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.
Bumpy road ahead for new unification chief
New Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul receives questions from reporters at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday, a day after he took office as the head of the ministry. Yonhap
By Lee Min-hyung
By Lee Min-hyung
New Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul faces the daunting task of moving President Moon Jae-in's peace drive forward as the denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States remain deadlocked.
No one would dispute Kim's top priority is to make a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations.
But the North started stepping up aggressive rhetoric against the ministry right after Kim took office Monday.
On Tuesday, the North's propaganda outlets denounced the ministry for seeking to carry out what they called “valueless” inter-Korean projects.
Citing the ministry's 2019 plan for developing inter-Korean relations, North Korean website Uriminzokkiri released sarcastic commentary.
“The plan is nothing more than an empty shell of no value,” the propaganda outlet said.
“We cannot see any willingness or efforts [from the ministry] to develop inter-Korean relations in a fresh way,” it said.
The criticism came amid growing uncertainty in relations between the two Koreas after the second Washington-Pyongyang summit ended in failure.
Following the summit fiasco, the South's unification ministry, the main authority dealing with the inter-Korean issue, is in a growing dilemma, as the North is showing signs of slowly resuming its unpredictable and threatening behaviors.
Maeari, another propaganda outlet, also criticized the South for looking out for the U.S too much.
“[The South] should never allow foreign powers to interfere in inter-Korean affairs,” it said. “[The 2019 plan] is no more than froth, as it only comes with empty words.”
The denunciation came at a time when Seoul has been playing a months-long mediating role, aiming for a resumption in talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
Internal backlash
Main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) floor leader Na Kyung-won has ramped up criticism of the President Moon Jae-in administration for naming Kim Yeon-chul as the unification minister.
Kim was one of the most disputed minister nominees, with opposition parties having called for the withdrawal of the disqualified candidate.
The new minister has in recent weeks come under fire for his absurd past remarks.
The LKP floor leader said Cheong Wa Dae should set an exemplary case when carrying out the Cabinet reshuffle, as a way to show only those who are not mired in a controversy over their alleged ethical lapses can become a minister.
“None of the newly-appointed ministers meet the public's expectations, but the presidential house pushed ahead with the reshuffle of top officials,” she said. The opposition party urges the President to take the public sentiment into account, when naming ranking officials, according to her.
On Tuesday, a group of 70 lawmakers from the LKP, including Na, convened an emergency meeting in front of Cheong Wa Dae, urging President Moon to apologize for the “unacceptable” nomination of the minister.
LKP lawmaker Shim Jae-cheol said Moon should keep in mind that the President should heed popular opinion.
“We are going to set it right for the incumbent administration to stop ignoring the voice from the public,” he said.
It turned out that the President only takes care of his close aides, as the unification minister has been named despite the recently controversial confirmation hearing over him, Shim said.