Date: Monday, June 12, 2023
Time: 10:30-10:32 A.M.

1. Minister’s Schedule

Unification Minister Kwon Youngse will attend the National Assembly’s interpellation session on foreign affairs, unification, and security sectors today at 2:00 P.M.

On June 14, Minister Kwon will deliver a lecture at Kyonggi University, and will attend a forum and lecture at Keimyung University in Daegu on June 16.

2. Q&A

Q) There are reports that the powder carried by the dead body presumed to be a North Korean resident was alum powder, and what is the Ministry’s take on this?

Also, could you share us your follow-up measures if there is no response from North Korea regarding the hand-over of the body after June 16?

A) As a result of the National Forensic Service’s test, the powder in the North Korean resident’s possession was confirmed to be negative for drugs, and we were informed that it was alum powder used for skin treatment.

If we do not receive confirmation of North Korea’s intention to acquire the body by June 16 as we requested, we will cooperate with local governments to dispose of it as an unclaimed dead body. This is how we have handled them in the past.