Unification Minister Nominee Kwon Young-se Considers Visiting North Korea as Special Envoy After Inauguration (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Kwon Young-se, the nominee for Minister of Unification, stated on the 12th, "I will consider visiting North Korea as a special envoy after assuming office as minister."

At the confirmation hearing of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on the same day, in response to a question from Lee Tae-gyu of the People Power Party asking, "Is there a plan to propose to North Korea a visit to Pyongyang for a meeting with Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, in the capacity of a presidential special envoy?" Kwon said, "I will positively consider it after reviewing the inter-Korean relations situation and consulting with the diplomatic and security team."

Regarding a question from Cho Eun-hee of the People Power Party, "Do you plan to visit North Korea if you become minister?" he said, "Depending on the situation of inter-Korean relations, whether I become a special envoy or something else, I hope an open and frank occasion will be arranged to improve inter-Korean relations, including denuclearization."

When asked if he would recommend a special envoy visit to President Yoon Suk-yeol, he replied, "First, we need to see the situation of inter-Korean relations."

In response to a question from Park Hong-geun of the Democratic Party about the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's vision for North Korea strategy, Kwon said, "It is clear that North Korea feels threatened in terms of its regime, so there is a need to address this part," adding, "We will secure practical peace through denuclearization and create an inter-Korean economic cooperation community so that North Korea can prosper together."

Regarding the first measures toward North Korea after assuming office, Kwon explained, "I want to say, let's just talk about anything."

He added, "Right now, North Korea is rejecting almost all dialogues, including humanitarian aid and reunions of separated families. You must have seen the news today, but Omicron has occurred in North Korea, and even regarding vaccines... (they rejected it)."

Previously, Kwon had expressed his position that humanitarian aid beneficial to North Korean residents, such as in health and medical care, would be pursued regardless of the political situation, even before North Korea's denuclearization.

Meanwhile, on the 12th, Kwon stated, "It is necessary to normalize the severed inter-Korean relations," and "I will keep the door to dialogue open and create conditions for dialogue with a pragmatic and realistic attitude."

Minister of Unification nominee Kwon Young-se appeared at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 12th and took the witness oath. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

In his opening remarks at the confirmation hearing held by the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on the same day, Kwon said about the possibility of inter-Korean dialogue, "While responding strictly and firmly to North Korea's provocations, I will seek clues to resolve inter-Korean issues."

He continued, "Based on universal values that the whole world can sympathize with, such as peace, human rights, and the environment, I will strive to secure international support for North Korea's complete denuclearization, peace policy on the Korean Peninsula, and the development of inter-Korean relations."

Regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Kwon expressed concern, saying, "It is a fundamentally different flow from the past, and the international order is being shaken to its roots," and "Due to US-China relations, the Ukraine crisis, and the intensification of North Korea's nuclear threat, tensions and uncertainties on the Korean Peninsula continue to increase."

Regarding his feelings as the first nominee for Minister of Unification under President Yoon Suk-yeol, he said, "I will establish a bipartisan foundation for North Korea policy and promote sustainable and effective policies," and "I will complement and develop the efforts of previous administrations so that peace as a process and unification as the ultimate goal can be harmonized."

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