South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Thursday, 17 September 2026, declared that resuming dialogue with North Korea would never be feasible if Pyongyang is required to denuclearise before negotiations begin. The remarks were made at a ministry-hosted academic forum in Seoul on peaceful coexistence with the North, signalling a significant reframing of the Lee Jae Myung administration's inter-Korean policy.

Rejecting the 'Action First' Approach

Minister Chung was unequivocal in dismissing the long-standing Western-backed formula of demanding nuclear concessions upfront. 'We cannot start any discussion by repeating the past approach — action first, compensation later, with denuclearisation as a precondition,' he said, warning that such a stance would keep any dialogue permanently grounded. His remarks represent a notable departure from the framework previously championed by South Korea's conservative administrations and broadly aligned with US policy toward Pyongyang.

The 'Basket' Approach to Korean Peace

In place of sequential steps, Chung advocated what he described as a 'basket' approach — handling multiple issues simultaneously rather than making progress in one area contingent on another. The basket encompasses an end to the Korean War, institutionalising peaceful coexistence, normalising relations between Pyongyang and Washington, halting North Korea's nuclear programme, and reviving inter-Korean economic cooperation. The minister argued these issues are 'interconnected and mutually reinforcing' and must advance in tandem. This comes amid years of stalled inter-Korean engagement following the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit between then-US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Armistice System as a Structural Obstacle

Chung also argued that lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula is structurally constrained by the current armistice arrangement. The 1950–53 Korean War ended with an armistice agreement — not a formal peace treaty — leaving the two Koreas technically still at war. 'This is why the Lee Jae Myung administration has argued the armistice on the Korean Peninsula should be replaced with a peace regime,' he said. Replacing the armistice with a legally binding peace treaty has been a recurring demand from Seoul's progressive governments, though it has historically faced resistance from Washington and Pyongyang alike.

Court Ruling Over Kaesong Demolition

Separately, Minister Chung addressed a landmark court ruling issued a day earlier, in which a South Korean court ordered North Korea to pay the South Korean government ₩44.6 billion (approximately USD 32.5 million) for demolishing the inter-Korean liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong in 2020. The North blew up the joint liaison office building on 16 June 2020, reportedly in protest of Seoul's failure to prevent North Korean defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. Chung called the demolition 'a wrong thing to do that shocked the South Korean public' and confirmed the ruling established it was both illegal and a violation of inter-Korean agreements.

No Further Legal Action Planned

Despite the ruling's significance, Chung said Seoul has no plans to pursue additional lawsuits against Pyongyang — including over the demolition of South Korean-built tourism facilities at the Mount Kumkang resort, which occurred between 2019 and early 2025. 'It is practically impossible to execute a court ruling against North Korea,' he told a parliamentary session, citing enforcement constraints. The government's restrained posture on litigation appears calibrated to preserve diplomatic space, even as legal accountability is acknowledged symbolically. How Pyongyang responds to both the court ruling and Seoul's renewed outreach overture will shape the near-term trajectory of inter-Korean relations.