Lee In-young "Leading the Biden Transition Political Flow as a Breakthrough for Inter-Korean Dialogue"

Unification Minister Reveals at Press Briefing
"Hope to Shape This Period of Change in Inter-Korean Time"
"A Space of Opportunity Can Open" Announces Active North Korea Policy

Lee In-young, Minister of Unification

On the 9th, Lee In-young, Minister of Unification, said, "I hope to make this period of geopolitical transition a time defined by the North and South," adding, "If the North and South first open the door to dialogue and build trust, we will be able to jointly lead a better flow of circumstances in the future."

At a press briefing held in Samcheong-dong that day, Minister Lee referred to the outcome of the U.S. presidential election as a "major turning point in the geopolitical situation" and made these remarks.

Minister Lee first expressed concern that the establishment of the U.S. North Korea policy might be delayed compared to usual. He said, "The new order and variables disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic strongly influenced this U.S. presidential election," adding, "With the highest voter turnout in U.S. election history, the American people's enthusiasm for participation in democracy was expressed, and the next U.S. administration will be required to demonstrate leadership that goes beyond conflict and confrontation toward solidarity, coexistence, and integration."

He continued, "These factors lead me to believe that it will take a certain amount of additional time before the U.S. North Korea policy is established," and "As a result, there are concerns about fluidity and uncertainty in the Northeast Asian geopolitical situation."

Nevertheless, Minister Lee said, "Paradoxically, I think this time can open a greater opportunity space to achieve peace between the North and South," signaling a proactive approach to inter-Korean relations.

Minister Lee mentioned the 2000 North Korea-U.S. Joint Communiqu?, in which the two sides agreed to build a new relationship, and the 2018 Singapore North Korea-U.S. summit, emphasizing, "These advances in North Korea-U.S. relations were possible because of dialogue and cooperation between the North and South."

He stated, "If the North faithfully implements inter-Korean and North Korea-U.S. agreements and shows a forward-looking commitment to denuclearization, not only will the Korean Peninsula move toward peace, but we can also jointly create outcomes that expand the space for peace and cooperation between the North and South." He added, "Through this, I believe the North, South, and U.S. can move beyond the regrets of Hanoi and toward new fruits of peace."

Additionally, Minister Lee pledged to promote the Korean Peninsula peace process based on the close South Korea-U.S. alliance. He said, "When the next U.S. administration takes office, it may inevitably take at least several months for policy review, but during this period, the government will communicate with the U.S. political circles through various channels."

He continued, "Historically, the U.S. government has always listened to the position of its ally, the South Korean government," emphasizing, "It is true that the U.S. approach to North Korea engagement has also been influenced to some extent by our government's inter-Korean policy stance." He added, "We will confirm the importance of denuclearization and the establishment of a permanent peace regime together and fully explain the necessity of North Korea-South Korea-U.S. cooperation," and said, "Through this process, I expect the South Korea-U.S. alliance to develop into a new stage that leads the order of peace."

Minister Lee promised, "The government will steadfastly continue the Korean Peninsula peace process under any circumstances," and "We will manage the Korean Peninsula situation stably during this transition period and play a clear role in advancing North Korea-U.S. relations as opportunities arise."

He said, "We will continue efforts to create a framework for dialogue and cooperation between the North and South," and "Starting from COVID-19, we will actively pursue cooperation in disaster and environmental fields closely related to life issues, toward the inter-Korean Life and Safety Community mentioned by President Moon Jae-in." He added, "Based on trust among the North, South, and U.S., we will prepare all understandings and conditions necessary to move toward a broader approach of fully implementing all agreements made so far."

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