Date: Monday, March 14, 2022
Time: 10:30-10:34 A.M.
1. Minister's schedules
On March 16, the Unification Ministry will be holding a conference
to gather opinions of private organizations on inter-Korean
humanitarian cooperation. The Ministry has pursued communications with
these organizations while adhering to the position that humanitarian
cooperation at the private level should continue consistently. As part
of such efforts, the scheduled conference will evaluate the
achievements and limitations of inter-Korean humanitarian cooperation
projects while also seeking ideas for future improvements. Unification
Minister Lee In-young will deliver opening remarks, and key figures
including the newly appointed head of Korea NGO Council for
Cooperation with North Korea will deliver congratulatory remarks.
On March 17 and 18, an online conference will be held under the
theme of finding a reasonable solution for the denuclearization of
North Korea. Minister Lee will deliver congratulatory remarks on the
opening day.
2. Q&A
Q. Has the Ministry received any notice from the North regarding the
dismantling of the Haegumgang Hotel at Mount Geumgang?
A. The North has not notified the South of any position regarding
tour facilities in the Mount Geumgang area. The last time North Korea
contacted the South regarding Mt. Geumgang was on January 30 of 2020,
when the Kumgangsan International Tourist Bureau communicated its
plans to postpone the removal of facilities in the tourism zone to
prevent the risk of spreading Covid-19.
The Government's position regarding Mt. Geumggang tourism is that
the North should not make unilateral decisions and measures that
infringe on the property rights of our companies, and that all issues
need to be solved through inter-Korean consultations. The Government
has consistently dealt with such issues based on this basic position.
Q. What is the Unification Ministry's evaluation of recently
detected developments in the North including restoration work at the
Punggye-ri nuclear test site, preparations for missile launches in the
Sunan area, and the dismantling of the Haegumggang Hotel?
A. The Government is carefully monitoring situations in the North
and preparing for all possibilities based on close cooperation with
the United States. We urge the North to immediately stop unilaterally
creating tension that runs contrary to peace and stability on the
Korean Peninsula and gets inter-Korean relations nowhere. Instead, it
should respond to the path of dialogue and cooperation as proposed by
the South and the international community.