Date: Monday, May 31, 2021
Time: 10:30-10:45 A.M.
1. Ministry to seek opinions of inter-Korean cooperation businesses
On June 1, Minister Lee In-young will sit down for a meeting with
Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, followed by a meeting with
Ananti Chairman Lee Joong-myung on June 4.
Hyundai Group leads the Mount Geumgang tourism project, and Ananti
took part in the project through the construction of a golf course in
the area.
Minister Lee has continued to communicate with private organizations
pursuing inter-Korean economic and humanitarian cooperation, and the
upcoming meetings will be part of such efforts. The meetings were
arranged to seek opinions of related businesses, while considering
recent developments and conditions on the Korean Peninsula, such as
the outcomes of the ROK-U.S. summit which created conditions favorable
to dialogue and cooperation between the two Koreas.
2. Ministry to work toward securing foundation for supporting
inter-Korean relations
This week, the Unification Ministry will be making efforts to
explain how it plans to improve inter-Korean relations and to expand
support and consensus among the general public.
To start off, Minister Lee is visiting Jeju where he will spend time
with those in their 20s and 30s today from 11:30 A.M. Minister Lee
will also hold round-table discussions with provincial members as well
as with representatives of organizations related to unification and
inter-Korean relations based in Jeju at 2 P.M. and 3 P.M. respectively.
Minister Lee and Vice-Minister Choi Young Joon will also be
delivering special lectures on the situation surrounding the Korean
Peninsula and how the Government plans promote inter-Korean relations.
Minister Lee will deliver a lecture at Kongju National University on
June 2 followed by another at a forum held by the Soongsil Institute
for Peace and Unification on June 4. Vice Minister Choi will deliver a
lecture at a meeting of the National Unification Advisory Council on
June 4.
Lastly, the Ministry and the Social Dialogue for Peace and
Unification Building of Korea (PUB of Korea) will hold a social
dialogue on devising a National Unification Contract at 10 A.M. on
June 5. The upcoming rounds of social dialogue will build on last
year’s draft contract and discuss a desirable future for the Korean
Peninsula and methods to realize this idea.
3. Q&A (Partial)
Q. North Korea presented its position regarding the termination of
the Revised Missile Guidelines this morning. What is the Unification
Ministry’s reaction to this?
A. We have seen the report. The Government is closely watching the
North’s reaction to the results of the ROK-U.S. summit in a discreet manner.
Q. The article ran under the name of Kim Myong Chol. Has the
Ministry been able to identify who this is?
A. I understand that the report was issued under the name of an
individual commentator. It was not a statement made by a North Korean
official with a specific title or post.
Q. Does the Ministry see the released report as a sign of the North
taking a cautious stance? Is there any additional comment the Ministry
would like to make?
A. The Government is carefully watching for the North’s reaction,
and this is the only comment I can make as of now. As the article was
issued by an individual, it would be inappropriate to officially
comment on this.
Q. Has the Ministry been able to analyze why the North issued an
article under the name of an individual critic rather than release an
official statement? Are there any unusual developments inside the
North that the Ministry has detected?
A. It is not appropriate for the Government to offer comments merely
on the basis of how North Korea formatted the delivery of its
position. As noted before, there are many ways the North expresses its
position on diplomatic issues, ranging from statements and
commentaries under the name of official agencies to personal articles
like that of today.
Some experts evaluate today’s article as being toned down based on
how it was released. The Government, however, will closely watch the
North’s response rather than commenting on the format of its messages.
Q. With regards to the scheduled meetings with inter-Korean
cooperation businesses, is it possible for Mt. Geumgang tours to resume?
A. The leaders of South and North Korea agreed through the
Pyeongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018 to normalize the Mt.
Geumgang tourism project once conditions are met. In line with
implementing agreements of the inter-Korean summit, the Government
will work toward normalizing the tourism project. It will do so while
considering various conditions including the Covid-19 situation and
developments in inter-Korean relations.
However, this meeting itself is not an occasion designed to discuss
specific measures to resume Mt. Geumgang tours. As mentioned earlier,
it is part of efforts to maintain communication with private partners,
to explain recent developments including the outcomes of the ROK-U.S.
summit, and to listen to the opinions of related businesses.
Q. President Kim Jong Un has not been seen in public since May 6.
How does the Ministry evaluate this?
A. As noted, President Kim Jong Un has not been observed through
public appearances for 24 days. This marks the longest absence this
year. However, it is inappropriate to make an assessment or present a
comment simply based on the time of there being no reports of the
North Korean leader’s public activity.
