Ministry of Unification Rebuts US Harris: "Will Advance Inter-Korean Relations as an Independent Domain"

US Ambassador Mentions 'Speed Bump in Inter-Korean Relations'
Government: "We Are a Party to the Korean Peninsula Issue"

Harry Harris, the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, is being interviewed by domestic media at the U.S. Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of November 19 last year.

President Moon Jae-in emphasized the promotion of inter-Korean cooperation in his New Year's address. In response to U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris's remark that "the pace of inter-Korean relations and denuclearization must be aligned," the Ministry of Unification stated that "we are the parties involved in the Korean Peninsula issue," expressing its intention to independently advance the realm of inter-Korean relations. The government's response is interpreted as a subtle expression of displeasure following Ambassador Harris's comments immediately after President Moon's New Year's address.

Lee Sang-min, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, said at a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office that day, in response to a question about how the government evaluates Ambassador Harris's related remarks, "Since our country is a party to the Korean Peninsula issue, we intend to broaden our scope of maneuver in inter-Korean relations and advance as much as possible the matters we can handle independently."

He added, "It may not be appropriate for the government to evaluate the ambassador's remarks one by one," but explained, "What the president emphasized in his New Year's address yesterday was to seek practical measures to further promote inter-Korean cooperation alongside efforts to succeed in North Korea-U.S. talks." He continued, "The government, as a member of the international community, will cooperate with the international community, including the UN Security Council resolutions, to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue."

In his New Year's address the previous day, President Moon expressed his intention to actively expand the space for inter-Korean cooperation, specifically proposing related projects such as promoting North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's visit to South Korea and jointly registering the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Ambassador Harris, in a KBS interview broadcast the same night, commented on President Moon's new year plan toward North Korea, saying, "We want to see progress toward denuclearization along with success or advancement in inter-Korean relations," emphasizing, "That is important." This means that progress in inter-Korean relations should be aligned with the pace of North Korea's denuclearization. Regarding the specific inter-Korean cooperation plans proposed by President Moon, he said, "They must be made in consultation with the United States," adding, "We must work closely together as allies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.