Date: Monday, September 30, 2024
Time: 10:20-10:30 A.M.

 

1. Minister’s Schedule

Minister Kim Yung Ho delivered a special lecture at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies of Seoul National University today at 10 A.M.

On October 2, at 4:30 P.M., Minister Kim will deliver a special lecture on the August 15 Unification Doctrine at the World Korean Community Leaders Convention.

 

2. Vice Minister’s Schedule

Vice Minister Kim Soo Kyung attended the cabinet meeting today at 10 A.M.

Vice Minister Kim will be visiting Germany from October 1 to 5 to attend celebrations for the German reunification anniversary, promote cooperation with the German government and secure support for the August 15 Unification Doctrine.

 

3. Unification Spokesperson’s Statement on the 10th year of missionary Kim Kook-kie’s detention in North Korea

This coming October marks 10 years since missionary Kim Kook-kie’s arbitrary detention under the Kim Jong Un regime.

Kim Kook-kie, an ROK national who began missionary work in Dandong, China from 2003, provided humanitarian support for North Korean residents while offering shelters for defectors. In October 2014, Kim Kook-kie was forcibly detained and sentenced to lifelong “reform through labor.”

Kim Hee-soon, wife of missionary Kim Kook-kie, has been diligently composing letters and offering daily prayers for the safe return of her husband who will now be over 70 years of age.

The ROK Government has urged the North to provide information on the fate of our six ROK nationals and called for their immediate release on a number of occasions, but the North remains irresponsive, not providing even minimal information. Borrowing the words of Elizabeth Salmon, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK, “the anguish and sorrow that the families of victims suffer from are equivalent to torture.”

Following the Unification Minister’s statement released on September 20 in unison with the United States and Canada, the Ministry once again condemns North Korea’s illegal and inhumane human rights violations and strongly urges the North to immediately and unconditionally release our nationals.

It would be wrong for the North to think that this issue will fade away with the pass of time. North Korean authorities should aσoid reaching such erroneous conclusion and sternly recognize our legitimate demand for the safety of our people’s lives while facing warnings of the international community.

The ROK Government, while recognizing the protection of our nationals as top priority, will strive to resolve the issue at the earliest possible date, secure information on the fate of our detainees, facilitate any possible communication between them and their families, and clearly demonstrate to the North our unwavering commitment toward the immediate return of our nationals.

 

4. Q&A (partial)

Q. Since yesterday, media outlets have been reporting that paintings by North Korea’s Mansudae Art Studio are circulating in the South. What is the Unification Ministry’s position on such reports?

A. The Mansudae Art Studio has been under international sanctions since the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 2371. It is subject to asset freeze and prohibition to make funds available. The ROK Government has also listed this entity under its independent sanctions – foreign exchange and financial transactions with the studio requires preliminary permission by the Bank of Korea Governor and the Financial Services Commission.

The ROK Government strives to thoroughly implement sanctions against the North, and will continue to do so in close cooperation with related agencies.

Q. But the report is about paintings circulating here in the South. Is this also a violation of U.N. sanctions against North Korea?

A. The process of bringing in artwork from the North is a violation, and there is a possibility that the act of buying and selling such works may violate domestic law.

Q. How can it be a violation when the buyers are trading private property?

A. I am noting the possibility. It may be a violation of the law in general, without any specific premise.

Q. I am aware that the works of Masudae Art Studio have been introduced to the South before 2010. Then, is it okay for individuals to domestically distribute paintings gained before the U.N. sanctions were implemented or are they all considered non-distributable due to retroactive application?

A. If your question is about a specific case, the details will need to be confirmed separately. Generally speaking, it could be a violation of domestic law.

Q. Representative Park Choong-kwon claims that the circulation of paintings believed to be productions of Mansudae Art Studio among individual collectors is a violation of U.N. sanctions. Are you saying that such argument is appropriate?

A. The violations I have mentioned earlier are not related to U.N. sanctions. There is a domestic law, commonly referred to as the Act of Counter Terrorism, that promotes the implementation of the U.N. Security Council’s sanctions on North Korea. It is my understanding that such acts may violate this law.

Q. The Unification Ministry has its expertise in understanding North Korean society. It should know that there is no concept of original art in the North, that most North Korean art circulating in the South is a copy version, and that it is near impossible for an individual to visit the studio in person and buy its artwork. If the Ministry warns the public to be cautious despite such distorted reports, wouldn’t that just kill the individual circulation of North Korean art in the art market? It seems inappropriate to simply claim that such acts could be a violation of U.N. resolutions.

A. Let me make it clear, bringing North Korean artwork into the South while aware that it was produced by the Mansudae Art Studio can be a violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions. Similarly, dealing the artwork while aware of such circumstances can go against our domestic law.

Q. North Korean President Kim Jong Un made his third visit to flood-hit areas and called for the completion of construction projects at the site. Has a North Korean leader made visits to flood affected regions so frequently in the past? Kim also reportedly encouraged soldier-builders and members of the youth shock brigade – how many people does the Ministry estimate were mobilized?

A. It is difficult to confirm the specific scale of mobilization by region.

This was the third field guidance by President Kim Jong Un in flood-hit areas, and the eighth flood relief related development. Today’s report suggests that the North seeks to manage public sentiment, calling for the early completion of construction work ahead of its party foundation day. It is rare for the North to inspect flood recovery efforts multiple times in such a short span of time.