Kim Young-ho Appointed Minister of Unification: "North Korea's Unilateral Claims Cannot Be Accepted"

Inauguration Ceremony at Government Seoul Office Annex on the 28th

Kim Young-ho, the newly appointed Minister of Unification, took office on the 28th. In his inaugural speech, Minister Kim emphasized, "We must not hastily accept North Korea's unilateral claims just to achieve immediate results, but rather steadfastly uphold principles based on a clear vision for unification that matches our national dignity and the expectations of our people."

At the inauguration ceremony held at the annex of the Government Seoul Office Building, Minister Kim stated, "It is extremely important not to be overly concerned with the temporary ups and downs in inter-Korean relations, but to pursue policies with a long-term perspective under clear principles."

He interpreted the current situation as one where inter-Korean conflicts are intensifying due to North Korea's advancement of nuclear capabilities and the escalating competition between liberal and authoritarian camps. Minister Kim added, "Especially in times like these, consistently pushing forward unification and North Korea policies based solely on 'values and principles' is the most proper way to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue and expedite unification."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister Kim stressed that the values and principles the Ministry of Unification must uphold are the duties outlined in Article 4 of the Constitution, namely, "the establishment and promotion of peaceful unification policies based on a free democratic order." He said, "We must patiently and consistently strive to lead North Korea to make the right choice of embracing universal values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and peace," and added, "With extraordinary determination, we must reflect on and newly organize unification work based on these 'values and principles.'"

Minister Kim reaffirmed the commitment to humanitarian aid by stating, "Humanitarian support for North Korea's vulnerable groups will be continuously pursued not only by our government but also by domestic and international civil organizations and international bodies, regardless of political or military situations."

He continued, "Issues such as separated families, abductees, detainees, and prisoners of war are humanitarian problems caused by division, but they are also human rights issues inflicted on our people by the North Korean authorities," and said, "We must seek various creative solutions to fulfill the fundamental national duty of realizing human rights."

Minister Kim identified the core tasks for the Ministry of Unification going forward as ▲ preventing and inducing the abandonment of North Korea's nuclear development ▲ improving human rights issues under the North Korean regime ▲ preparing for unification based on firm values and vision.

Furthermore, Minister Kim clearly stated the policy of adhering to the 'principle of accepting all' to protect the safety of defectors residing overseas and to allow all defectors wishing to enter the country to do so.

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