'Hyeonjeong's North Korea Visit' Canceled... North Korea Reveals Hostile View of South Korea

Hyun Jeong-eun Promotes Initiative on 20th Anniversary of Former Chairman Chung Mong-hun
North Korea Refuses via Ministry of Foreign Affairs... Hyundai Asan Withdraws Application
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Involved in Inter-Korean Issue... "Highly Unusual"

North Korea has directly rejected the visit plan by Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun's side, leading Hyundai Asan to withdraw its application for contact with North Korean residents. As the North announced this rejection through the 'Ministry of Foreign Affairs,' which corresponds to our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there is analysis that North Korea may be recognizing inter-Korean relations as state-to-state relations.

On the 3rd, Koo Byung-sam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, stated at a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office Complex, "Hyundai Asan has expressed its intention to withdraw the application for contact with North Korean residents, and the government plans to accept this today." It was reported that Hyundai Asan's position is to "hope for and wait for an appropriate opportunity (to visit North Korea) in the future."

Goo Byung-sam, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification [Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the Ministry of Unification, Chairwoman Hyun's side submitted an application for contact with North Korean residents on the 27th of last month, marking the 20th anniversary of former Chairperson Chung Mong-hun's death. The plan was to visit North Korea with family to hold a memorial event at Mount Kumgang. To visit North Korea, the procedure requires government approval of the contact application, communication with the North, and receiving an 'invitation letter from North Korea' before proceeding.

However, in a statement issued the previous day under the name of Kim Song-il, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, North Korea clearly blocked the visit attempt in advance, saying, "We have not been notified of, do not know about, and have no intention to consider any visit plans by any South Korean figures."

Hyun Jung-eun, Chairwoman of Hyundai Group
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Considering that inter-Korean relations have not escaped a tense phase, North Korea's 'rejection' was somewhat predictable, but it is very unusual that this position was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rather than a South Korea-related agency. Until now, inter-Korean issues have been announced by South Korea-related organizations such as the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF) and the United Front Department (UFD), and recently, Deputy Director Kim Yo-jong of the Workers' Party has often made direct statements.

An official from the Ministry of Unification criticized, "We deeply regret the unilateral rejection of the visit for the sole purpose of a memorial event." Regarding the interpretation that North Korea intends to view South Korea not as a national kinship but as a hostile state, the official said, "It is quite unusual that North Korea expressed its position on the visit application under the name of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs director," but added, "We will comprehensively analyze the intention by monitoring related trends."

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