Date: Monday, August 28, 2023
Time: 10:30-10:33 A.M.

 

1. Unification Ministry to host the 2023 Korea Global Forum on August 30

The Unification Ministry will be hosting the 2023 Korea Global Forum(KGF) on August 30. The forum will begin at 9:30 A.M., running under the theme of ‘North Korean Nuclear and Human Rights Challenges, and Korean Unification.’

 

2. Minister’s Schedule

On August 29, Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho will attend the cabinet meeting at 10 A.M.

 

3. Vice Minister’s Schedule

Vice Minister Moon Seoung-hyun will attend a policy forum today at 2 P.M., held by the Committee for the Five Northern Korean Provinces to discuss cooperative measures to improve North Korean human rights and democratization.

 

4. Q&A

Q) What is the Unification Ministry’s take on North Korea’s announcement on officially opening of its borders yesterday? Also, when do you expect foreigners to be allowed to enter North Korea?

A) North Korea has officially opened its borders for the first time in three years and seven months. There might have been a number of economic difficulties and inconveniences in people-to-people exchanges caused by the border lockdown. It seems that the decision to open the border was made in consideration of these various circumstances.

On August 27, the KCNA reported that “DPRK citizens abroad have been allowed to return home.” Therefore, it appears that North Korea has opened its borders to a limited extent, and we still need to monitor the relevant trends for a full opening.

Q) The North’s opening of its border was anticipated to some extent, and there are concerns that this would lead to the forced repatriation of North Koreans who are currently in China or third countries. Cooperation among related agencies will be required, however, what is the Ministry’s stance on this perspective and what efforts will be made to prevent forced repatriation of North Koreans against their will?

A) We hope that the opening of the North Korean borders will improve the livelihood of North Korean residents and the dire human rights situation.
The Government is gravely concerned about the possibility of forced repatriation of North Korean defectors in China after opening of the borders.

We reiterate that North Koreans in China should not be forcibly repatriated against their will, which must be respected. We will continue to work with the relevant agencies to discuss realistic measures in this regard.