Unification minister-designate suggests scaling back military drills to restart N. Korea talks

Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young speaks during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young hinted Monday that scaling back the intensity of annual South Korea-U.S. joint military drills could be a viable option for resuming halted dialogue with North Korea.

He made the remarks during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks to reengage with Pyongyang to end a yearslong deadlock in inter-Korean relations.

"What opened the door for a thaw on the Korean Peninsula in 2018 was then-President Moon Jae-in's proposal in late 2017 to the United States, ahead of the PyeongChang Olympics, to postpone the joint military exercises scheduled for March. That carried important implications," Chung said in response to a question from Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the minor progressive Rebuilding Korea Party about his position on the joint drills.

"I believe it’s something that should be discussed within the government and the National Security Council," Chung added.

The nominee's comments are widely interpreted as a signal that adjusting or scaling down the joint military exercises could once again serve as a diplomatic tool of the liberal Lee administration to reopen talks with North Korea.

In December 2017, Moon, who was seeking rapprochement with the North, suggested he might propose postponing the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises — which Pyongyang considers "war rehearsals" — to help ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Shortly after, on Jan. 1, 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed willingness to send a delegation to the PyeongChang Olympics. Three days later, then-U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to postpone the drills until after the Games.

The developments led to a rapid shift toward inter-Korean dialogue and rare Washington-Pyongyang talks.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects an offshore farm site under construction in Ragwon County, South Hamgyong Province, Sunday, in this photo published by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap

Meanwhile, Chung dismissed concerns that South Korea might be sidelined in potential U.S.-North Korea talks amid growing speculation that Trump, now in his second term, could seek reengagement with Kim.

"I hope President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un meet again soon, and our government should actively support that," he said. "South Korea being sidelined is unlikely because we understand North Korea better than the U.S. does. I don’t believe U.S.-North Korea talks can move forward without our involvement.”

The nominee also expressed support for changing the name of the ministry if appointed, potentially dropping the word "unification."

Debate over rebranding the ministry has been growing among politicians and scholars as the Kim regime shows increasing hostility toward Seoul. Some have called for a pragmatic shift toward peaceful coexistence with Pyongyang, rather than the largely symbolic goal of unification.

"This is a very important issue that should be discussed together by both ruling and opposition parties," Chung said, citing “Ministry of the Korean Peninsula” as a possible new name.

A five-term liberal lawmaker and former unification minister under President Roh Moo-hyun, Chung is known for his emphasis on dialogue in dealing with North Korea.

If appointed, his return would signal a clear shift from the hardline policies of the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration toward a peace-focused approach.

Still, finding a breakthrough will be challenging.

The current environment differs significantly from that of past engagement efforts, particularly after the Kim regime adopted a so-called "two-state" doctrine in late 2023, which defines South Korea as a separate country and effectively abandons its previous pursuit of unification.

"We are, in effect, living as two separate states. The fact that 164 countries have established diplomatic ties with both South Korea and North Korea reflects that reality," Chung said, when asked about the two-state doctrine.

"But that doesn’t mean we are truly two nations. We lived together for 1,300 years and have only been separated for only 80 years. Unification is still the path we must pursue."