Lee In-young: "US-ROK Joint Exercises Should Be Wisely Conducted Considering Inter-Korean Relations"

Minister of Unification Meets with Policy Clients in Socio-Cultural Sector

Minister of Unification Lee In-young is holding a luncheon meeting with policy clients in the social and cultural sectors near the Government Seoul Office on the 3rd.

Lee In-young, Minister of Unification, stated on the 3rd, "The ROK-US combined military exercises are an issue connected to the return of wartime operational control," adding, "They must be carried out wisely considering the current situation of inter-Korean relations."

On the same day, during a luncheon meeting with policy stakeholders in the socio-cultural sector near the Government Seoul Office, Minister Lee said, "Although inter-Korean relations are difficult, the Ministry of Unification will steadfastly strive to restore dialogue and resume cooperation between the two Koreas."

Policy stakeholders in the socio-cultural sector included Lee Chang-bok, Standing Co-Chairman of the June 15th Joint Declaration South Side Committee (Namchukwi), as well as Standing Co-Chairmen Cho Seong-woo, Han Chung-mok, Park Heung-sik, Kim Jeong-su, and Kim Kyung-min.

These organizations demanded the dissolution of the ROK-US Working Group, suspension of the ROK-US combined military exercises, and full implementation of inter-Korean agreements to overcome the crisis in inter-Korean relations.

Minister Lee reaffirmed the existing position, stating, "The ROK-US Working Group will distinguish between matters requiring consultation with the Working Group and those that do not, and we will actively pursue what we can do on our own."

He also explained that the ROK-US combined military exercises are linked to the return of wartime operational control, but emphasized that they must be conducted wisely considering the current state of inter-Korean relations.

This meeting was held to listen to on-site opinions from civil organizations regarding inter-Korean exchange and cooperation in the socio-cultural field and to seek policy measures.

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