“Peace” erased from unification policies the day after the president’s directives

The Future of the Next Unification Ministry: On July 3, civil servants in the Ministry of Unification return to their offices after attending the inauguration ceremony of the new vice minister of unification, Moon Seoung-hyun, a traditional diplomat, at the government office in Seoul. Yonhap News

After President Yoon Suk-yeol replaced the minister and vice minister of unification and instructed the ministry to take on a new role, the Ministry of Unification began emphasizing “unification based on the basic free and democratic order” as the major direction of its policies. The ministry left out the word “peaceful” from the “peaceful unification based on the basic free and democratic order” stipulated in the Constitution.

In a regular press briefing on July 3, unification ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam explained the role of the ministry, which has been the topic of heated debate after the appointments of the new minister and vice minister, and said, “As the president emphasized, we will establish and promote unification policies based on the basic free and democratic order according to the Constitution and, in line with the audacious initiative, further exert efforts to denuclearize North Korea and improve the basic rights situation of North Korean citizens.” The ministry spokesperson appears to have left out the word “peaceful” from the phrase stated in the Constitution during the official press briefing because of President Yoon’s remarks from the previous day.

On Monday, President Yoon argued that the unification ministry had played the role of a North Korea support ministry in the past and said that that was not acceptable. He claimed that it was now time for the unification ministry to change and said, “From now on, the unification ministry must play its proper role according to the constitutional principles of unification based on the basic free and democratic order.”

The unification minister nominee Kim Yung-ho, known as a hardliner on North Korea issues with a far-right tendency, also stressed the “basic free and democratic order.” At the Office of the President in Yongsan, Seoul on June 29, Kim said he would create measures for peaceful unification based on the “basic free and democratic order,” but later that day when he met with reporters as he entered the Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where an office was set up for him to prepare for his confirmation hearing, he said, “I will prepare unification measures based on the basic free and democratic order.”

The Constitution not only stipulates unification based on the basic order of freedom and democracy, but it also stresses a “peaceful” road to unification. The preamble of the Constitution states the mission of “peaceful unification” and Article 4 states, “The Republic of Korea shall seek unification and shall formulate and carry out a policy of peaceful unification based on the basic free and democratic order.” Article 66 also states, “The President shall have the duty to pursue sincerely the peaceful unification of the homeland,” and Article 69, which presents the oath that the president takes at the time of his inauguration, also mentions “the peaceful unification of the homeland.”

The unification and North Korea policies of the Yoon Suk-yeol government, which is advocating a fundamental order based on freedom and democracy, are expected to focus on further pressing North Korea. With North Korea rapidly upgrading its nuclear power and refusing talks with the South, the unification ministry is likely to concentrate on raising issues with the North’s human rights problem instead of seeking inter-Korean dialogue, exchanges, or cooperation. A symbol of such intentions is the ministerial appointment of Kim Yung-ho, who described inter-Korean relations as hostile and argued that the “destruction of the regime” was the solution to North Korea’s nuclear problem.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies said over the phone, “It is very concerning because it seems to imply that the government will no longer consider peace in its policies on North Korea and unification.” He added, “Any government should naturally promote a unification policy based on the basic order of freedom and democracy and the purpose should be peace.”