Minister Nominee Kim Young-ho: "Principles Are Important in North Korea Policy"
Role of Ministry of Unification... Shift from Exchange and Cooperation to 'Pressure on North Korea'
Mixed Atmosphere of Expectations and Concerns... "Establishing Organizational Identity"
Kim Young-ho, the nominee for Minister of Unification, expressed his initial thoughts, saying, "I will strive to lay the foundation for resolving the North Korean nuclear issue and improving inter-Korean relations based on principles."
On the afternoon of the 29th, Kim met with reporters as he came out to the nominee's office set up at the Inter-Korean Summit Headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to prepare for the confirmation hearing. He repeatedly emphasized, "I will do my best to prepare a unification plan based on the liberal democratic order and to build a national consensus on this."
Professor Kim Young-ho, a newly nominated candidate for the Minister of Unification and a professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Sungshin Women's University, is entering the Inter-Korean Summit Headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the hearing preparation office has been set up on the 29th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Regarding his past hardline remarks toward North Korea, such as "overthrowing the Kim Jong-un regime," he said, "I believe it is very important to uphold principles in North Korea policy," adding, "I will explain the rest in detail during the confirmation hearing process." Kim, a New Right scholar and considered a 'hardliner' on North Korea, stated in a 2019 media article that "the path to unification will finally open when the Kim Jong-un regime is overthrown, North Korea is liberalized, and the political systems of South and North Korea become 'one system.'"
President Yoon Suk-yeol nominated Kim Young-ho, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, as Minister of Unification, and Moon Seung-hyun, ambassador to Thailand, as Deputy Minister of Unification on the morning of the same day. This is the first time since the Ministry of Unification was established in 1998 that both the minister and deputy minister positions have been filled by outsiders. Analysts interpret this appointment as President Yoon initiating a 'structural reform' of the Ministry of Unification. It is seen as a plan to shift the ministry's focus, which had been heavily weighted toward 'exchange and cooperation' between the two Koreas, toward 'pressure on North Korea' through the new leadership.
The combination of Kim Young-ho, classified as a 'hardliner' on North Korea, and Moon Seung-hyun, regarded as a 'traditional diplomat,' is expected to lead efforts to coordinate international pressure on North Korea, focusing on human rights issues. This aligns with the Yoon administration's consistent emphasis on 'peace through strength' and 'principled inter-Korean relations.' However, some critics argue that such appointments could undermine the Ministry of Unification's positive role in achieving 'peaceful unification.'
Ministry of Unification's 'Signal for Reform'...Mixed Expectations and Concerns
Professor Kim Young-ho, newly nominated candidate for Minister of Unification and a professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Sungshin Women's University, is delivering a greeting on the 29th at the briefing room of the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Lee Young-hwan, former head of the Transitional Justice Working Group, evaluated this personnel move as an opportunity to end the Ministry of Unification's 'one-sided love' toward North Korea and to start genuine self-purification. Recalling incidents such as the forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen and the enactment of the ban on North Korean leaflets during the previous administration, Lee questioned, "After talking with North Korea for so long, what issues have really been resolved, such as abductees, detainees, and prisoners of war?" He added, "The presidential office recognizes the need for international cooperation to respond to North Korea with principles and reads the current era's trends. This appointment sends a message to abandon sentimental nationalism, which North Korea mocks, and to work based on universal international norms."
On the other hand, Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, expressed considerable concern. He criticized, "This is not the Ministry of Unification aiming for 'peaceful unification' through dialogue and cooperation but an appointment signaling the start of a confrontational ministry aiming for 'absorption unification' through confrontation and conflict." He further stated, "The true colors of the New Right, which advocates anti-national community unification plans such as sanctions, collapse, and absorption unification, have been revealed," and assessed, "Soon, the Ministry of Unification will be merged into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a transitional phase."
Within the Ministry of Unification, there is a coexistence of concern and expectation. A director-level official interpreted the move as "an order to completely change the way of working." The official said, "Even during conservative governments, the Ministry of Unification centered on dialogue and exchange between the two Koreas, which was the ministry's identity. However, this new leadership appointment demands that the ministry redefine its identity in line with a security policy based on deterrence against North Korea."
Another official said, "In the case of former Minister Kwon Young-se, he played a role in blocking opposition attacks with the weight of being a close aide to the president and a senior ruling party member, but it is worrisome how the new minister and deputy minister will respond to this year's National Assembly audit just months after their appointment." However, the official added, "Since there was already an organizational restructuring in April to strengthen the North Korean human rights sector, there is also hope that the Ministry of Unification's position could improve as an extension of that."
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