Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated that the South-North Basic Agreement, a policy task of the Lee Jae-myung administration, is designed to institutionally support peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.
Minister Chung made these remarks today (24th) at a seminar titled ‘The Two-State Theory of North Korea and the Direction of Promoting the South-North Basic Agreement,’ co-hosted by the Ministry of Unification and the North Korea Research Society at the Koreana Hotel in Jung-gu. He emphasized the need for institutionalization of peaceful coexistence to ensure that inter-Korean relations progress unerringly towards reconciliation and cooperation.
Minister Chung further emphasized the necessity of a practical and new approach to inter-Korean relations, highlighting that the focus of change should be on eliminating hostility.
President Lee Jae-myung reiterated the three principles of peaceful coexistence during the UN General Assembly, signaling a commitment to consistently pursue trust restoration and normalization measures for South-North relations based on these principles.
The three principles of peaceful coexistence, as stated by President Lee in his Independence Day address, are to acknowledge North Korea’s regime, not pursue unification by absorption, and abstain from any hostile acts.
Meanwhile, Minister Chung referred to the basic treaty between the former East and West Germany as a model for the South-North Basic Agreement. He pointed out that West Germany explicitly acknowledged East Germany’s statehood through this treaty while clarifying that East Germany was not considered a foreign country, and stressed the need to establish new norms of peaceful coexistence between the South and the North by reflecting on the peaceful path taken by East and West Germany.