"Space for Confrontation and Dialogue" Kwon Young-se Visits Panmunjom... "Hope for a Breeze in Inter-Korean Relations"

Kwon Young-se Visits Panmunjom for the First Time... Urges North Korea for Dialogue
First Visit in 2 Years and 2 Months as Minister of Unification
"Frozen Inter-Korean Relations, Hoping to Bring Even a Small Breeze"

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se visited Panmunjom in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on the afternoon of the 29th.
Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Panmunjom=Joint Press Corps of the Ministry of Unification & Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se visited Panmunjom for the first time since his inauguration and urged the North to engage in dialogue.

On the 29th, at a brief press conference in Panmunjom, Minister Kwon stated, "Recent successive missile launches and provocations by North Korea have heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and inter-Korean relations have literally frozen over," adding, "I came to Panmunjom with the hope that even a small breeze of d?tente might blow."

He continued, "Panmunjom is a place of war and confrontation where the Korean War armistice negotiations took place, but since the start of inter-Korean Red Cross contacts in 1971, including the 2018 summit, a total of about 370 meetings have been held here as a space for dialogue and reconciliation."

Minister Kwon diagnosed the vicious cycle in inter-Korean relations as fundamentally a 'lack of trust,' emphasizing, "Ultimately, the solution to improving inter-Korean relations lies only in steadily restoring broken trust through continuous dialogue."

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se visited Panmunjom in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on the afternoon of the 29th, observing the route through which North Korean soldier Oh Chang-sung defected while receiving an explanation from a UN Command Military Armistice Commission official. / Photo by Joint Press Corps

However, regarding North Korea's ongoing nuclear and missile threats and military provocations, he reaffirmed a firm stance that "they will not be tolerated."

Minister Kwon urged the North Korean leadership to stop developing nuclear weapons and missiles and return to dialogue, stating, "If North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons and missiles and provoke as it is now, it will not only forgo prosperity but also likely face increasing difficulties in maintaining the safety of its regime."

Regarding North Korea's repeated violations of the September 19 Military Agreement through a series of military demonstrations, he said, "It seems they want to change the situation in a direction favorable to themselves," adding, "I do not think they will easily change their current attitude for the time being."

On the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's denuclearization roadmap, the 'Bold Initiative,' he explained, "North Korea's sincerity requires both declarative acts and concrete actions," and "We will be able to specifically evaluate sincerity through dialogue with North Korea."

Regarding exemptions or suspensions of unilateral sanctions, including the May 24 measures, he left the possibility open, saying, "If the denuclearization process under the Bold Initiative proceeds and corresponding measures are taken by North Korea, whether UN sanctions or our sanctions can be eased within the necessary scope as much as needed."

On the afternoon of the 29th, a view of Daechang-dong Village in North Korea as seen from the Third Guard Post in Panmunjom, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Joint Press Corps

During his first visit to Panmunjom that day, Minister Kwon inspected the Joint Security Area (JSA) guard battalion, the Third Guard Post, the Freedom House, T2 (Military Armistice Commission conference room), the Dorbodari Bridge, and the Peace House. He also listened to explanations from on-site officials about the location of the inter-Korean boundary stone that former U.S. President Donald Trump crossed during his meeting with Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of North Korea, and about the boundary stone related to the repatriation of North Korean fishermen.

This was the first visit to Panmunjom by a Minister of Unification in 2 years and 2 months since former Minister Lee In-young in September 2020. Although Minister Kwon personally remembers visiting the Third Tunnel about 40 years ago, this was his first time visiting Panmunjom.

Minister Kwon said, "All issues between the South and the North must ultimately be resolved step by step through dialogue," adding, "I hope North Korea will come to the dialogue table even now, and I am willing to go anywhere, anytime, and in any form of dialogue if North Korea wishes."

He further emphasized, "I hope that we can openly discuss mutual concerns between the South and the North, including not only nuclear issues but also humanitarian issues such as separated families, and find solutions together," and "I urge responsible authorities from both sides to meet, make courageous decisions to overcome the current situation, and develop inter-Korean relations."

Meanwhile, during Minister Kwon's visit, no North Korean military personnel were observed in the northern area, including Panmungak.