Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said on January 25 that "North Korea's emphasis on economy and people's livelihood at its 9th Party Congress offers meaningful implications for the Korean Peninsula situation," adding that "it is time to create momentum for inter-Korean mutual growth through establishing a new environment centered on peace and shared prosperity."
Minister Chung made the remarks at a ceremony to present appointment letters to the Unification Ministry's policy advisory committee members held at the Government Complex Seoul. Regarding North Korea's party congress, he said, "For the next five years, they appear to be focusing policy direction on economic and people's livelihood improvements while carefully managing messages on military and foreign affairs."
"Looking back at the Korean Peninsula situation, when North Korea prioritized economic improvement, tensions eased between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the United States, and space for dialogue and cooperation expanded," Minister Chung said. "We must create momentum for inter-Korean growth centered on peace and shared prosperity, not useless hostility and confrontation."
He also noted, "According to the Korean Language Dictionary published by North Korea, 'enemy state' means a counterpart whose fundamental interests are in opposition and who fights against or seeks to harm the other side." He added, "The Lee Jae-myung administration hopes for peaceful coexistence where South and North recognize and respect each other's systems. The interests of South and North Korea align when it comes to peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula."
"We hope that the newly elected North Korean leadership, together with our government, can open an era of coexistence and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula," he said.
Meanwhile, when asked about U.S. Forces Korea expressing reservations about the government's push to preemptively restore the no-fly zone under the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement, Minister Chung avoided a direct answer, saying "It would be desirable for the National Security Office to coordinate and present the government's position."