PM nominee calls N. Korea 'threat, compatriot'
Han Seong-sook, nominee for the new prime minister, speaks during her confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook said Thursday that North Korea is both "a threat and a compatriot" when asked to define South Korea's main enemy, stressing that the key is how to manage relations with the North for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"All that threaten the Republic of Korea is our enemy," Han said during her parliamentary confirmation hearing in response to a question from opposition lawmakers about who South Korea's main enemy is. "It is a very dualistic situation where North Korea is both a threat and a compatriot."
Peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula is an objective that everyone can agree on, Han said.
"How to forge and manage relations (with North Korea) is important," she said.
Han also said there should never be war on the peninsula.