Ministry of Unification: "Consensus Formed Within Government to Secure COVID-19 Vaccines for North Korea Aid"

Minister Lee In-young: "North Korea Must Be Safe for South Korea to Be Safe"

Minister of Unification Lee In-young is speaking at the "Unification Ministry-Business Leaders Meeting" held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 23rd of last month. On this day, the Ministry of Unification met with business representatives including Samsung Electronics, SK, LG Electronics, and Hyundai Motor Group to explore the roles of the government and companies for future inter-Korean relations development, such as economic cooperation. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

The Ministry of Unification stated on the 8th that although no concrete discussions have taken place with health authorities regarding the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for aid to North Korea, there is a consensus within the government.

In a written briefing on the same day, a Ministry of Unification official responded to a question about whether a plan for procuring vaccines for aid to North Korea has been established by saying, "At this stage, we have not yet proceeded to concrete consultation procedures with our health authorities regarding vaccine procurement," but added, "There is a certain level of consensus within the government that cooperation is necessary in the context of extending health cooperation to ensure the lives and safety of not only North Korea but also our own citizens."

The official emphasized, "Infectious diseases like COVID-19 know no borders, so joint response between South and North Korea is an essential matter," and added, "The government will consider and discuss various measures in light of the necessity for joint South-North response."

Additionally, the Ministry of Unification announced that Minister of Unification Lee In-young and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun are scheduled to have breakfast together on the 10th. Deputy Secretary Biegun, arriving in Korea on the 8th, will stay for a 3-night, 4-day schedule and hold talks and meetings with Minister Lee, the National Intelligence Service, the Blue House, and other government diplomatic and security officials.

Regarding UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, Tom?s Ojea Quintana’s call for the South Korean government to disclose information related to the killing of the public official in the West Sea, the Ministry of Unification conveyed, "We understand that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in consultation with related departments, is preparing a thorough response to be submitted."

Meanwhile, Minister Lee reiterated on the 8th his position that COVID-19 treatments and vaccines should be provided to North Korea. Appearing on CBS Radio that morning, Minister Lee emphasized, "Ensuring North Korea’s safety from COVID-19 is directly connected to ensuring the Republic of Korea’s safety from COVID-19."

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