Kim Young-ho "North Korea Repays Goodwill with Provocation"... Emphasizes 'Principle' in North Korea Policy

Unification Minister Nominee's Opening Remarks at Confirmation Hearing
"Will Pursue Results-Oriented Approach Rather Than Dialogue for Dialogue's Sake"

Kim Young-ho, the nominee for Minister of Unification, stated, "North Korea repaid the goodwill for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the future of our compatriots with reckless provocations and threats," expressing his conviction to pursue a 'principled' policy toward North Korea despite opposition from opposition parties.

In his opening remarks at the resumed parliamentary confirmation hearing on the afternoon of the 21st, Kim said, "North Korea launched another long-range ballistic missile last week," adding, "Although 70 years have passed since the armistice agreement was signed, North Korea still hostilely regards us, making peace on the Korean Peninsula increasingly unstable." He continued, "In the process of North Korea nullifying numerous inter-Korean agreements, the lives of North Korean residents have become impoverished, and the harsh conditions of human rights violations persist," emphasizing, "This is the reality of the Korean Peninsula we are facing."

Kim Young-ho, nominee for Minister of Unification, is responding to questions from lawmakers at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 21st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim stressed the need to remember that, according to Article 4 of the Constitution, we must pursue 'peaceful unification based on a free democratic basic order,' stating, "I will promote North Korea and unification policies in accordance with the Constitution." He particularly referred to the international situation described as a 'new Cold War' due to the confrontation between the U.S. and China, saying, "In a situation where camps are divided, it is extremely important to pursue a North Korea policy based on clear values of freedom." This reflects views consistent with the 'universal values' and 'free democratic order' emphasized by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

Kim declared that he would firmly respond to North Korea's provocations while maintaining principles, stating, "The more North Korea continues nuclear development and missile provocations, the deeper it will fall into an 'security dilemma' where the survival of the North Korean regime becomes increasingly precarious, and I will make sure they clearly realize this."

He said the 'door to dialogue' is always open, adding, "We will pursue approaches that can yield substantive results rather than dialogue for the sake of dialogue." His plan is to start by accurately understanding and informing about North Korea’s realities through extensive investigation and analysis.

Kim Young-ho, nominee for Minister of Unification, listens to opposition lawmakers' requests for document submission during the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 21st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, he emphasized, "The North Korean human rights issue is essentially practical preparation for unification by spreading and realizing the values of free democracy in North Korea," and added, "At the same time, I will actively address urgent issues such as the stable settlement of defectors who represent 'unification that has arrived first,' separated families, abductees, detainees, and prisoners of war, and seek creative solutions."

In Kim’s opening remarks that day, the word 'peace' appeared 11 times, making it the most frequently mentioned term, followed by 'freedom' 10 times, 'cooperation' 7 times, 'democracy' 6 times, 'principle' 5 times, and 'dialogue' 4 times. This is interpreted as somewhat considering the situation where he has been classified as a hardliner on North Korea and even criticized by the Democratic Party of Korea as a "Unification Ministry sabotage agent."

Kim said, "If I serve as Minister of Unification, I will do my best to realize a denuclearized, peaceful, and prosperous Korean Peninsula," adding, "I will strengthen communication and cooperation with the National Assembly to create bipartisan unification and North Korea policies together with the people."

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