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Unification Ministry Expresses Regret Over North Korea's Stance, Vows ... | Summary | Save A A A Ministry of Unification on North Korea's position: "We find it regrettable... will continue policy of peaceful coexistence" South Korea's Unification Ministry said on the 26th that it "regrets that North Korea did not respond to our government's efforts for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula," in response to the North's 9th Party Congress. The Ministry stated that "North Korea announced at its 9th Party Congress that it would maintain its position of 'two hostile states,'" adding that "peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula is the only path to ensure the present and future security of all members of both South and North Korea." The Ministry continued, "The government will firmly uphold its three principles toward North Korea: respecting the North Korean system, not pursuing unification by absorption, and refraining from any hostile acts." It added, "We will not be swayed by North Korea's attitude, and will patiently and consistently pursue our policy of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula." Related Video Original reporting by Yoo Joo-hee for Seoul Economic Dail…

What Seoul must do to achieve peaceful coexistence with North Korea South Korea has made peaceful coexistence the central objective of its North Korea policy. As outlined in a recent white paper, Seoul has not formally abandoned reunification but has chosen to prioritise the more immediate and achievable objective of establishing a stable framework for coexistence. The document articulates three guiding principles: respect for North Korea’s political system, rejection of unification by absorption, and avoidance of hostile actions. Underscoring the urgency of...

Seoul rules out peaceful coexistence of two Koreas - Asia News Network September 20, 2024 PRAGUE – President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office on Thursday denounced the liberal politicians’ calls for South Korea’s peaceful coexistence with North Korea, reiterating the conservative administration’s push for peaceful reunification as enshrined in the ” Unification Doctrine” in August. An official of the presidential office said on condition of anonymity in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, that the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula “has garnered the support of the international community including the Czech Republic.” The official added that those who think otherwise and instead follow the concept of the peaceful coexistence of the two Koreas — either by prioritizing peace over reunification or by introducing the confederation system on the peninsula — would “sympathize with the intention of the North Korea regime.” This was in response to the claims by liberal former president Moon Jae-in that the current discourse over the peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula “needs a complete review,” at a forum Thursday in Gwangju to mark the sixth anniversary of the inter-Kore…

South Korea calls for Korean War 'peace declaration' with North - UPI.com SEOUL, March 6 (UPI) -- South Korea's Unification Ministry called Friday for pursuing a declaration formally ending the Korean War, describing it as a step toward restarting dialogue with North Korea and easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The ministry outlined the proposal in a policy report presented to the National Assembly's foreign affairs and unification committee and shared with reporters, as part of President Lee Jae Myung's broader effort to stabilize inter-Korean relations after years of heightened tensions. Seoul "will promote a 'peace declaration' reflecting the political will to end the Korean War and initiate discussions on establishing a peace regime, including the signing of a peace treaty," the report said. North and South Korea remain technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace agreement. Related Kim Jong Un inspects destroyer, vows two new warships annually China repatriations of N. Koreans may be crimes against humanity, report says Lee urges North Korea to return to dialogue at March 1 ceremony The ministry said the declaration could…

Party Congress reaffirms rejection of reunification, South Korea is now ... Kim Taesung March 2, 2026 March 2, 2026 The 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), which ended on February 25, reaffirmed Kim Jong-un’s position as General Secretary, solidifying his absolute leadership, and reaffirmed the national strategy away from any form of reunification with South Korea. In his report to the Congress, Kim proclaimed a “final and crucial decision” to “draw a historical line under the abnormal relationship that has existed on the Korean Peninsula for nearly 80 years since the founding of the Republic,” and to redefine inter-Korean relations as those between “the most hostile of states.” Historically, the Party Congress has served as the highest decision-making body for setting the nation’s direction and policies, though its role has fluctuated over time. Under the first leader, Kim Il-sung, it convened regularly, underscoring party-centered governance. During the Kim Jong-il era, it was effectively sidelined by the rise of “military-first politics,” resulting in a decades-long hiatus. Since Kim Jong-un’s acquisition of power, after his father’s death, the Congress has been …

North Korea in South Korean Eyes: Enemy or Reunification Partner? — Yoomin Won , Associate Professor, Seoul National University School of Law [Editor’s Note: This is one of our ICONnect columns. For more information on our 2025 columnists, see here .] In December 2023, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un officially announced that the two Koreas are “two hostile states,” effectively renouncing unification. North Korea’s declaration of South Korea as another “state”—a hostile one—was striking to many South Koreans. Yet aren’t they already two different states? To most of the world, this announcement might sound like stating the obvious. Only South and North Korea see it differently: they do not recognize each other as separate states but as partners in the pursuit of reunification. This creates an interestingly complex legal fiction. The newly amended 2024 North Korean Constitution has been reported to call South Korea a hostile state, though not publicly available yet. Kim’s new stance could mean a major shift in inter-Korean relations. A Brief History of Division Korean history dates back to 2333 BC. The peninsula remained as a united country since the first unification by Silla i…

