Lee Jaemyung: "No Waste Balloons from North as South Stopped Sending Leaflets... Inter-Korean Relations Are Fully Controllable"

Lee Jaemyung: "If We Cooperate with the Aim of Building Peace, a Peace Regime Can Be Established"
Kim Kyoungsoo: "We Need to Form a Bipartisan Diplomatic and Security Strategy Committee"
Kim Dongyeon: "We Must Make It Clear That We Are the Main Agent in Inter-Korean Relations"

Lee Jaemyung, former leader of the Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, stated on April 23 that regarding inter-Korean relations, "If we pursue diplomatic cooperation with the intention of building a stable peace, it will be entirely possible to establish a peace regime."

During a Democratic Party presidential primary debate broadcast on OhmyTV that day, Lee said, "The issue of peace on the Korean Peninsula is a matter of survival, directly affects the economy, and is also the root cause of the so-called 'Korea discount.' Building peace on the Korean Peninsula is a crucial task."

Regarding the current situation, he commented, "The situation is unfavorable," and explained, "North Korea has declared it will treat South Korea as a completely separate country and is building barriers along the armistice line."

Yonhap News

He identified the hardline North Korea policy of former President Yoon Sukyeol as the cause of the deteriorating relationship. Lee pointed out, "The reckless hardline policy of the Yoon Sukyeol administration has had an impact," and added, "They showed off their strength, disregarded the other side, deliberately severed relations, and fueled conflict." Referring to the disappearance of the waste balloon issue, he said, "Since the South stopped sending leaflets and stopped loudspeaker broadcasts, North Korea also stopped. This means the situation is entirely controllable."

Lee also mentioned changes in the external environment, saying, "As North Korea grows closer to Russia, various risks have increased, but this also means that the United States strongly feels the need for dialogue. We must take advantage of this opportunity."

He continued, "We cannot immediately talk about grand unification, but we must first discuss peaceful coexistence. We should not continue to deepen hostility. While maintaining strong national defense as a basic foundation, we must also increase opportunities for dialogue and cooperation within this framework."

During the debate, Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, emphasized, "We must make it clear that we are the main agent in inter-Korean relations, support North Korea-U.S. dialogue but share roles between South Korea and the United States, establish a hotline between the two Koreas, and actively utilize domestic and international assets for peace on the Korean Peninsula."

Kim Kyoungsoo, former Governor of South Gyeongsang Province, argued, "We should implement measures to prevent accidental military clashes and support negotiations between North Korea and the United States so that South Korea can play a role in the process." He also proposed reorganizing the Ministry of Unification into a Ministry of Peace and Cooperation, and establishing a bipartisan diplomatic and security strategy committee to prevent changes in North Korea policy with each new administration.