Ministry of Unification: "Inter-Korean Meetings Needed to Revitalize Geumgangsan Tourism"

Kim Kye Gwan's Statement: "Closely Watching North Korea's Attitude"

Sang-min Lee, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Unification

On the 13th, the Ministry of Unification stated that "it is necessary to closely monitor and thoroughly understand North Korea's attitude" following North Korea's strong criticism of South Korea through a statement by Kim Kye-gwan, an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the 11th.

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 asking whether Kim's statement should be seen as a rejection of inter-Korean cooperation projects proposed by President Moon Jae-in in his New Year's address, "There are various reports from the media and differing interpretations from experts," and made the remark.

When asked whether the fact that U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal letter was delivered had been shared between South Korea and the U.S., he only replied, "There is nothing to confirm separately."

Additionally, the Ministry of Unification maintains the position that inter-Korean talks for the resumption of tourism to Mount Kumgang will continue regardless of Kim's statement.

The spokesperson said, "Currently, official consultations between the two Koreas are underway," and added, "From the government's perspective, in any case, it continues to maintain the position that meetings between inter-Korean authorities or various forms of meetings are necessary to revitalize the Mount Kumgang tourism area."

However, he added, "There is still a significant difference in the basic positions between the two Koreas regarding the resumption of Mount Kumgang tourism," and "The North still insists on the need for dismantling and maintains the position that consultations should be conducted through document exchanges."

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