Yoon: "Aiming for Unification That Expands the Freedom of Each North Korean Resident"

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol's 'Key Policy Plans' Report
"Important for Presenting a Unification Vision and Strengthening Identity"

President Yoon Suk-yeol emphasized on the 7th, "The unification we aspire to is one that expands the freedom of each and every North Korean resident."

President Yoon Suk-yeol Photo by Yonhap News

On the same day, President Yoon received a report on the '2024 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Major Policy Implementation Plan' from Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol and stated, "Presenting a vision for unification is important in solidifying our country's identity in the international community."

He continued, "We must strengthen diplomatic protection for North Korean defectors and spare no diplomatic, economic, or social consideration during their transfer to and settlement within the country." President Yoon also urged, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should become a ministry that the public feels close to," adding, "It must become a livelihood ministry that discovers and presents policies that citizens, as policy consumers, can tangibly feel."

Furthermore, he said, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be able to serve as an export forward base not only in political diplomacy but also in economic diplomacy," and ordered, "Devise and implement focused management plans for countries where intergovernmental cooperation is especially important due to the nature of projects or national characteristics." He added, "As discussed in the recent livelihood forum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should meticulously manage youth international exchange programs to ensure there are no inconveniences."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported plans to pursue an unwavering North Korean denuclearization policy this year while utilizing all 167 overseas diplomatic missions as export and contract forward bases to promote economic diplomacy. It also announced plans to strengthen the joint rapid response team system with related ministries to protect citizens traveling abroad and to further enhance the role of the Overseas Koreans Office.

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