexibly from the position that under no circumstances should the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises serve as a cause for military tension on the Korean Peninsula."

He added, "We will continue to make efforts in this direction going forward."

In her statement the previous evening, Deputy Director Kim minimized the significance of the restoration of communication lines by saying it was "merely physically reconnecting what had been cut off," and called for the suspension of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises.

When asked by reporters about the timing and significance of Deputy Director Kim's statement, Lee responded, "There is nothing special to comment on regarding the name or timing of this statement," and added, "North Korea has previously condemned and demanded the suspension of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises through official statements or remarks by authorities and various media outlets around the time of the exercises."

Spokesperson Lee said, "The government recognizes the restoration of the inter-Korean communication lines as a starting point for restoring the long-disrupted inter-Korean relations and rebuilding trust between the two Koreas," and stated, "Starting with the restoration of communication lines, we will proceed step by step without rushing to promote the improvement of inter-Korean relations so that dialogue between the two Koreas can resume."

Regarding whether there had been consultations with North Korea about the Pope's visit to North Korea, he replied, "There were no discussions related to the Pope's visit during the exchange of letters between the leaders," and added, "The government expects that if the Pope's visit is realized, it could make a significant contribution to the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, and if the visit is pursued, we are prepared to actively support it."

The Ministry of Unification announced that since the restoration of the inter-Korean communication lines on the 27th of last month, a total of nine regular calls have been conducted twice daily through the direct telephone line of the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office until this morning.

Additionally, on the 29th of last month, a notification letter signed by the South Korean head of the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office was sent to the North, raising the necessity of establishing a system that allows safe and convenient dialogue between the two Koreas even amid the COVID-19 situation, and proposed to discuss specific matters.

Spokesperson Lee stated, "The government plans to promptly proceed with compatibility checks of video equipment, connection of communication networks, and operational tests as the North responds, to quickly establish a system for inter-Korean video meetings," noting that there has been no reply from the North yet.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Unification resumed approval for the export of humanitarian cooperation materials to North Korea by civilian organizations on the 30th of last month. In relation to this, at 3 p.m. today, the Ministry will hold an operational committee meeting of the Civilian Policy Council for Humanitarian Cooperation to gather opinions from civilian organizations on the direction of inter-Korean humanitarian cooperation and discuss cooperation plans.