Lee Min-hyung joined The Korea Times in 2014 and has worked as a journalist mainly in Korea’s finance, tech and automotive industry. He specializes in content creation, breaking news and in-depth analysis currently on transportation and mobility. You can reach him via mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr.
Gov't seeks revision on laws concerning N. Korea
By Lee Min-hyung
Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon
By Lee Min-hyung
The Ministry of Unification plans to seek amendments to laws concerning North Korea to reflect the recent progress in inter-Korean reconciliation.
This was included in the ministry's annual unification white paper released Thursday.
“We plan to revise relevant laws on inter-Korean relations by institutionalizing recent agreements between the two Koreas,” the ministry said in the paper.
The 2019 white paper highlighted inter-Korean reconciliation and exchanges initiated by the first meeting between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last April.
In particular, the ministry will push for a swift ratification of the Panmunjeom Declaration adopted in the summit by teaming up with the National Assembly to pave the way for the law revision.
Seoul and Pyongyang held three summits last year to discuss complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The latest one came last September when Moon and Kim reached a detailed agreement to disarm the border area and build lasting peace here.
To reflect on the sudden shift in inter-Korean relations, the ministry added 82 more pages into this year's paper, compared to that of last year.
“A new history of peace and reconciliation began on the peninsula in 2018, and 2019 will be a more crucial time to bring in greater hope here,” Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said in the preface of the paper.