Minister of Unification: "Yoon Mi-hyang Violated Current Law at Chongryon Event"...Three Fines Issued This Year Alone

Ministry of Unification: "Will Handle According to Law and Principles"
Fines Imposed for Contact with North Korea Without Prior Notification
Total of 27 Cases Since Enforcement of Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act in 2010

Independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang has sparked controversy by attending an event hosted by the pro-North Korean organization, the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), without prior contact notification to the Ministry of Unification. It has been confirmed that this year, three individuals have been fined for meeting with Chongryon without prior notification.

According to the Ministry of Unification on the 4th, under Article 9-2 of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, residents of South and North Korea must report prior contact to the Ministry of Unification and obtain approval before meeting. Members of the pro-North Korean group Chongryon fall under this category. Violations result in fines. Since 2010, there have been a total of 27 cases of fines imposed for violating Article 9-2 of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act.

Yoon Mi-hyang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the government questioning session on education, society, and culture held at the National Assembly plenary session on the 17th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Among these, besides lawmaker Yoon, three others this year have been fined for contacting Chongryon without prior notification to the Ministry of Unification.

Minister of Unification Kim Young-ho appeared before the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Committee on the same day and stated, "Lawmaker Yoon did not report prior contact to the Ministry of Unification regarding attendance at the Chongryon event," adding, "This is a violation of current law." Minister Kim further said, "Therefore, this constitutes a legal violation, and the Ministry of Unification will proceed with related procedures in accordance with the law and principles to establish a framework for exchange principles."

At the press briefing that day, Ministry of Unification spokesperson Koo Byung-sam said, “The government's basic stance is to establish an exchange and cooperation system based on law and principles,” and “This matter will also be reviewed and handled according to this stance.” The Ministry of Unification issued a statement the day before, saying that lawmaker Yoon had never reported prior contact regarding attendance at the Chongryon event and that a fine could be imposed.

Earlier, President Yoon Suk-yeol presided over a senior secretaries meeting and stated, “We must respond firmly together with all citizens, regardless of political camp, to anti-state acts that shake and destroy the free democratic national system.” Although President Yoon did not specify the subjects of anti-state acts, his remarks were interpreted as targeting lawmaker Yoon’s attendance at the Chongryon event.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Yoon became the subject of controversy over the appropriateness of her attendance at the 100th anniversary event of the Great Kanto Earthquake hosted by Chongryon in Tokyo on the 1st. She did not attend the Korean side’s event, the ‘100th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony for Korean Victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake,’ held in Tokyo on the same day.

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