Date: Monday, June 1, 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 June 3, Minister Kim will deliver congratulatory remarks at the
Inter-Korean Forest Cooperation Center completion ceremony at 11 A.M.
On June 6, Mr. Kim will attend the Memorial Day Ceremony at 10 A.M.
2. Vice Minister's Schedule
Vice Minister Suh Ho will attend the vice-ministers’ conference on
June 4 at 10:30 A.M.
3. Q&A (Extract)
Q. A news report claims that a clause enabling commercial activity
of North Korean companies in the ROK is to be added in the revised
Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act. Is the report true?
A. Dong-A Ilbo’s report on the law revision is completely untrue.
The clause mentioned in the draft revision is part of the already
existing legal notice on ‘economic cooperation project regulations.’
The Government is simply pushing to move what is stipulated in the
legal notice to the law.
The draft revision lays out plans to enact other legal notices
including cooperation projects in the social and cultural areas, as
well as the establishment of branch offices in the North.
Since its enactment in 1990, the Inter-Korean Exchange and
Cooperation Act has provided institutional grounds and support for
exchanges between the South and the North. However, there are many
issues to be overcome, including sanctions, for the North to practice
economic activity in the South.
Q. The Government’s plan to revise the law ultimately looks as if it
is showing its willingness to further strengthen exchange and
cooperation with the North. However, the North currently remains
irresponsive to the South’s cooperation proposals and the plan seems
rather impractical under these circumstances. There is even criticism
that the Government is accelerating inter-Korean relations. What is
the Government’s position regarding this?
A. First of all, three decades have passed since the enactment of
this law, and on the occasion of this 30 year anniversary, the
Government seeks to conduct a comprehensive review and make necessary
amendments — including a review of legal structures such as efforts to
legislate articles in the existing legal notices.
Secondly, exchange and cooperation between the two Koreas assists in
improving inter-Korean relations and promoting peace on the Korean
Peninsula. I would like to underline that the revision of this law at
this time is by no means a measure to step up the pace of inter-Korean relations.
