Kwon Young-se Meets Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, Proposes 'Communication Channel'
Japan-South Korea Cooperation on North Korea Policy Regarding Abductees and Missing Persons
"First Working-Level Meeting in First Half of Year... Concrete Plans for Consultation"
Taking advantage of Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se's diplomatic visit to Japan, the Ministry of Unification and the Japanese Cabinet will form a consultative body to resolve the issue of abductees. The first working-level talks between the two sides are expected to take place as early as the first half of this year, with plans to gradually concretize the operation of a regular consultative body.
According to the Ministry of Unification on the 27th, during his visit to Japan from the 22nd to the 25th, Minister Kwon proposed establishing a regular communication channel in a meeting with Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary. The Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary is responsible for handling the issue of Japanese abducted by North Korea, and the proposal was to seek a communication channel with the Ministry of Unification’s Humanitarian Cooperation Bureau, which handles abductees, detainees, and separated families.
Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se answers reporters' questions before departing for Japan at Gimpo Airport on the 22nd. [Image source=Yonhap News]
After the meeting, Minister Kwon said in an interview held in Tokyo, "(Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno) also said he would carefully review it," and added, "I am hoping for a positive response."
According to government officials, since both sides confirmed a consensus on the common interest of the "abductee issue," the formation of the consultative body is expected to take place soon. The Ministry of Unification plans to hold the first working-level talks in the first half of this year with the Japanese side and to concretize the details related to the formation of the consultative body through these talks.
Currently, the Ministry of Unification is strengthening its humanitarian sector by upgrading the Humanitarian Cooperation Bureau to the Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Office and newly establishing director-level positions such as Human Rights Policy Officer and Settlement Safety Policy Officer under it. The abductee issue, which has been classified under the concept of "special separated families," is expected to continue to be handled by the Separated Families Division under the Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Office (formerly the Humanitarian Cooperation Bureau), and the organizational restructuring is expected to give momentum to related policies.
Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se is heading to the departure gate at Gimpo Airport on the 22nd to depart for Japan. [Image source=Yonhap News]
However, some express concerns that by involving itself in the issue of Japanese abductees, the Ministry of Unification might deprioritize the domestic abductee issue or face difficulties in other humanitarian cooperation areas due to North Korea’s backlash. In response, the Ministry of Unification stated that this is an opportunity for Korea and Japan to cooperate in order to resolve urgent humanitarian issues.
Unification Ministry spokesperson Koo Byung-sam said to reporters on the day, "The issues of abductees, detainees, and separated families are common concerns for both Korea and Japan and urgent humanitarian issues that need to be resolved," adding, "It is about sharing mutual interests and discussing the will to resolve these issues together." He further emphasized, "It is a matter of sharing interests and jointly discussing the will to find solutions."
Meanwhile, North Korea strongly condemned Minister Kwon’s diplomatic visit to Japan. North Korea’s external propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri disparaged, "The puppet Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se went to Japan to plot 'cooperation measures' related to 'North Korea policy' and begged for 'close communication and contact,'" and mocked, "He pleaded for support for some so-called 'bold initiative' that has been thrown into the dustbin of history."
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