Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has said inter-Korean relations have reached a complete cutoff in recent years, emphasizing that ending the rupture as soon as possible is the responsibility of the Lee Jae Myung administration.
Chung made the remarks in a speech delivered online during the World Korea Forum held Wednesday at the University of Nairobi in the Kenyan capital.
"Over the past six years, inter-Korean relations have been cut off, with private-level contacts dropping to 'zero,'" Chung said. "Ending this complete cutoff in ties as soon as possible is the responsibility of the new (South Korean) government."
The minister emphasized that South and North Korea cannot be two separate countries, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's declaration in 2023 that the two Koreas are "two countries hostile to each other." "As nothing remains unchanged in the world, North Korea's current two-state policy antagonizing the South will eventually change."
Chung also emphasized the importance of "consistency" in North Korea policy, noting that inter-Korean relations have swung dramatically between highs and lows depending on changes in the South Korean government. (Yonhap)
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