▲ Yoon Min-ho, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, answers questions regarding pending issues during a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 20th.
Regarding the solution to the North Korean nuclear issue, the Ministry of Unification stated today (the 27th) that it will "focus on halting North Korea's nuclear program first and prepare realistic and pragmatic solutions."
During a regular briefing today, when asked about its stance on the statement issued by Kim Yo-jong, North Korean Workers' Party vice department director, Unification Ministry Spokesperson Yoon Min-ho stated, "The government's existing stance remains unchanged to achieve a denuclearized Korean Peninsula through cooperation with the international community."
This is interpreted as a reaffirmation of Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's North Korean nuclear strategy, who recently stated that the approach of "denuclearization first" had been discarded in favor of a "peace first" stance.
Meeting with reporters at the Ministry of Unification on the 23rd, Minister Chung stated, "(Over the past year) the Lee Jae-myung administration has effectively discarded the previous government's denuclearization-first approach and CVID (complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization), shifting toward a peace-first approach."
In materials distributed to the media at the time, Minister Chung suggested that the Ministry of Unification is exploring a realistic solution—such as providing corresponding rewards if North Korea halts its nuclear enhancement first, even before denuclearization takes place. He also proposed initiating discussions on a "Korean Peninsula peace regime" first to create conditions for halting North Korea's nuclear program.
In a statement released today, Vice Department Director Kim Yo-jong criticized the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) chairman's statement mentioning the "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," calling it a "pathetically nonsensical chairman's statement" that babbles about the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," and claimed that North Korea's nuclear capabilities will "be continuously updated without a moment of stagnation."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.