Ministry of Unification: "No Response Yet from North Korea on Quarantine Working-Level Contact... Need to Wait Patiently"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The Ministry of Unification stated that it is necessary to wait patiently for North Korea's response regarding the proposal for inter-Korean working-level talks on COVID-19 quarantine cooperation.

A senior official from the Ministry of Unification said at a meeting with reporters on the 16th, "We proposed to send a notification to North Korea, but we have not yet received a response," adding, "Rather than rushing (North Korea), it seems better to take time and wait."

The government attempted to send the notification containing the proposal for working-level talks through the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office at 11 a.m. that day, but North Korea has not yet expressed its intention to receive it.

The official added, "In a situation where close cooperation between the two Koreas had been cut off, rather than expecting or rushing an immediate answer on matters that could be difficult for them, it is better for us to take some time and wait." Regarding the proposal being made at the ministerial level, he explained, "The matter itself is not simple. We thought it would be better to raise the level."

He also emphasized that inter-Korean quarantine cooperation and support through international organizations such as COVAX are not mutually exclusive.

The official said, "COVID-19 quarantine requires a very comprehensive approach, and the role COVAX can play is limited," suggesting that inter-Korean cooperation and support to North Korea through international organizations could proceed on two tracks.

Regarding the plan announced on the 16th by the Free Joseon Movement led by Representative Park Sanghak to send medicine to North Korea by launching balloons, he expressed the view that "Efforts to alleviate the difficulties faced by North Korean residents are not something to be criticized."

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