Ministry of Unification Elevates Exchange Cooperation Bureau to Exchange Cooperation Office... 'Three-Office System' After 21 Years

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Dong-pyo]The Ministry of Unification's Exchange and Cooperation Bureau, responsible for inter-Korean civilian exchanges, has been upgraded to a 'division,' and a new 'Inter-Korean Border Cooperation Division' has been established as part of an organizational restructuring plan that passed the Cabinet meeting on the 4th.

The Ministry of Unification announced, "The amendment to the 'Ordinance on the Ministry of Unification and its Affiliated Agencies' was approved at today's Cabinet meeting," adding, "It is scheduled to be implemented around the 11th after procedures such as presidential approval and publication in the official gazette."

Accordingly, the Ministry of Unification will shift from the existing '2 divisions (Unification Policy Division and Planning and Coordination Division) and 3 bureaus' to a '3 divisions and 2 bureaus' system. This is the first time in 21 years since 1999 that the Ministry's organization has been restructured into a three-division system.

The newly established Exchange and Cooperation Division, which will be exclusively managed by a first-grade (Senior Executive Service Grade A) senior official, will serve as the 'control tower' for inter-Korean civilian exchange cooperation tasks.

The previous Exchange and Cooperation Bureau consisted of four sections: Exchange and Cooperation Planning, Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation, Socio-Cultural Exchange, and Development Support Cooperation.

The Exchange and Cooperation Division will operate with a total of seven sections, including the newly established Socio-Cultural Exchange Operations, Inter-Korean Border Cooperation, and Exchange Support sections. Under the head of the Exchange and Cooperation Division, a director-level Exchange and Cooperation Policy Officer will be positioned.

In particular, the newly established Border Cooperation Division will be responsible for so-called 'DMZ Peace Economy' tasks such as the 'Joint Inter-Korean Survey of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ),' 'Attracting UN agencies and peace, ecological, and cultural organizations within the DMZ,' and 'Cooperative removal of landmines in the DMZ.'

Additionally, to meet the increasing demand for legislative work related to inter-Korean relations, a Unification Legal Support Team will be established under the Planning and Coordination Division. However, it is known that there will be no personnel changes in the Ministry of Unification due to this reorganization.

This organizational restructuring of the Ministry of Unification is the largest in 10 years and aligns with President Moon Jae-in's New Year's government policy direction to revitalize inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation by demonstrating flexibility within the framework of North Korea sanctions.

In last month's New Year's press conference, President Moon specifically mentioned border area cooperation, individual tourism, and sports exchanges as concrete inter-Korean cooperation projects, emphasizing, "Individual tourism, for example, does not violate international sanctions and can be sufficiently explored."

An official from the Ministry of Unification stated, "This measure is to actively respond to unpredictable situations such as the fluidity of inter-Korean relations and to expand the scope of maneuver in inter-Korean relations to lead the advancement of the Korean Peninsula peace process," adding, "Even if consultations with North Korea are not possible immediately, there are many internal preparations to be made in anticipation of the resumption of exchanges and cooperation in the future."

They also explained that, using this organizational restructuring as a stepping stone, the Ministry plans to actively respond to future inter-Korean exchange and cooperation issues such as the 20th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration this year, the joint bid to host the 2032 Olympics, and the Tokyo Olympics.

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