Date: Monday, May 25, 2020
Time: 10:30-10:35 A.M.
1. Minister's Schedule
Minister Kim Yeon Chul will attend the cabinet meeting tomorrow at
10 A.M.
On May 27, Minister Kim will visit the Han River estuary at 11 A.M.
Please understand that this is not open to press.
2. Vice Minister's Schedule
Vice Minister Suh Ho will visit Daeseong-dong village tomorrow at 1
P.M. as part of an on-site survey in efforts to inscribe the DMZ as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Please understand that this is not open to press.
On May 27, Vice Minister Suh will attend an online public hearing
for the amendment of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act at
2 P.M.
On May 28, Vice Minister Suh will attend the vice-ministers’
conference at 10:30 A.M.
3. Q&A
Q. Chairman Kim Jong Un presided over a Central Military Commission
meeting over the weekend and mentioned increasing nuclear war
deterrence of the North. What is the Unification Ministry’s evaluation
regarding this?
A. The latest enlarged meeting of the Party’s Central Military
Commission was held five months after the third enlarged meeting.
The expression ‘war deterrence’ was used at the 5th plenary meeting
of the North’s Party Central Committee last year, and it seems the
North reaffirmed the idea at the latest event.
Q. There has been a media report that defector Heo Kang-il requested
the Ministry to change his address for safety concerns, but was denied
for it being the jurisdiction of the National Intelligence Service.
Could you further elaborate?
A. It is true that Mr. Heo approached the Ministry and requested an
address change. Accordingly, the Ministry has discussed the matter
with related agencies.
Q. Why is the Minister visiting the Han River estuary? Is it related
to the establishment of a maritime peace zone and a joint fishing zone
with the North?
A. The two Koreas conducted a joint inspection of the Han River
estuary between November 5 and December 9 of 2018.
As the two sides agreed to devise military assurance measures for
the shared use of the Han River estuary, the Government will continue
its efforts to pursue the agreement. The Minister is visiting the area
under such grounds.
