Kwon Young-se: "If North Korea Changes Its Attitude, We Will Cooperate with the US, China, and Others to Garner International Support"

Minister Kwon: "We will discuss issues such as regime security with North Korea through ROK-US cooperation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 30th, Kwon Young-se, Minister of Unification, urged North Korea to respond to the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's roadmap for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the 'Bold Initiative,' saying, "If North Korea changes its current attitude, we will cooperate with the United States, China, and others to secure full support from the international community."

Minister Kwon made these remarks during the opening address of the '2022 Korean Peninsula International Peace Forum (KGFP)' hosted by the Ministry of Unification, under the theme 'Vision for Korean Peninsula Unification and Inter-Korean Relations in the Era of Transition.'

He added, "I sincerely hope that North Korea will seriously consider our proposal and engage in dialogue with a constructive attitude," emphasizing again, "No matter the agenda or the venue, if the door to dialogue is open, I am ready to go directly."

Minister Kwon particularly explained that the Bold Initiative is a flexible and open proposal that can seriously discuss any agenda North Korea desires, stating, "We will also consult with North Korea on so-called regime security issues raised by them, based on cooperation between South Korea and the United States."

Regarding this, he promised, "I am confident that this proposal by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is more feasible than any previous administration's and is backed by the strongest will to implement it."

While dialogue and action are all that is needed between the two Koreas, he expressed regret over North Korea's continued disparagement and rejection of South Korea's proposals, saying, "It is truly unfortunate."

Minister Kwon expressed hope that the Bold Initiative will serve as a stepping stone for peace on the Korean Peninsula, in Northeast Asia, and beyond, affirming, "The Yoon Suk-yeol administration will support not only inter-Korean dialogue but also the resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks based on a solid South Korea-U.S. alliance, and will develop this into trilateral dialogue among South Korea, North Korea, and the U.S., creating a practical communication space to achieve denuclearization."

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