Date: Monday, March 27, 2023
Time: 10:30-10:35 A.M.

 

1. Minister’s Schedule

On March 28, Unification Minister Kwon Youngse will attend the cabinet meeting.

On March 29, Minister Kwon will attend a monthly meeting of the EU member-state ambassadors to Korea to introduce the Government’s unification and North Korea policy and ask for cooperation and support.

 

2. Vice Minister’s Schedule

On March 29, Vice Minister Kim Ki Woong will attend the vice-minister’s conference.

 

3. Q&A

Q) The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea this morning. What is the Ministry’s position regarding the North’s continuous missile provocations?

A) We are aware that the military authorities have already taken a position on that. The situation is closely shared among relevant agencies, which is in line with the Ministry’s stance.

Q) While Minister Kwon was visiting Japan, there was a report that a regular communication channel with the Ministry’s Humanitarian Cooperation Bureau will be established regarding the Japanese abductees issue, which will operate during the first half of the year.

The issue of Japanese abductees to North Korea has long been regarded a complicated subject. Concerning that the Unification Ministry has not been in charge of the Japanese abductees, this could lead to a strong backlash from North Korea, which may put burden on the Ministry’s works including the issue of separated families or Korean abductees. How does the Ministry view these concerns?

A) First of all, the issues of Japanese abductees and Korean abductees to North Korea and separated families are urgent matters that need to be addressed from a humanitarian perspective, in which both South Korea and Japan share a common interest. Therefore, the cooperation between Korea and Japan that we proposed was to share mutual interest, thereby creating an atmosphere for addressing these issues together.

Q) Regarding the Ministry’s reorganization plan announced last week, there are some concerns that the direction in which the organization related to inter-Korean exchange and cooperation being slightly downsized could give a negative signal to inter-Korean relations. What is the Ministry’s take on this?

A) It is desirable for the organization to be able to flexibly respond to changes in circumstances surrounding inter-Korean relations or unification policy. Please understand that the Ministry’s reorganization is reflecting the current situation. If there is an opportunity for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation to be revitalized, it can be flexibly adjusted accordingly in the future.

Q) A North Korea’s propaganda outlet recently criticized the Minister’s visit to Japan. What is the Ministry’s take on such publication?

A) Since the Ministry has consistently maintained a stance that it does not comment on the North’s propaganda outlet, we do not offer direct comments.