Seoul: New Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung emphasized the necessity of taking initial steps, such as reopening suspended inter-Korean communication lines, to address the strained relations and gradually build trust with North Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim highlighted these points during his inauguration address as the first vice unification minister under President Lee Jae Myung. The president has committed to reducing military tensions and fostering dialogue with North Korea to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim stated, "Starting from small things, like opening communication lines between the South and the North, the raveled inter-Korean relations should be disentangled. Inter-Korean trust should be build piece by piece, without haste even though there is a long way to go."
The ties between the two Koreas deteriorated significantly under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration, leading to North Korea severing communication with South Korea in April 2023. Despite this, South Korea has persistently attempted to reach out to the North through an inter-Korean liaison communication line and a military hotline, but these efforts have been met with silence.
Kim described the situation as a "dead end worse than we have ever imagined," pointing out the ongoing lack of communication and North Korea's distancing from Seoul.
The vice minister echoed President Lee's sentiment that "peace is better than war, however expensive it is," reaffirming the administration's commitment to pursue peace on the peninsula through dialogue and cooperation with North Korea.