The North Korea nuclear issue extends beyond the Korean Peninsula and is directly related to European security, and strengthening solidarity between South Korea and Europe is necessary.

Minister Kim Yung Ho visits the UK and Germany (September 28-October 4)

Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho visited the United Kingdom and Germany on the occasion of the 33rd German Unity Day and the Korea Global Forum (KGF) 2023 European Seminar (September 28 to October 4, 2023).

On September 29, Minister Kim met with experts on Korean Peninsula issues from the European region on the sidelines of the KGF held at the University of Cambridge in the UK and discussed ways to cooperate with Europe on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, improving human rights in North Korea, and unification of the Korean Peninsula.

The experts shared the perception that the North Korean nuclear issue extends beyond the Korean Peninsula and is directly related to the security of Europe, stressing the importance of Europe’s role in inducing a change in the North’s behavior towards nuclear and human rights issues and strengthening cooperation between South Korea and Europe.

Furthermore, during a meeting with over 30 European Council members of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, the minister explained the direction of the Yoon administration’s unification and North Korean policies and reemphasized their role in building solidarity with the international community for the realization of the vision of “a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace.”

On September 30, Minister Kim met with North Korean defectors living in the United Kingdom to hear their concerns and reasons for settling in the UK. He highly praised their successful settlement in the UK and stressed unity, communication, and cooperation between North Korean defectors and the Korean community in the UK.

The minister also met with representatives of North Korean human rights NGOs to have an in-depth discussion on ways to build international cooperation for improving human rights in North Korea, including the importance of documenting and preserving cases of human rights violations in the North and cooperation between the government, NGOs, and experts.

On October 1, Minister Kim visited the Korean War Memorial in London to lay a wreath and expressed gratitude for the sacrifices made by British veterans during the war.

The minister’s visit to the UK served as an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of close cooperation between Korea and Europe on the North Korean nuclear issue and international solidarity to address human rights issues in the North.