Kang Kyung-hwa: "Korean Government Condemns North Korea's Inhumane Acts... Must Maintain Peaceful Approach in Long Term" (Comprehensive)

For Complete Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and Lasting Peace, Close Cooperation with the US and Neighboring Countries
Minister Kang: "Inter-Korean-US Dialogue Deadlock is Difficult but Requires Great Patience"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] At a virtual meeting held by the Asia Society on the occasion of the 75th United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha expressed the position that "nevertheless, a long-term peaceful approach must be maintained" regarding the incident in which North Korea shot and burned the body of a South Korean official who went missing at sea near Soyeonpyeongdo.

At the virtual meeting held on the 25th, in response to a question from Daniel Russell, Deputy Director of the Asia Society Policy Institute, asking, "Has the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the peace process on the Korean Peninsula regressed?" Minister Kang stated, "Our government condemned the shocking and inhumane atrocity committed by the North Korean military and demanded that the North thoroughly investigate this crime and punish those responsible," adding, "Whenever such incidents occur, our willingness to dialogue and patience weaken, but we must maintain a long-term peaceful approach."

Regarding the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the achievement of lasting peace, Minister Kang said that these efforts will be continuously pursued based on close cooperation with the United States and neighboring countries, and requested the support of the international community. She also introduced the South Korean government's proposal for the ‘Northeast Asia Disease Control and Health Cooperation Mechanism,’ which includes North Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia, and South Korea.

During the virtual meeting, the moderator also asked Minister Kang to assess the situation on the Korean Peninsula, mentioning incidents such as President Moon Jae-in’s request to the international community to support a "Declaration of the End of War" at the UN General Assembly, the shooting of South Korean residents by the North, and the North’s demolition of the liaison office in June.

In response, Minister Kang said that North Korea is facing difficulties due to the spread of COVID-19 and flood damage, and that inter-Korean-US dialogue is at a standstill, adding, "It is very difficult to deal with a closed and isolated country, but great patience is required." She further added, "We hope North Korea will return to the dialogue table for denuclearization and inter-Korean cooperation and are sending messages urging dialogue."

Minister Kang emphasized the recovery of multilateralism to overcome COVID-19 and the role of middle powers, while stating that the Korea-US alliance remains the foundation of South Korea’s diplomatic and security policy. She said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly exposed the crisis of multilateralism in the international community, but transboundary crises like COVID-19 demonstrate the need for solidarity and cooperation among the international community," and added, "South Korea will actively contribute to the recovery of multilateralism."

She explained, "In a situation where competition among major powers is intensifying, the role of capable middle powers is important in the recovery and strengthening of multilateralism," and "We plan to continuously expand solidarity among middle powers with similar positions that share universal values such as democracy, market economy, and human rights."

Minister Kang also stated, "The Korea-US alliance is the central axis of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, as well as the anchor of South Korea’s diplomatic and security policy," adding that since the outbreak of COVID-19, Korea and the US have closely cooperated through emergency mask support, export of diagnostic kits, and seminars sharing Korea’s election experience. She said, "Especially in a situation where countries worldwide are imposing entry bans and restrictions, the fact that Korea and the US have kept their borders open to each other without any entry restrictions is very exceptional and demonstrates the special nature of the Korea-US relationship."

While introducing the South Korean government’s COVID-19 response status, she also reiterated the importance of guaranteeing the movement of essential personnel even amid the COVID-19 situation.

Minister Kang explained, "Recently, we experienced a second wave domestically, but we are managing to slow the increase based on strong 3T (Testing, Tracing, Treatment) capabilities," and stated, "The most important factor in crisis response is 'trust' between the government and citizens."

She continued, "The South Korean government has been striving to guarantee the movement of essential personnel even during the pandemic," and mentioned, "Essential movement is necessary not only for economic recovery from the impact of COVID-19 but also as a foundation for restoring solidarity in the international community."

Meanwhile, Minister Kang’s speech at the Asia Society event on the occasion of the UN General Assembly this year is the first since former Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon’s speech at the Asia Society in 2006 and former Foreign Minister Song Min-soon’s luncheon speech co-hosted by the US Foreign Relations Council, Asia Society, and Korea Society in 2007.

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