Unification ministry defends N. Korea policy after Lee's call for caution

The unification ministry said Thursday it will continue its push for peaceful coexistence with North Korea, aiming to produce results despite the challenging situation.

"The ministry will continue efforts for peaceful coexistence with North Korea to bear fruit, keeping in mind the president's call for patience," it said in a statement.

"Nothing will happen if we stay put," it said, stressing the need to make "ceaseless" efforts to "create even the smallest opportunity to bring peace in challenging conditions."

The statement came a day after President Lee Jae Myung struck a cautious tone on the ministry's initiative during a policy briefing, including its proposal to drop the "main enemy" label against North Korea and refer to it by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as part of a trust-building strategy.

South Korea currently uses "North Korea" rather than its official name, as Seoul does not recognize the two Koreas as separate states under the 1991 Inter-Korean Basic Agreement.

On his way to work earlier in the day, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young defended his ministry's peace initiative toward North Korea and said the president backed the effort.

"The president said it must feel like a cry that goes unanswered," the minister said. "But he told us to keep working toward peaceful coexistence, and to be patient."

That approach has drawn concern that the Lee government is leaning too dovish toward a North Korea that shows no sign of softening in return.

During Wednesday's policy briefing, Lee warned that policies, however well-intentioned, can be exploited for political gain. "You really need to think this through carefully," he said.

In a possible sign of division within the government over how to handle North Korea, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun expressed skepticism about Chung's North Korea initiatives, calling it "idealistic" in a meeting with reporters the previous day.

"It would be great if that vision came true. But realistically, our ministry does not see it as achievable," Cho said.

Cho added the unification ministry's four-way dialogue proposal, involving the two Koreas, the United States and China, has not been coordinated within the government.

"We only can change reality only if we have idealism," Chung said in response. "I believe we can help move the government forward when we cooperate with each other."

The ministry echoed Chung's remarks, saying its approach "is not idealism but the most realistic and practical approach at this moment."