What Seoul must do to achieve peaceful coexistence with North ... Advertisement Diplomacy Opinion Asia Opinion Opinion Gabriela Bernal What Seoul must do to achieve peaceful coexistence with North Korea South Korea needs to restore communication channels, end the policy see-saw and ensure official rhetoric is consistent with policy objectives 3 -MIN READ 3 -MIN Listen Gabriela Bernal Dr Gabriela Bernal is a North Korea analyst based in Seoul, South Korea. Published: 4:30pm, 3 Jun 2026 South Korea has made peaceful coexistence the central objective of its North Korea policy. As outlined in a recent white paper, Seoul has not formally abandoned reunification but has chosen to prioritise the more immediate and achievable objective of establishing a stable framework for coexistence. The document articulates three guiding principles: respect for North Korea’s political system, rejection of unification by absorption, and avoidance of hostile actions. Underscoring the urgency of this approach, the foreword notes: “Peace on the Korean peninsula is not a choice for us, but a lifeline.” At first glance, peaceful coexistence appears more realistic than reunification, a goal Pyongyang abandon…

South Korea urges 'peaceful coexistence' over unification focus March 25 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's unification minister called for a shift in policy toward "peaceful coexistence" with North Korea, emphasizing that the approach does not mean abandoning unification but rather institutionalizing peace on the Korean Peninsula. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young made the remarks Wednesday during an academic conference co-hosted by the ministry and a state-run research institute, where officials and experts discussed ways to end hostilities and establish a lasting peace framework. Chung said Seoul should redesign its Korean Peninsula policy with peaceful coexistence at the center, arguing that formalizing stable relations between the two Koreas could open the door to broader dialogue. "This is not about giving up unification, but about institutionalizing peace," Chung said. "If peaceful coexistence is established politically, economically and legally, any issue between the two sides can be addressed." Related S. Korea delays launch of North Korea rights body amid policy caution Books across the wall ... and the Korean DMZ S. Korea weighs co-sponsorship of U.N. North Korea rights …

Kang Chang-il calls for efforts to improve inter-Korean ties April 17 (Asia Today) -- Kang Chang-il, the new senior vice chairman of South Korea's Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, called Thursday for joint efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and said he would work to revitalize the council's public role. Speaking at his inauguration ceremony in Seoul, Kang said many South Koreans are familiar with the Unification Ministry but know little about the advisory council itself. He said he would work to make the body more visible and active in promoting peaceful unification. Kang said the council has strengths in gathering public opinion and building consensus on peaceful unification, and that it should use that role to recommend policy to the president and broaden public awareness. He said inter-Korean relations remain difficult amid debate over a "two-state" framework and described the current moment as serious. Kang also referred to messages from Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who is serving in that post as of April, and said recent remarks by President Lee Jae-myung had been positively received by North Korea. "I hope we can all join forces to gradually resolve is…

Unification ministry to pursue 'peace declaration' for turning armistice into peace regime - The Korea Herald The unification ministry said Friday it will pursue a "peace declaration" designed to express the political will to end the 1950-53 Korean War in a bid to seek the transition of the current armistice into a peace regime. The ministry unveiled the plan in a report to the National Assembly as President Lee Jae Myung vowed all-out efforts to turn the armistice into a peace regime to ease inter-Korean tensions during his speech marking the 107th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement. "The government will seek the 'peace declaration' that reflects the political will to end the Korean War and kick off discussions for the establishment of a peace regime, including the signing of a peace treaty," the ministry said in the report to the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and unification. The two Koreas are technically at war as the Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The ministry said the peace declaration is a multilateral political declaration that will involve South Korea and the signatories to the Armistice Agreement -- the United State…

South Korean Unification Minister Uses North Korea's Formal Name South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young referred to North Korea by its official state name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, at a public academic forum in Seoul on March 25. It is a deliberate signal that the Lee Jae-myung administration is moving toward treating the peninsula’s division as something more durable than a temporary political condition to be reversed. “Both sides need a responsible decision oriented toward the future – the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea alike,” Chungsaidin his opening remarks at a symposium co-hosted by the Ministry of Unification and the Korea Institute for National Unification atthe Plaza Hotel in Seoul. The conference was titled “Paradigm Shift in Korean Peninsula Policy: Ending Hostility and Achieving Peaceful Coexistence.” Chung also referred to inter-Korean relations as a “Han-Jo relationship” – a phrase that implies the existence of two separate states. In that sense, Chung’s speech mirrored Pyongyang’s own terminology for inter-Korean relations since Kim Jong Un, the autocratic leader of North Korea, formally codified his “…