South Korea's New Unification Minister: Will Dialogue with North Korea Resume?

Seoul, July 25 (NationPress) The newly appointed Unification Minister of South Korea, Chung Dong-young, highlighted the critical importance of re-establishing communication and initiating dialogue with North Korea on Friday as he assumed his role.

"Re-establishing communication channels and rekindling dialogue (between the two Koreas) are objectives I intend to pursue immediately," Chung informed journalists prior to his inauguration ceremony as the inaugural unification minister under President Lee Jae Myung.

His appointment as the nation’s principal envoy for North Korea was sanctioned by the president earlier that day, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

"It has been an unacceptable six years since there were any discussions between South and North Korea," he remarked.

Chung further stated that renaming the ministry was not a priority, emphasizing that restoring its personnel, which had been drastically reduced under the previous administration of Yoon Suk Yeol, must take precedence.

In an effort to enhance the potential for dialogue with North Korea, he has suggested renaming the ministry, proposing the Korean Peninsula ministry as one alternative.

"The previous three years have marked the lowest point in inter-Korean relations, characterized by mutual animosity and confrontation," he stated during his inaugural speech.

The minister referred to the recent halt of joint propaganda broadcasts by the two Koreas as the "first indication" of restoring inter-Korean trust, asserting, "Now is the moment for South and North Korea to embark on rebuilding the trust that has eroded, step by step."

"Let us move past animosity and confrontation to usher in a new era of reconciliation and cooperation," Chung expressed, hoping for a joint event commemorating the centenary of the release of celebrated pre-division poet Kim So-wol's esteemed poetry collection, Azaleas.

Before the inauguration ceremony, Chung visited the truce village of Panmunjom near the inter-Korean border.

During his visit, he examined South Korea's facilities at Panmunjom, a historic site where approximately 370 rounds of inter-Korean discussions have occurred since 1971.

Chung stressed that re-establishing the currently suspended inter-Korean communication channels is an "urgent priority" for swiftly resuming dialogue between the two nations.

"In collaboration with relevant organizations, such as the UN Command, I will strive to transform Panmunjom into a venue of connectivity and cooperation rather than one of division and tension," he stated.

Chung, a former journalist turned lawmaker, previously held the position of unification minister from 2004 to 2005 under former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun.