On North Korea's 'Two-State Theory'
"A Product of Hardline Confrontation"
Jeong Dongyoung, nominee for Minister of Unification, stated on the 14th regarding the proposal to change the name of the Ministry of Unification, "I believe it is definitely worth considering."
At the National Assembly confirmation hearing that day, Jeong responded to a related question from Yoon Huedeok, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, by saying, "I think this is a very important issue that should be discussed jointly by both the ruling and opposition parties in the National Assembly, which is the representative body of the people."
Jeong explained, "In 1969, after the Brandt administration came to power in Germany, the name of the 'All-German Ministry' was changed to the 'Inner-German Ministry.' This change was welcomed not only by the Soviet Union but also by the United Kingdom and France. The 'All-German Ministry' is equivalent to our Ministry of Unification, and by changing the name to the 'Inner-German Ministry,' Germany was able to dispel concerns from neighboring countries that it might be returning to pan-Germanism."
Jeong Dongyoung, nominee for Minister of Unification, is answering questions from lawmakers at the hearing held by the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on the 14th. 2025.7.14 Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Jeong further stated, "The Lee Jaemyung administration needs a new beginning and a fresh start," adding, "From that perspective, it is also necessary to consider changing the name of the Ministry of Unification." He also mentioned 'Ministry of the Korean Peninsula' as one of the possible alternatives.
Regarding North Korean leader Kim Jongun's 'hostile two-state theory,' Jeong said, "This is a result of a hardline stance on both sides," and added, "I believe it is a response to the South Korean government (the Yoon Sukyeol administration) talking about a main enemy and preemptive strikes."
When asked whether Kim's directive to reflect the hostile two-state theory in the constitution had been implemented, Jeong answered, "It has not yet been reflected in the constitution. Nothing has been incorporated into the constitution yet." However, he did not provide specific evidence for this.
In response to a question from Kim Junhyung, a lawmaker from the Rebuilding Korea Party, regarding the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, Jeong said, "At the end of 2017, ahead of the PyeongChang Olympics, then-President Moon Jaein stated, 'We will postpone the South Korea-U.S. military exercises scheduled for March. I will propose this to the United States.' This was significant in breaking the ice for dialogue." He added, "This is an issue that should be discussed in the future through bodies such as the National Security Council (NSC)."
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