Choo Mi-ae: "Planning to Propose Inter-Korean Cooperation in Infectious Disease and Disaster Management"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae stated on the 28th, "To resolve issues concerning infectious diseases, disasters, and the ecological environment, we are planning to propose joint projects to North Korea at the local government level, or even explore ways to collaborate with other nations."

Governor Choo made the remarks during a keynote conversation at the 2026 DMZ Open Eco-Peace Forum held in Goyang yesterday, emphasizing, "The goal of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation is not to collapse North Korean society or trigger a meltdown of its regime, but to restore mutual ties despite our differences."

She elaborated, "Gyeonggi Province aims to focus more on sufficiently engaging and cooperating with the North at the local level to broaden the foundation for mutual understanding and collaboration. As the governor of a border region, I will properly manage this peace."

She also expressed her determination to reconnect DMZ roads severed by the division.

"Roads are a way to communicate with neighbors and should flow naturally without interruption, but our roads have been cut off by division," Governor Choo said. "I will make endless efforts to reconnect these paths."

The forum was co-hosted by Gyeonggi Province, the Ministry of Unification, and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung to share the ecological and peaceful values of the DMZ with the world and to explore sustainable futures and peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young suggested at the event, "Paving the way for peaceful coexistence is something that civil society, local governments, and the central government must join hands to accomplish right now."

Christoph Heusgen, director of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Korea Office, introduced Germany's experience in overcoming division, explaining, "Small measures for easing tension and promoting communication can accumulate and lead to achievements in peace."

(Photo provided by Gyeonggi Province, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.