Ministry of Unification: "Firm Commitment to Implement Inter-Korean Agreement... Expecting a New Starting Point for Peace and Prosperity"

Unification Ministry Commentary on North Korea's 8th Party Congress

Yeosang-gi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, is holding a regular briefing on the morning of December 7 last year at the government Seoul office briefing room.

The Ministry of Unification stated on the 9th that "our will to implement inter-Korean agreements is firm" in relation to North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un emphasizing the implementation of South-North relations agreements through the 8th Workers' Party Congress.

Yeo Sang-gi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, said in a commentary on North Korea's 8th Party Congress on the same day, "The government's position to pursue denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, establishment of peace, and development of inter-Korean relations remains consistent."

He added, "We hope that the South and North, based on mutual trust and respect, will create a new starting point for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula in the near future."

Spokesperson Yeo also said, "The inauguration of the new U.S. administration could be a good opportunity to improve North Korea-U.S. relations, so we hope that North Korea-U.S. relations will resume promptly," adding, "We will closely monitor subsequent positions such as the decisions from the Party Congress."

North Korea's state-run media, Korean Central News Agency, reported on the same day that during the summary report of the 8th Workers' Party Congress held over the past three days (5th to 7th), Chairman Kim Jong-un expressed displeasure at the South's military buildup and demanded that the South faithfully implement the agreements.

Chairman Kim stated, "At this point, there is no need to unilaterally show goodwill to the South Korean authorities as before, and they should respond accordingly by moving to implement the inter-Korean agreements as we respond to our legitimate demands."

However, he left room for improving relations by saying, "Depending on the attitude of the South Korean authorities, inter-Korean relations could soon return to a new starting point of peace and prosperity as desired by the entire nation, just like the spring three years ago."

Chairman Kim emphasized, "Whether inter-Korean relations recover and become active entirely depends on the attitude of the South Korean authorities, and the rewards will be commensurate with the efforts and costs paid."

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