Im Jong-seok: "Is it difficult to say let's seal unification and live peacefully as two separate South-North states?"

Im Jong-seok Reveals Additional Position on Two-State Theory via SNS
Refutes Backlash from Conservative Camp and Within Party

Im Jong-seok, a former lawmaker who served as Chief of Staff at the Blue House under the Moon Jae-in administration, stated on the 23rd, "Is it really such a difficult idea to seal off unification, leaving only values and aspirations behind, and live under a two-state system while peacefully exchanging and cooperating?" This was a rebuttal to criticisms from both inside and outside the political sphere regarding his call for a comprehensive reexamination of the unification discourse.

On the same day, Im made this statement through social media (SNS), saying, "Let's shift from ideals to reality." Earlier, at the commemorative ceremony for the 6th anniversary of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration held at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju Metropolitan City, he had argued, "Let's accept the objective reality and embrace two states," and "Let's not unify. Let's let go of the obsession that unification must happen." Following this, backlash arose not only from the conservative camp but also within his own party, the Democratic Party of Korea. Kim Min-seok, a senior member of the Democratic Party, criticized on SNS the day before, saying, "No one on either side of the South and North has the right to suddenly throw out such an immature idea of turning scattered blood relatives and connections into forever foreign relations."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding this, Im said, "Is it strange to say that unification should be discussed only after peace has been established to the extent that exchanges and cooperation become part of everyday life, and then let future generations decide?" He also pointedly remarked, "It is the Yoon Suk-yeol administration that is precisely aligning with Chairman Kim Jong-un's 'hostile two states'."

Speaking about the confrontation between South and North Korea, he said, "Both sides openly call each other the public enemy and are rushing into confrontation and conflict without any dialogue, so it cannot be denied that this is a state of 'hostile two states,'" adding, "Without strategic efforts to change the situation, the current state will worsen, and by the end of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's term, the hostile two states will be considerably established."

Im further stated, "It is a grave misconception to think that if the Democratic Party returns to power, dialogue between South and North Korea will resume and denuclearization talks will take place as before," and emphasized, "There needs to be deeper and more serious consideration of the other side's changes and the surrounding environment of the Korean Peninsula."

Regarding his calls for a comprehensive reexamination of the unification discourse, including proposals to "erase or amend Article 3 of the Constitution, which defines 'the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands' as the territory of the Republic of Korea," "abolish the National Security Act," and "dissolve the Ministry of Unification," Im explained, "These are ideas I have accumulated through long reflection and have courageously announced."