Former Minister of Unification's Proposal: "Change the Name of the Ministry of Unification to 'Ministry of Inter-Korean Relations'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Jeong Se-hyun, former Senior Vice Chairman of the Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, argued that North and South Korea should pursue a policy aiming for a Korean Union (KU) rather than an 'unrealistic unification.' He also emphasized the need to rename the Ministry of Unification to the 'Ministry of Inter-Korean Relations.'

Jeong, who served as Minister of Unification under the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, stated in a keynote speech at the 'Inter-Korean Relations Experts Forum' held on the 2nd at the President Hotel in Seoul, "Domestically, North and South Korea still do not recognize each other as states, but under international law, since 1991 (simultaneous UN admission), they have already been separate states."

Jeong emphasized, "Discussing inter-Korean relations or conducting unification education under the assumption that unification will happen soon is essentially contradictory," adding, "Rather than talking about or educating on unification, which is currently unfeasible, it is more realistic to pursue policies aiming for a Korean Union."

He explained that the simultaneous admission of North and South Korea to the UN in 1991 occurred in a context where, with the reform and opening of communist countries in the 1980s, North Korea's economic growth stalled, while South Korea's economy experienced rapid growth, leading North Korea to accept coexistence with the South based on acknowledging reality instead of completing a revolution.

He pointed out that the 'low-level federation' proposed by North Korea at the June 15, 2000 Inter-Korean Summit in Pyongyang was a concept aiming for inter-Korean relations close to a state union, interpreting that North Korea sought a form of inter-Korean relations as a state union rather than immediate unification.

Jeong also explained that North Korea's revision of the Workers' Party charter in January, deleting the phrase 'national liberation democratic revolution' and replacing it with 'realizing autonomous and democratic development of society,' reflects North Korea's mid- to long-term outlook and strategic policy that, amid growing power disparities between the two Koreas, they must survive separately as distinct states rather than unify.

He stated, "South Korea's existing unification policy can no longer avoid comprehensive review and revision," and added, "The next government should fully consider these circumstances and design and implement a practical and feasible strategy for developing inter-Korean relations." He also interpreted North Korea's recent enactment of the 'Law on the Rejection of Reactionary Ideological and Cultural Infiltration,' which guards against the penetration of foreign cultures including South Korean culture into North Korean society, as a sign of increased vigilance toward the South.

Jeong concluded, "It is desirable to set the immediate goal as forming a Korean Union rather than pursuing unification that is currently unfeasible, and to revise the name of the relevant ministry from 'Ministry of Unification' to 'Ministry of Inter-Korean Relations.'" He cited the example of West Germany recognizing East Germany as a de facto state and renaming the 'All-German Problem' to 'Intra-German Relations' as a model case.

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