Minister of Unification Jeong Dongyoung's Remarks on "Ineffectiveness of North Korea Sanctions" Spark Controversy
On the 19th, President Lee Jaemyung expressed his intention to improve inter-Korean relations, stating, "It feels like the two Koreas have truly become enemies," and emphasized, "We need to restore things to their proper place." He added, "The current situation, in which North Korea fundamentally rejects any contact with the South, could be seen as a kind of karma," and remarked, "If that was their strategy, then that strategy needs to change as well." Amid a recent direct clash between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Unification over the direction of North Korea policy, President Lee placed emphasis on the 'priority of resuming inter-Korean exchanges,' which is interpreted as lending support to the Ministry of Unification.
President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Unification briefing held at the Seoul Government Complex Annex on the 19th. 2025.12.19 Yonhap News Photo by Yonhap
During the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Unification, and public institutions' work briefing held at the Seoul Government Complex on this day, the president stated, "We must do our utmost, with patience and a proactive, leading approach, to ease hostility between the two Koreas and allow even a small seed of trust to take root," adding, "This is the role that the Ministry of Unification must fulfill." This underscores that the Ministry of Unification holds the initiative in implementing North Korea policy.
However, President Lee also addressed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying, "In times of rapidly changing international order like now, the role of diplomacy is crucial," and added, "It seems that even peace is most strongly influenced by diplomacy." He further requested, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should play a major role in expanding our economic territory. It appears the ministry is already preparing well, but overseas missions must serve as both the bridgehead and the vanguard for this expansion."
In the subsequent briefing, Minister of Unification Jeong Dongyoung stated, "As a direct stakeholder in the Korean Peninsula issue, we will strengthen our leading role and focus on a paradigm shift to prevent the solidification of a 'hostile two-state' relationship with North Korea." Minister Jeong particularly emphasized, "The root of the Korean Peninsula issue lies in the deeply entrenched hostility between North Korea and the United States," and argued, "In reality, sanctions against North Korea have lost their effectiveness." He continued, "We will discuss and pursue the easing of sanctions to support inter-Korean and multilateral exchanges and cooperation," and added, "We must address the Korean Peninsula issue with inter-Korean relations at the center." Since there was no mention of North Korea's denuclearization and the remarks suggest a willingness to pursue an independent North Korea policy contrary to sanctions implemented by the international community, controversy is expected.
Jeong Dongyoung, Minister of Unification, is speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Unification briefing held at the Seoul Government Complex Annex on the 19th. 2025.12.19 Yonhap News Agency
As measures for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, Minister Jeong mentioned the idea of a 'Seoul-Beijing high-speed railway' passing through North Korea, as well as promoting individual tourism to the Wonsan-Kalma area in North Korea. He said, "During the 2018 inter-Korean summit, North Korea expressed hope for the construction of a high-speed railway," and added, "With China's active mediation, the Seoul-Beijing high-speed railway could be pursued as a major project." Regarding the Wonsan-Kalma tourism project, he said, "Chairman Kim Jong Un described it as a long-cherished project for the people, mobilizing the nation's resources," and added, "When promoting this, North Korea must have considered tourists from the South." He further stated, "We will promote individual tourism by overseas Koreans," and said, "If China actively mediates and cooperates, this is a possible scenario."
Minister Jeong also suggested that the Korea Institute for National Unification, currently under the Prime Minister's Office, should be transferred to the Ministry of Unification. He explained, "It originally belonged to the Ministry of Unification, but during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) crisis, it was merged and then later separated." Upon hearing this, President Lee remarked, "That seems reasonable," and instructed Prime Minister Kim Minseok to discuss the matter.
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun stated during the work briefing, "We will promote a state visit to China by the president early next year," and added, "We will also continue shuttle diplomacy with Japan." He further mentioned, "We will significantly increase the schedule of summit diplomacy next year to achieve substantial results," and added, "In addition to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), we will pursue presidential visits to the Global South, including India and Latin America." In addition, a summit with the five Central Asian countries is also planned for next year. He also stated, "Next year, we will pursue accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and build a partnership to deepen economic cooperation with Japan."
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