Ministry of Unification Rejects Separated Families' North Korea Visit Requests: "North's Intentions Unclear"

Invitation Issuing Agency Reliability Cannot Be Verified
"North Korea Urged to Take Action on Separated Families Issue"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] The Ministry of Unification has rejected the application for a visit to North Korea submitted by the South-North Dispersed Families Association.

Lee Hyo-jung, deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of Unification, stated at a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 17th, "Regarding the application for a visit to North Korea by the incorporated South-North Dispersed Families Association on the 10th, after internal review and consultation with related agencies, we have rejected the application today."

The deputy spokesperson said, "After reviewing whether the institution issuing the invitation letter is a trustworthy organization and whether it has the authority to guarantee the safety of our citizens, we judged that the invitation letter does not practically correspond to a document that can confirm the invitation intention with North Korean authorities or organizations. We offer our sincere condolences to the dispersed families who may have had some hope that there might be a change in North Korea’s attitude."

Regular briefing by Lee Hyo-jung, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Unification [Photo by Yonhap News]

He added, "The government’s position of consistently striving to resolve the dispersed families issue remains unchanged, and the proposal for official talks announced last September is still valid. We once again urge the North Korean authorities to respond to our government’s dialogue proposal and the heartfelt wishes of the South-North dispersed families by taking steps toward resolving the dispersed families issue."

Earlier, Ryu Jae-bok, president of the South-North Dispersed Families Association, received an invitation letter from the North and submitted a North Korean resident contact report and a visit approval application to the Ministry of Unification on the 10th. The sender was 'Jaejung Yujanyeo Muyeok Jipdan Pyeongtong Risahoe,' presumed to be an organization under the United Front Department of North Korea, but the Ministry of Unification has been reviewing the nature and reliability of the inviting organization overall, as it is not an institution previously identified.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Unification strongly condemned North Korea for unauthorized use of South Korean facilities within the Kaesong Industrial Complex on the same day. The Ministry’s position is that this is a direct violation of the inter-Korean agreement as well as the provisions protecting the rights and interests of investors under the Kaesong Industrial District Act of the North Korean corporation, and an illegal infringement on our property rights.

The deputy spokesperson said, "We are deeply regretful that despite continuous warnings, North Korea continues to use our facilities within the Kaesong Industrial Complex without authorization," "and the government strongly demands that North Korea cease unauthorized use of our facilities in the complex and never repeat such actions. All responsibility lies entirely with North Korea, and we clearly state that we will hold them accountable in the future."

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