1. Ministry to hold policy briefing for international organizations and Ambassadors to the ROK

 

The Ministry of Unification will be holding a policy briefing session for international organizations and Ambassadors to the ROK on January 25 at 3 P.M. The policy briefing will be joined by Ambassadors and Chargés d’affaires of 31 countries, as well as Seoul office heads of eight international organizations including the ICRC and WFP. The Unification Minister will evaluate recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and explain the direction for unification and North Korea policies in 2022.

 

The Government is cautiously keeping a watch on the North’s recent series of events including its missile tests and preparing for all possibilities, while closely cooperating with the international community to stably manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Similarly, the Government hopes this briefing session will serve as an opportunity to expand consensus on the need to advance the situation on the peninsula in the direction of peace and cooperation not tension and conflict, and to discuss cooperation methods with the international community.

 

2. Other schedules

 

With Lunar New Year’s Day approaching next week, the Ministry is scheduled to visit and console separated families and North Korean defectors that cannot spend the holidays with family.

 

3. Q&A

 

Q. It is being claimed that North Korea is still inspecting and maintaining tunnels at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, which it destroyed in 2018. Can the Ministry confirm such activities, and what is the Ministry’s position regarding such a claim?

 

A. The Government is closely monitoring the North’s nuclear and missile activities in close cooperation with the U.S. However, we cannot confirm specific information regarding developments at the North’s nuclear facilities.

 

The South and the North have on a number of occasions agreed to advance the common goal of improving inter-Korean relations, achieving complete denuclearization and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula. It is the Unification Ministry’s position that such agreements must be respected and implemented, and that all related parties including the North should cooperate in this direction. The Ministry will continue efforts to achieve complete denuclearization on the peninsula by cooperating with the North and the international community.

 

Q. North Korea is placing great emphasis on the fact that this year marks several key anniversaries. Which events is the Ministry paying particular attention to, and what is the possibility of military action in relation to such events?

 

A. North Korea is expected to mark the 80th anniversary of the birth of Chairman Kim Jong Il in February, the 110th anniversary of the birth of late President Kim Il Sung in April, and the 10th anniversary since President Kim Jong Un was named first secretary of the party and first chairman of the national defense commission. North Korea celebrates major political events in larger scales every 5 or 10 years, and it recently decided on matters in celebrating the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il at a meeting of the political bureau and is calling for preparations in all sectors through Rodong Sinmun reports.

 

The Government, while closely monitoring North Korea’s activities concerning its major anniversaries, is working with related agencies and countries in preparation for all possibilities. Meanwhile, rather than making predictions on the North’s possible military activities, the Ministry will cautiously look into developments in the North and pursue comprehensive judgements.

 

Q. At this point, what can the Unification Ministry do to manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula? Specifically how is the Ministry carrying out such efforts?

 

A. It is the Unification Ministry’s duty to create conditions for a future of peace – returning to the past when tensions escalated on the peninsula and inter-Korean relations deteriorated is not desirable. To this end, the Ministry while preparing for all possible difficulties, is cooperating with related agencies and countries to peacefully and stably manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula. We will continue to make efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and advance the settlement of peace on the Korean Peninsula.