The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight

  • 3

    BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo

  • 5

    Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors

  • 7

    Family of 5 found dead in 3 separate locations

  • 9

    INTERVIEWVirtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels

  • 11

    Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales

  • 13

    Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI

  • 15

    Arrest warrant hearing for DPK leader Lee to be held Tuesday

  • 17

    Appellate court upholds 9-yr prison term for man over filming, distributing sexual videos featuring women

  • 19

    Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater

  • 2

    N. Korea holds politburo meeting to discuss Kim-Putin summit: KCNA

  • 4

    BTS member Suga begins mandatory military service

  • 6

    Xi says he will seriously consider visit to South Korea: official

  • 8

    Opposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on Tuesday

  • 10

    Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry

  • 12

    Russia lodges protest to S.Korean envoy over Yoon's UN speech

  • 14

    Disney+ aims to expand investment in original Korean content

  • 16

    Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape

  • 18

    Yoon signs off on plan to waive expressway tolls during Chuseok holiday

  • 20

    Korea hammers Thailand to clinch men's football knockout berth

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Sun, September 24, 2023 | 15:29
Unification minister-nominee to seek flexibility on NK
Posted : 2011-08-31 17:23
Updated : 2011-08-31 17:23
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Newly appointed Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik said in his first public comments since being named to the post Wednesday he would take a steady, yet adjustable approach toward North Korea.

By Kim Young-jin

Newly appointed Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik said in his first public comments since being named to the post Wednesday he would take a steady, yet adjustable approach toward North Korea.

"I plan to maintain the government's stance toward the North in a consistent manner," said Yu, at a news conference in Seoul. He was named to the post as part of a Cabinet reshuffle a day earlier. "Still, I will ponder if there could be room to exercise flexibility, if necessary for substantial development of inter-Korean ties.

Whether this signals a major change, however, remains to be seen.

The remarks indicate the administration is walking a fine line between working to improve cross-border ties while maintaining its “principled” approach, implemented for more than two years by outgoing Minister Hyun In-taek.

Yu’s appointment raised rampant speculation that he would usher in a phase of better cross-border ties by inviting more interchange. The former ambassador to Beijing has maintained a channel with the North since retiring from that post in May.

At the same time, President Lee Myung-bak signaled he would not make a drastic change in his Pyongyang policy by appointing Hyun as his special advisor for unification affairs.

Upon taking office in 2008, Lee ended a decade of massive aid to the North and tied its provision to denuclearization in a bid to change the North’s approach of alternating provocation with diplomacy.

“Naming Hyun as the special advisor means that President Lee doesn’t want North Korea and others to misunderstand what he is doing by replacing the minister of unification,” Park Young-ho, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said. “But (the reshuffle) does signal that the South is ready to resume real talks based on the principled approach.”

Yu, who is expected to take office in a matter of weeks after a parliamentary confirmation hearing, will do so amid a slight respite in the tensions gripping the peninsula since the North waged two deadly attacks on the South last year. A recent flurry of diplomacy, including rare bilateral contact, has raised hopes over the resumption of stalled multilateral denuclearization talks.

Park said the more open standpoint could entail slight movement toward resumption of six-party talks but not enough to rescind Cheong Wa Dae’s demand that Pyongyang take verifiable denuclearization steps before the process resumes.

Bahng Tae-seop, of the Samsung Economic Research Institute, said flexibility could entail greater efforts to pursue economic projects, and was bullish on prospects for a proposed trilateral pipeline project from Russia through the peninsula to deliver Siberian oil to the South.

“President Lee was a businessman, and so he probably wants to put a stamp on his presidency through the gas-pipeline project,” he said. “Progress on the project could eventually lead to a trilateral summit in Russia.”

North Korea recently expressed support for the project, prompting Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, chairman of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) to say the sides may soon strike a deal that could melt hostility in the region.

Other analysts, however, said the deal was still a long way off and that Seoul needs assurance that Pyongyang won’t use the costly pipeline as leverage against the South.

Yu’s moves will be watched carefully by watchers to discern the president’s direction as he is known to be a close confidant.

He designed several of Lee’s policies before stepping down as chief of staff in 2008 amid a public uproar over Seoul's decision to resume American beef imports.
Emailyjk@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
miguel
Top 10 Stories
1Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlightScientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight
2Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors
3Opposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on Tuesday Opposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on Tuesday
4Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry
5Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales
6Russia lodges protest to S.Korean envoy over Yoon's UN speech Russia lodges protest to S.Korean envoy over Yoon's UN speech
7Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI
8Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater
9'Songpyeon' for low-income families 'Songpyeon' for low-income families
10Big insurers up for sale, but financial conglomerates appear disinterestedBig insurers up for sale, but financial conglomerates appear disinterested
Top 5 Entertainment News
1TEMPEST gears up to showcase fiery passion TEMPEST gears up to showcase fiery passion
2BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo
3[INTERVIEW] Virtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels INTERVIEWVirtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels
4Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape
5[INTERVIEW] Seoul's increased art market momentum brings Sotheby's back to Korea INTERVIEWSeoul's increased art market momentum brings Sotheby's back to Korea
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group