Kim Yeon-cheol: "North Korea's Nuclear Capability Still Strengthening... Reviewing Possible Timing for Inter-Korean Talks"

Minister of Unification: "North Korea-US Talks Must Resume Quickly"
"Panmunjom Tour Likely Possible as Early as June"

Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul is giving opening remarks at a press corps meeting held on the 7th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Kim Yeon-cheol, Minister of Unification, stated that North Korea's nuclear capabilities are strengthening even at this moment amid the suspension of North Korea-U.S. denuclearization talks, emphasizing the need to hasten the resumption of denuclearization negotiations. He also expressed his intention to actively promote inter-Korean cooperation projects to drive North Korea-U.S. relations and mentioned that the government will review the timing for possible inter-Korean talks.

At a press briefing held at the Government Seoul Office Building on the morning of the same day, Minister Kim said, "North Korea's nuclear capabilities continue to strengthen," adding, "It is important to start North Korea-U.S. denuclearization talks as soon as possible to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue."

He pointed out that the deadlock in denuclearization talks has persisted since the collapse of the 2nd North Korea-U.S. summit held in Hanoi last February, stating, "We are continuously considering and exploring the environment and measures to resume denuclearization talks."

Explaining the direction for inter-Korean relations this year, Minister Kim identified the following as key tasks: ▲ connecting the Donghae Bukbu Line railway ▲ transforming the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) into an international peace zone ▲ inter-Korean health and medical cooperation and joint infectious disease response system ▲ Panmunjom tours.

Minister Kim said that cooperation and dialogue between the two Koreas are necessary for such collaboration and that the timing for proposing talks to the North is being comprehensively reviewed. In response to a question about whether there are plans to propose contact to the North in the form of inter-Korean talks or any other format, he said, "The government is continuously reviewing the possible timing" and "We are monitoring the situation."

He added, "The government also agrees on the necessity of video conferences between the two Koreas," but noted, "Currently, more technical equipment improvements are needed to hold video conferences using communication lines."

However, Minister Kim expressed a reserved stance on the timing, saying, "Talks have limitations if only one side is willing," and "We may need to wait a bit longer."

Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul is giving opening remarks at a press corps meeting held on the 7th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Minister Kim categorized inter-Korean cooperation projects into three areas: ▲ those that can be carried out regardless of inter-Korean relations ▲ those that require cooperation between South and North Korea ▲ those that depend on the international environment, including sanctions against North Korea. Among these, he announced plans to actively promote projects such as Panmunjom tours and the Donghae Bukbu Line railway, which South Korea can internally and independently pursue regardless of inter-Korean relations.

He particularly anticipated that Panmunjom tours could resume as early as June. The tours were suspended in October last year due to the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF). The Ministry of Environment plans to collect and investigate wild boar samples around mid-month, and the Ministry of Unification intends to base its decision on resumption on these results.

Minister Kim said, "If there are no abnormalities in the wild boar sample results, we expect that Panmunjom tours could be possible on a pilot basis for a small number of people starting in June." He had previously demonstrated his commitment by visiting the DMZ, the frontline of the division between the two Koreas, on the 6th, just three days after the North Korean military's shooting incident at a South Korean guard post (GP).

Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul is attending a press corps meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 7th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Furthermore, Minister Kim stated that the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic must precede the full-scale resumption of inter-Korean contact.

He said, "In South Korea, the quarantine situation is relatively good and showing signs of stabilization, but globally, tensions remain high, and North Korea also has its own concerns," adding, "The phase when COVID-19 management shifts from quarantine to economic recovery will be the time when inter-Korean cooperation can be realized." He further noted, "It is currently difficult to predict the criteria for when inter-Korean cooperation will become possible; we need to observe the progress and make judgments accordingly."

When asked about his assessment of North Korea's recent stance toward South Korea, Minister Kim said, "Through recent exchanges of letters, trust between the leaders is maintained," but added, "However, at the working-level, differences exist regarding priorities." He said, "How to narrow these differences is a challenge the Ministry of Unification faces," and emphasized, "Dialogue is necessary to create opportunities to bridge these gaps."

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