Defense Ministry to reinstate North Korea Policy Division

The Ministry of National Defense will reinstate its North Korea Policy Division, which was dissolved under the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration, nearly one year after its removal.

President Lee Jae Myung takes part in a policy briefing by the Ministry of National Defense at the defense ministry building in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Dec. 18. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

The Ministry of National Defense will reinstate its North Korea Policy Division, which was dissolved under the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration, nearly one year after its removal.

The ministry announced on Sunday that it has issued a legislative notice for a revised enforcement decree concerning the organization of the ministry and its affiliated agencies. The notice period runs through Friday.

The draft proposes renaming the current North Korea Strategy Division — under the Defense Ministry's Office of National Defense Policy — back to the North Korea Policy Division.

“The change aims to strengthen the legitimacy of inter-Korean military talks and to build confidence in our North Korea policy,” explained the Defense Ministry.

In a recent policy briefing to the president, the ministry outlined plans to gradually restore the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement by implementing measures to reduce military tensions and prevent accidental clashes in the air, on the ground and at sea.

The North Korea Policy Division, first established in 2008, had long been responsible for handling the military aspects of the government’s North Korea and unification policies. Its main tasks included developing military talks and providing military support for inter-Korean exchanges. The division also played a key role in the negotiation and implementation of the 2018 agreement under the Moon Jae-in administration.

The Yoon administration, however, suspended the agreement in June last year in response to North Korea’s provocations. Around the same time, the division was renamed the North Korea Strategy Division and had its focus shifted to sanctions and military pressure.

With the new administration under President Lee Jae Myung, the return to the North Korea Policy Division marks a shift in priorities — from a focus on military sanctions to formulating negotiation strategies and overseeing inter-Korean dialogue.

The draft revision also includes the dissolution of the Office of Military Resources Management and the creation of a new assistant vice minister post. The new office will handle functions related to military capability, logistics and digital transformation and serve as a command center for national defense AI policy.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JANG GU-SEUL [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]