Kwon Young-se "Bold Plan for North Korean Nuclear Resolution Underway... Not Denuclearization"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] On the 13th, Kwon Young-se, Minister of Unification, stated, "We are devising a 'bold plan' that will include the new government's North Korea policy, including solutions to the North Korean nuclear issue, and we will not insist strictly on prior denuclearization."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the opening address of the academic conference titled "The Situation on the Korean Peninsula and the Search for a New North Korea Policy," hosted by the Korea Institute for National Unification at the Westin Chosun Seoul Hotel, Minister Kwon said, "The task that must be resolved first in opening a new path for North Korea policy is the North Korean nuclear issue."

Minister Kwon emphasized that without progress in denuclearization, it is difficult to expect progress in inter-Korean relations. He explained, "To this end, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is devising a bold plan," adding, "We intend to fill in more specific details on how to advance North Korea's denuclearization and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, and how to move toward an era of joint prosperity."

He continued, "Some misunderstand this as insisting on prior denuclearization, but that is absolutely not the case," emphasizing, "While maintaining the principle of North Korea's substantive denuclearization, if we can create a virtuous cycle of North Korea's denuclearization and the development of inter-Korean relations, we will approach it practically without distinguishing the order."

Furthermore, Minister Kwon said, "I do not think the achievements of previous governments' North Korea policies are meaningless one by one," and added, "The Yoon Suk-yeol administration will never repeat the past mistake of denying and breaking with the policies of previous governments."

Regarding the recent international situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula, Minister Kwon stated, "With the US-China strategic competition triggered, there is a growing sense of crisis that the Korean Peninsula could once again become a major flashpoint," and said, "We must prepare various strategies for our survival and prosperity."

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