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 hopes Trump’s China visit will help break inter-Korean deadlock
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks during a press conference in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Unification
By Lee Hyo-jin
Chung Dong-young dismisses speculation over South Korea-US friction in NK policy
U.S. President Donald Trump’s anticipated visit to China in April could help thaw a prolonged stalemate in inter-Korean relations and inject new momentum into cross-border engagement, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Wednesday.
His remarks come as the Lee Jae Myung government's outreach to Pyongyang over the past six months has drawn no response from North Korea. Officials in Seoul are hoping that Trump's willingness to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could provide new momentum.
"With President Trump's visit to China expected in April, the next four months will be a critical turning point in determining whether the situation moves toward peace or remains in the current stalemate," Chung said during a press conference in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
"I see this as a pivotal period. Active steps are needed to help create the right conditions and shift the Korean Peninsula toward peace."
Chung added that he plans to communicate closely with neighboring countries to help create a favorable environment for talks before the U.S. leader's visit to Beijing, noting that he is considering a visit to China himself.
Over the hourlong press conference, Chung repeatedly stressed the need to restore communication with the North, pledging that 2026 would mark the beginning of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"To rebuild the trust that has collapsed, we will continue steady efforts," he said. "With the goal of making 2026 the year of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, we will pursue proactive and preemptive measures."
Inter-Korean relations, which deteriorated to their worst point under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration, have remained deeply chilled despite the Lee government's series of proactive efforts.
Adding to the uncertainties, concerns have risen that the issue is slipping down the Trump administration's list of priorities after the recently released U.S. National Security Strategy paper made no mention of North Korea's denuclearization.
The unification minister told reporters that cooperation with Washington on North Korea policy "remains smooth."
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a factory in South Pyongan Province on Dec. 3 in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Dec. 5. Yonhap
Earlier this week, local media reported that Kevin Kim, the acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea, emphasized the need to keep sanctions on North Korea in place and to maintain the current scale of combined South Korea-U.S. military exercises during recent meetings with South Korean security officials. Kim met with Chung on Nov. 25.
"It would be out of diplomatic protocol to disclose conversations between an allied nation's ambassador and a Cabinet member," Chung said when asked about the meeting. "But it is regrettable that parts of the discussion were leaked."
Since taking office, Chung has repeatedly argued that scaling down joint military drills could serve as an incentive to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table. Pyongyang has long denounced these exercises as "rehearsals for invasion."
The minister also vowed to push a "peaceful two-state" arrangement as a transitional stage on the path toward eventual unification, citing a recent public opinion survey showing broad support for the idea.
"This is not some idea that suddenly emerged after I took office," Chung said. "It reflects our long-standing position that has been maintained since the 1991 Inter-Korean Basic Agreement. Distorting this or labeling it as an 'abandonment of unification' is an overly political interpretation."
According to a Gallup Korea poll among 1,005 adults conducted at the ministry's request, 69.9 percent of respondents backed the concept. When asked whether North Korea should be considered a separate country, 64.6 percent agreed, while 34.5 percent disagreed. The survey was conducted by phone from Dec. 2 to 8.