[Korean Peninsula 3.0] Jeong Sehyeon: "Unification on Hold for Now... Prioritize North Korea-U.S. and North Korea-Japan Talks"

Interview with Former Unification Minister Jeong Sehyeon
Changing the Name of the Ministry of Unification to Open Dialogue
"Steps Needed to Restore the September 19 Military Agreement"

Editor's Note
The international situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula is in turmoil. North Korea, once the subject of unification, is now declaring itself as one of "two hostile states" and preparing for a complete severance of ties. The United States, South Korea's blood ally, is presenting economic and security demands amid its strategic competition with China. The Lee Jaemyung administration has launched under the dual challenge of finding breakthroughs in both diplomacy with the United States and policy toward North Korea. This three-part series examines the "Korean Peninsula 3.0 Strategy" that the Lee Jaemyung administration must pursue, following the era of division, war, and Cold War (1.0) since 1945, and the era of reconciliation and conflict since the 1990s (2.0).

Jeong Sehyeon, former Minister of Unification (age 80), advised on July 24 that in order to remove the term "hostile" from the inter-Korean relationship as defined by North Korea, "the concept of unification should be temporarily set aside." His point is that, given the current complete severance between the two Koreas, there is no need to insist on "unification" as a precondition if the goal is to open even a small channel for dialogue. This aligns with President Lee Jaemyung's remarks at a press conference on July 3, when he said, "If we talk about unification now, it could be misunderstood as demanding absorption or surrender from the other side."

Jeong Sehyeon, former Minister of Unification. Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

In a phone interview with Asia Economy that day, Jeong expressed his opinion on the proposed name change for the Ministry of Unification, saying, "There is a need to change it." However, he emphasized, "This does not mean abandoning the goal of unification. Just as you take out different clothes when the seasons change, we will use it again when the time comes." Jeong, who served as the 29th and 30th Minister of Unification during the Kim Daejung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations from 2002 to 2004, is a living witness to the South Korean government's policy toward North Korea.

North Korea officially declared the inter-Korean relationship as "two hostile states" in December 2023. Jeong revealed in the interview that as early as January 2024, he had discussed the idea of changing the ministry's name in private with Lee Jongseok, the current director of the National Intelligence Service, among others. The example of "intra-German relations" under the Willy Brandt administration in Germany in 1969 was also mentioned during these discussions.

Jeong pointed out, "North Korea has abolished the United Front Department and even demolished the 'Three Charters for National Reunification Monument' built during Kim Il Sung's era. To move toward a more cooperative two-state relationship with such a North Korea, I was the first to suggest that we should officially recognize North Korea's existence through a new name." At the time, Director Lee proposed the name "Ministry of Peace and Cooperation," but Jeong opposed it, arguing that "the counterpart for cooperation is unclear." Regarding the recent suggestion by Jeong Dongyoung, the current Minister of Unification nominee, to rename it "Ministry of the Korean Peninsula" during his confirmation hearing, Jeong also expressed a negative view, saying, "It's too geographical."

However, Jeong firmly stated that recognizing North Korea's existence and moving toward "peaceful coexistence between two states" does not mean he is endorsing Kim Jong Un's claim of "two states." He explained, "The very fact that the two Koreas joined the United Nations simultaneously in 1991, and signed the Basic Agreement in December of that year, marked the starting point of mutual recognition as formal states. North and South Korea have, under international law, existed as two distinct states, and the Lee Jaemyung administration's goal is to restore a friendly and cooperative relationship, not a hostile one. This means returning to the inter-Korean relations that existed before the Yoon Sukyeol administration."

When asked whether the "two-state path" might contradict Article 3 of the Constitution, which defines the territory of the Republic of Korea as "the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands," Jeong countered, "If that were the case, then the Roh Tae-woo administration, which adopted the Basic Agreement, would have been in the wrong from the start." He dismissed the concern, saying, "The Constitution merely defines the ultimate goal. There is no need to create controversy by linking the current idea of cooperative inter-Korean relations to the Constitution." He added, "Even if the ultimate goal is unification as defined in the Constitution, if the Ministry of Unification uses terms that North Korea dislikes in the interim, it will not be able to function."

Regarding the direction of the Lee Jaemyung administration's policy toward North Korea, Jeong advised, "Steps should be taken to restore the September 19 Military Agreement." He added, "Denuclearization should be set as a long-term goal, and talks should begin with nuclear freeze and arms reduction." He also emphasized, "A North Korea-U.S. summit should be held as soon as possible, and North Korea's relations with the United States and Japan should be actively encouraged to first target the periphery." Furthermore, he advised, "Do not try to open direct government-to-government dialogue immediately. Instead, as was done during the Kim Daejung administration, prioritize civilian exchanges."