Regular Briefing by Spokesperson Koo Byoungsam
Date: Monday,
June 19, 2023
Time: 10:30-10:34 A.M.
1. Minister’s Schedule
On June 19-20, Unification Minister Kwon Youngse will attend the
National Assembly negotiation group leaders’ speech.
On June 21, Minister Kwon will deliver congratulatory remarks at the
Inter-Korean Forest Cooperation for the Implementation of Green
Detente International Symposium 2023 co-hosted by the Unification
Ministry and the Korea Forest Service.
On the same day, he will attend and deliver welcome remarks at an
academic conference to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the signing
of the Armistice Agreement.
2. Q&A
Q) Based on the reports and photos of the North’s plenary meeting,
it appears that Kim Jong Un did not deliver remarks. What is the
Ministry’s take on this?
In addition, considering that he did
not deliver remarks, were there any reports of Kim Jong Un speaking at
the plenary meeting since he took power?
A) This is actually the first time that we have seen a plenary
meeting that did not disclose whether Kim Jong Un delivered remarks,
with the exception of a few plenary meetings that convened along with
party congresses. This case is highly unusual, and it is hard to say
exactly why he did not speak. It may have been a little difficult for
him to come out given that North Korea's satellite launch failed and
there is nothing to show in terms of economic achievements.
Q) How do you evaluate that only the head of the economic department
of the party’s central committee was replaced?
A) There is the aspect of re-emphasizing the importance of its
economy. As the economic sector is currently under-performing, it
seems that O Su Yong, a hands-on official who has worked in the
economic sector, is re-elected to overcome the current difficulties.
