Unification minister says new doctrine does not call for 'absorbing' North Korea

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho dismissed claims that President Yoon Suk Yeol's new unification policy advocates for unification through the absorption of North Korea without recognizing its regime.

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho speaks in a foreign press briefing held at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul on Thursday. [MINISTRY OF UNIFICATION]

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho dismissed claims that President Yoon Suk Yeol's new unification policy advocates for unification through the absorption of North Korea without recognizing its regime.

"North Korean residents' access to information and human rights can be fully understood within the framework of mutual recognition between the two Koreas," Kim said in a foreign press briefing held at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul on Thursday.

He addressed reporters' questions regarding the president's unification doctrine announced through his Liberation Day address on Aug. 15, which outlined a vision for achieving a "freedom-based unified Republic of Korea" as the future of the Korean Peninsula.

Yoon explained that the doctrine continues the National Community Unification Formula, a policy rooted in regime recognition carried forward by previous administrations.

The formula, originally introduced by former President Kim Young-sam in 1994, is founded on the principles of independence, peace and democracy. The plan pursues a phased approach to unification, starting with inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation and progressing toward a confederation and, eventually, complete unification. This approach is predicated on mutual recognition and respect for each side's political systems.

Yet, concerns have arisen from analysts that Yoon's new doctrine may be indirectly seeking the collapse of the North Korean regime, particularly due to its focus on "fostering a strong desire for freedom-based unification among North Korean residents."

Kim countered these concerns by arguing that interpreting mutual recognition as requiring South Korea to take no action is an "overly static approach."

"What the government would like to say through the doctrine is that North Koreans should have the rights to see what they have to see, hear what they have to hear and eat what they have to eat," Kim said, further criticizing that the association of these issues with regime recognition as "an attempt to avoid substantive debate."

Kim also highlighted North Korea's recent stance, which includes denying kinship ties, maintaining a hostile stance and expressing a desire not to pursue unification, arguing that these remarks effectively violate fundamental agreements between the two Koreas.

In response, the South Korean government has proposed establishing a dialogue mechanism between the two Koreas as part of the Aug. 15 Unification Doctrine to maintain momentum for dialogue amid their current lack of trust and exchanges.

Kim identified establishing a working-level dialogue consultative body between South and North Korean authorities as the most crucial of the seven key action plans in the Unification Doctrine.

"Firstly, President Yoon has made a direct invitation to North Korea for dialogue, and secondly, made a proposal to discuss all issues without restrictions and last, suggested to begin discussions at a working level," said Kim, reiterating the government's call for North Korea to respond positively to this initiative.

Additionally, Kim announced that the South Korean government would support using digital technology to expand North Korean residents' access to information, as outlined in Yoon's doctrine.

"In closed societies, the right to access information is closely linked to the development of cutting-edge technology," Kim said. He noted ongoing discussions about applying advanced information access technologies beyond traditional methods.

Kim said the government will continue supporting civil society organizations in developing and producing content incorporating advanced technology to expand information access for North Korean residents.

Kim also cited a Unification Ministry survey revealing that over 80 percent of North Korean defectors who arrived in South Korea between 2016 and 2020 had watched South Korean dramas or other external media before their defection.

"The desire for external information among North Korean residents is highly spontaneous, and efforts to meet this voluntary desire must continue," he emphasized.

A key feature of the new Unification Doctrine is its emphasis on strengthening international solidarity for unification. On Thursday, the government launched an annual global unification awareness survey, targeting citizens in approximately 16 countries to build international support for a unified Korea.

Additionally, the government plans to host an international conference on North Korean human rights to expand the global discourse on the issue. The upcoming Global Korea Forum, scheduled for early September, will be an expanded version of the annual Korea Global Forum that the Unification Ministry has hosted since 2010. Kim described the forum as a "Davos Forum for the unification of the Korean Peninsula."

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]