<Press Release>
Ministry of Unification will pursue
peaceful unification based on the basic free and democratic order to
realize a denuclearized, peaceful, and prosperous Korean Peninsula
-2022 Ministry of Unification Work Plan
–
July 22, 2022
□ On July 22, Unification Minister Kwon Youngse reported to the
President on 2022 Work Plan of the Ministry of Unification(MOU) at the
President’s Office in Yongsan.
o As the year 2022 is the first year of the Yoon Suk Yeol
administration, the Ministry of Unification briefed on its policy
design for the next five years and ways to forge a driving force to
implement unification policy in the first year of the administration.
□ The Ministry of Unification’s 2022 Work Plan is as follows.
□ The Yoon Suk Yeol government’s policy vision on unification and
North Korea is to achieve a “denuclearized, peaceful, and prosperous
Korean Peninsula” by promoting peaceful unification based on the basic
free and democratic order.
* In doing so, the Government will seek to implement Article 4 of
the ROK Constitution.
(Article 4: The Republic of Korea shall
seek unification and shall formulate and carry out a policy of
peaceful unification based on the basic free and democratic order.)
□ Accordingly, the Government established three principles to
achieve the vision.
① Ensure no tolerance of any military provocation
- The
Government will not tolerate and accept any military provocation and
unilateral change of the status quo by North Korea.
② Develop mutually beneficial inter-Korean relations
- The
Government will develop inter-Korean relations in a mutually
beneficial way by solving problems through dialogue and by applying a
principle of flexible reciprocity in dealing with the North.
③ Create a foundation for unification
- The Government will
seek a trust-based approach to establish grounds for peaceful
unification rather than pursuing unification by absorption.
□ The Ministry of Unification presented the following five main
tasks under the Government’s vision and principles.
□ First, the Ministry will create a virtuous cycle of achieving
complete denuclearization of North Korea and building trust between
the South and the North.
o Under the framework of the “audacious plan” spearheaded by the
Government, the Ministry will pursue a virtuous cycle of complete
denuclearization of North Korea and trust-building between the two Koreas.
- The “audacious plan” focuses on developing strategies for economic
cooperation and providing security measures for North Korea that can
be provided in phases in return for North Korea’s substantial
denuclearization measures.
o In addition, the Ministry will create and implement a joint
inter-Korean economic development plan as a means of cooperation for
the co-prosperity of the two Koreas.
- In line with the substantial progress of North Korea’s
denuclearization, the Ministry will nurture industries that can create
synergy between the two Koreas, build inter-Korean infrastructure to
support the industries, and come up with detailed plans to attract
foreign investment.
□ Second, the Ministry will promote the normalization of
inter-Korean relations based on mutual respect.
o The Ministry will establish sustainable inter-Korean relations
based on mutual reciprocity.
- The Ministry will ensure to cover diverse agenda when inter-Korean
dialogue resumes. The South and the North will be able to discuss and
promote issues of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, humanitarian
aid, and matters of denuclearization, separated families, abductees to
the North, and POWs in a reciprocal and balanced manner.
- In addition, the Ministry will ensure that agreements reached by
the two Koreas are implemented, while firmly leading the inter-Korean
relations under consistent principles.
o The Ministry will pursue contacts and talks with North Korea in a
responsible and transparent manner in accordance with the provisions
of the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act through consultations
with relevant ministries.
□ Third, the Ministry will address human rights issues of North
Korean residents and the pain brought about by the division.
o The Ministry will promote humanitarian cooperation in a consistent
manner regardless of political or military circumstances and seek
measures to provide substantial support for North Korean residents.
- Starting with COVID-19 prevention and control aid, the Ministry
will expand healthcare cooperation to support vulnerable groups
including infants and mothers, and respond to infectious diseases.
o The Ministry will devise effective solutions to issues of
separated families, Korean War POWs(prisoners of war), abductees, and
detainees, considering the urgency of the matters.
- As part of domestic efforts, the Ministry will collect opinions
from all walks of life so that “Day of Separated Families” can be
enacted to help relieve the pain from the division.
o The Ministry will strive for practical improvement of human rights
in North Korea to realize universal value of humanity.
- The Ministry will launch the North Korean Human Rights Foundation
in close cooperation with the National Assembly, and faithfully carry
out the roles of the foundation – improving human rights and
humanitarian aid in North Korea, developing and investing policy
alternatives, supporting relevant civic groups - as stipulated in the
North Korean Human Rights Act.
o The Ministry will ensure the settlement of North Korean defectors
to the society by improving the quality of their employment and life,
and strengthening the social safety net.
□ Fourth, the Ministry will work on to restore ethnic
homogeneity by fostering open access and communication between the
South and the North.
o The Ministry will actively engage in possible inter-Korean
exchange and cooperation even before North Korea’s denuclearization to
raise awareness that the two Koreas share the same ethnic background.
o The Ministry will push ahead with social and cultural exchanges
between the two Koreas such as the joint compilation of the Gyeoremal
Keunsajeon(Grand Dictionary of the Korean People’s Language), and
joint excavation of Manwoldae Palace in Gaeseong. In addition, the
Ministry will continue to spare no efforts in promoting social and
cultural exchange focusing on ethnicity, history, religion, and culture.
o Based on the framework of the South-North Green Détente
Initiative, the Ministry will first proceed cooperation in the fields
of forestry, drinking water, and sanitation.
- The Ministry will further expand the Initiative through
community-level cooperation in environment sustainability, disaster
prevention and management, and the establishment of the cooperative
climate infrastructure on the Korean Peninsula.
o Furthermore, the Ministry will make efforts to restore ethnic
homogeneity by enhancing mutual understanding and consensus between
the two Koreas through phased opening of mass media that convey information.
□ Fifth, the Ministry will make substantial preparation for
unification together with Korean people and the international community.
o As part of domestic efforts, the Ministry will build a foundation
for peaceful unification based on the basic free and democratic order.
- It will promote the enactment of the ‘Framework Act on the
Establishment of the Foundation for Peaceful Unification’ to
systemically and institutionally pursue unification in the manner of
reconciling a multitude of opinions.
- It will form a social consensus with people from all walks of life
in order to pursue consistent unification policies.
- To increase awareness for unification among future generations,
the Ministry will make full use of new media that young people are
more familiar with, such as the metaverse, to broaden digital
unification education that embraces universal values such as freedom,
democracy, and human rights.
o As part of efforts to engage the international community, the
Ministry will garner global consensus on the peaceful unification of
the Korean Peninsula by hosting international forums that share the
theme of unification in various places, including the United States,
Europe, and the ASEAN countries.
o Furthermore, the Ministry will reflect the changes over the past
30 years in devising unification policy to ensure the development and
succession of the “Korean National Community Unification Formula”.
- Compared to 1994, when the Korean National Community Unification
Formula was first established, many adjustments have been made in the
Korean Peninsula’s surroundings and with regard to inter-Korean
relations and public awareness of unification.
- In light of these changes, the Ministry will dive into new
approaches away from conventional thinking and undertake the
unification measures that can gain wide public understanding built
upon diverse voices from various walks of life.
□ Lastly, the Ministry will reestablish the organization
functions to effectively implement the preceding policies.
o The Ministry will reinforce functions in areas of unification
strategy, intelligence and analysis, and human rights, and reorganize
functions in exchange and cooperation sector.
□ In the severe situation of intensifying strategic competition
between the U.S., China, and Russia, and the continuous nuclear
development and provocations of North Korea, the Ministry of
Unification will make its utmost efforts to achieve
“unification-oriented coexistence” and realize a denuclearized,
peaceful, and prosperous Korean Peninsula.
// The End //
