Kwon Young-se "Efforts to Resolve Issues of Abductees, Detainees, and Korean War POWs"

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The Ministry of Unification announced that as a follow-up measure to the South Korea-US summit, it will strengthen cooperation in various ways to resolve the issues of 'abductees, detainees, and Korean War POWs' and actively promote the reality of human rights in North Korea to the international community.

On the 9th, Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se said at the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary session, "We will make every effort to implement the follow-up measures of the South Korea-US summit," and stated, "We will strengthen cooperation in various ways to resolve the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated Korean War POWs."

Handshake between the South Korean and U.S. leaders [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, President Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Joe Biden stated in a joint statement released immediately after the South Korea-US summit on the 26th of last month (local time), "The two countries will strengthen cooperation to promote human rights in North Korea and resolve the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated Korean War POWs." This is the first time that the South Korean president has officially mentioned the 'abductees, detainees, and Korean War POWs' issue in a public setting, and it is also the first time it has been explicitly stated in a joint statement by the two heads of state. Currently, the Ministry of Unification's Division of Separated Families is responsible for the abductees and detainees issues, while matters such as the repatriation of Korean War POWs fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense's Arms Control Division. Therefore, the policy direction announced by Minister Kwon on this day draws attention to whether related discussions between the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of National Defense will progress in the future.

Minister Kwon also stated that based on the enhanced deterrence through the 'Washington Declaration,' efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue will be strengthened. Specifically, he introduced efforts to concretize the sectoral implementation plans of the denuclearization roadmap, the 'Bold Initiative,' and to enhance momentum through domestic and international public discourse.

Furthermore, he explained, "We will continue to make efforts to improve the human rights of North Korean residents" and "We will widely publicize the reality of human rights in North Korea." In particular, to activate international discussions, the plan is to strengthen cooperation with major countries and international organizations and to enhance cooperation with the UN human rights mechanisms.

Kwon Young-se: "North Korea is the kind of place that can go to the edge of a cliff and come back"

Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se is answering questions from lawmakers at the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 9th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Minister Kwon expressed the view that there is room for improvement in the currently strained inter-Korean relations. He rhetorically asked, "Hasn't North Korea gone to the edge of a cliff and then turned back decisively?" and said, "I believe the future (inter-Korean relations) will be positive." In response to Democratic Party lawmaker Park Hong-geun's claim that "the government is creating a cliff in inter-Korean relations," he retorted, "We aim to normalize relations based on principles. There have been talks about giving secret money for summit meetings in the past or recently someone paying bribes to go to North Korea, but we intend to eliminate such wrongful practices."

Regarding recent developments in North Korea, he evaluated, "North Korea continues to criticize and react negatively to the results of the South Korea-US summit, including the Washington Declaration." North Korea issued a statement containing harsh language under the name of Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party, on the 28th of last month, and since the 2nd of this month, it has held regional and organizational condemnation rallies starting with the Youth League's multiple resolution meeting. Especially during the Youth League's multiple resolution meeting, they staged a 'scarecrow burning ceremony' targeting the South Korean and US leaders, escalating the level of protest.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Unification assessed that while North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un has been absent from public activities for about three weeks, the Cabinet Premier Kim Deok-hoon is focusing on encouraging food production and making all-out efforts to overcome the 'economic crisis.' Chairman Kim Jong-un did not appear at major commemorative events such as the 'Day of the Sun,' the birthday of President Kim Il-sung on the 15th of last month, and the founding day of the People's Revolutionary Army on the 25th of the same month. Additionally, North Korea has not conducted the military reconnaissance satellite launch that was scheduled for April this year.

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