Yoon: "Unification Doctrine is Fundamental to the Constitution... Not a Military Invasion or a Way to Break Peace"

Background Explanation of the Closing Remarks at the State Council Meeting

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the Eulji and the 36th Cabinet Meeting held on the 19th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 19th that the background of the '8.15 Unification Doctrine' is "based on the Constitution," and emphasized that "even if unification is led by a liberal democratic system, it will not be achieved through military invasion or any means that disrupt peace."

Earlier, on August 15, President Yoon announced the unification doctrine containing a strategy of 'unification through the expansion of freedom' in his Liberation Day address. In response to some criticisms labeling it as an 'absorption unification theory,' he directly refuted these claims.

A presidential office official said during a press briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon, "In his closing remarks at the closed Cabinet meeting today, President Yoon explained that the 8.15 Unification Doctrine is not something new but is based on the Constitution."

Article 3 of the Constitution states, "The territory of the Republic of Korea shall consist of the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands," and Article 4 states, "The Republic of Korea shall pursue unification and establish and promote peaceful unification policies based on the liberal democratic fundamental order."

The official pointed out, "This doctrine simply reiterates what is naturally based on the Constitution. Although it has been mentioned several times in the past, Korea experienced the pain of division due to Japanese colonial invasion and the liberation situation. Looking forward, unification policies have been pursued according to political ideologies, but they have lacked effectiveness."

He continued, "Because the true liberation and founding of the nation lie in understanding the constitutional spirit as the principle of national integration and overcoming division, the unification approach was expressed exactly as written in the Constitution. The unification doctrine was introduced to reaffirm these natural principles and set a direction moving forward." He explained that the 8.15 Unification Doctrine is based on the Constitution and guided by constitutional principles.