Transition Team: "New Government's North Korea Policy Is Not a Hardline Approach"

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol attended the transition committee secretariat meeting held on the 22nd at the Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and remained silent after finishing his remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The Presidential Transition Committee (Transition Committee) emphasized on the 23rd, through a briefing on the Ministry of Unification's work, that the next administration's North Korea policy stance is not a hardline policy.

The Transition Committee's Foreign Affairs and Security Subcommittee received a briefing from the Ministry of Unification in the afternoon and discussed new approaches to unification and North Korea policy, sharing these views, the Transition Committee stated in a written briefing.

The Transition Committee stressed that the new government's North Korea policy stance is not a hardline policy. It added, "While keeping the door to dialogue open, we discussed consistent denuclearization negotiations based on principles, normalization of inter-Korean relations, and measures for joint prosperity."

Regarding inter-Korean cooperation, the 'Inter-Korean Green Detente' was proposed. The Inter-Korean Green Detente is an idea to promote tension reduction and peace through environmental cooperation including climate change, which was the North Korea policy stance of the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations. With many figures from the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye governments positioned in the Transition Committee, it is interpreted that the policy stance of past conservative administrations is reflected.

The briefing also included an assessment of the recent intensifying North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

The Transition Committee and the Ministry of Unification also exchanged opinions on ways to promote the North-South 'Green Detente,' which is part of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign pledges, including joint responses to fine dust, disaster and calamity, climate change, and cooperation in forestry, agriculture, and water resources.

Opinions were also exchanged on various participation methods by the public and the international community to promote the campaign pledge of a "unification plan based on national consensus."

They also discussed urgent issues such as resolving separated families, repatriation plans for prisoners of war, abductees, and detainees, and reviewed detailed implementation plans for early launch of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation and strengthening support for the settlement of North Korean defectors, the Transition Committee reported.

The Transition Committee stated, "Based on the contents of the work briefing, we plan to select national tasks reflecting the President-elect's state philosophy and pledges through close discussions with the Ministry of Unification and related agencies, and to develop implementation plans."

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