Kim Yeon-cheol: "North Korea Tourism and Inter-Korean Railway Connection Benefit Both Koreas"

Minister of Unification's 51st Anniversary Speech on the Establishment of the Ministry of Unification
"Peace is not given but made"
"Change is not waited for but achieved through active action"

Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul is giving a greeting at the Joint Manghyangje held at the Imjingak Mangbaedan in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on January 25, Lunar New Year's Day.

Kim Yeon-cheol, Minister of Unification, stated on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the Ministry of Unification's establishment that "individual tourism to North Korean regions, the international peace zone designation of the Demilitarized Zone, and the connection of inter-Korean railroads are feasible under the current circumstances and are cooperative projects beneficial to both North and South Korea."

According to the "Minister of Unification's Commemorative Speech on the 51st Anniversary of the Ministry of Unification" distributed by the Ministry on the 2nd, Minister Kim said, "This year marks the 75th anniversary of the division and the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War," adding, "It is an important turning point to move toward firm and sustainable peace, not the incomplete peace of the past."

The Ministry of Unification was established on March 1, 1969, to systematically and institutionally address unification issues at the government level by consolidating the active unification discussions that took place across various sectors of society after the April 19 Revolution.

Minister Kim said, "Progress in inter-Korean relations is an unwavering prerequisite for establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula," and added, "Efforts to expand the scope of dialogue and cooperation between the North and South must not cease."

He emphasized, "As the lull in inter-Korean relations prolongs and the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) adds to the challenges, the situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula is not easy. However, peace is not something given but something created, and change is not something to wait for but something that must be actively pursued."

The Ministry of Unification is responsible for establishing policies related to unification and inter-Korean dialogue, exchange, cooperation, and humanitarian aid, analyzing North Korean affairs, conducting unification education and publicity, and other unification-related tasks.

Meanwhile, on the 2nd, North Korea launched two unidentified projectiles into the East Sea near Wonsan.

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