Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
Unification minister to propose scaling down military drills with US for peace efforts
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young writes a message in a guest book of the National Cemetery in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
By Lee Hyo-jin
Despite Pyongyang's rejection, Seoul vows to continue overtures
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday that he will propose to President Lee Jae Myung adjusting the scale of South Korea-U.S. joint military drills.
His remarks came just hours after Pyongyang denounced the exercises for their "aggressive nature" and accused them of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
"Yes, I have such plans," Chung told reporters in response to a question about whether he plans to make such a suggestion to the president. "The issue will be a key topic of discussion at the working-level National Security Council (NSC) meeting scheduled for tomorrow [Tuesday]."
The newly appointed minister, who took office on Friday, stressed that "the Lee Jae Myung administration's policy direction on the joint exercises will not be a continuation of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s."
South Korea and the U.S. are expected to hold their annual summertime joint exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), in August. Pyongyang has routinely criticized the UFS as a rehearsal for invasion.
While Chung did not elaborate on what form the adjustment might take, the planned proposal is widely interpreted as a call to either reduce the intensity of the drills or delay the planned schedule.
Chung's remarks are the latest in Seoul's series of efforts to reengage with Pyongyang since Lee's June 4 inauguration.
However, earlier in the day, Pyongyang flatly rejected any possibility of dialogue with Seoul.
In a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said the regime has "no interest in talks" with the Lee administration.
Kim dismissed South Korea's recent deescalation efforts, including the suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, describing these moves as "not worthy of appreciation."
In her statement, Kim noted that the land adjacent to the Demilitarized Zone "will soon be stained by powder fumes through the successive large-scale joint military drills of aggressive nature," apparently referring to the upcoming UFS.
Her blunt statement also criticized the unification minister for "spinning a daydream" by suggesting the possibility of inviting the North Korean leader to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit scheduled to begin Oct. 31 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2, 2019. AP-Yonhap
Monday's announcement marked North Korea's first official response to the Lee administration's North Korea policy.
Despite the North’s rebuff, officials in Seoul reaffirmed their commitment to deescalation and reengagement with Pyongyang.
In response to Kim's statement, the South Korean president emphasized the importance of restoring trust between the two Koreas, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.
"It is important to restore trust between South and North Korea in a peaceful atmosphere," Lee was quoted as saying while presenting a letter of appointment to the unification minister during a ceremony held at the presidential office.
The Ministry of Unification reaffirmed its commitment to steady peace-building efforts without being swayed by North Korea's latest reactions.
"The latest statement indicates that North Korean authorities are closely monitoring the Lee Jae Myung administration’s policy direction toward the North," ministry spokesman Koo Byung-sam said.
Koo added that Kim's message did not include any especially hostile or mocking rhetoric compared to her previous statements directed at the South.
South Korean and U.S. troops install a Line of Communication Bridge during a joint exercise at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, June 11. Courtesy of ROK Army
Analysts in Seoul viewed Kim Yo-jong's statement, widely regarded as a direct reflection of her brother's position, as a reaffirmation of the Kim regime's "two-state system," which designates Seoul as its "No. 1 enemy."
"The statement signals two things: rejection of the APEC invitation and no interest in resuming inter-Korean talks, even behind the scenes," said Doo Jin-ho, head of the Eurasia Research Center at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.
"If Kim's statement had specifically blamed the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration for the current stalemate, it might have suggested some willingness to engage with the new government," Doo added. "But by drawing no distinction between the previous and current administrations, they’ve closed the door entirely."
Doo further suggested that breaking the current impasse requires Seoul to engage in delicate diplomacy with China and Russia — the two countries North Korea continues to rely on — to better leverage their influence over the regime.
Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, pointed out that the timing of Kim's statement may be linked to the upcoming annual South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises.
"The upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint drills could become a critical turning point in inter-Korean relations," Yang said, noting that Pyongyang may be closely watching whether Seoul will scale down the UFS exercises to placate the North.