 |
| Kwon made clear the conservative Yoon administration will take a different approach toward the Kim Jong-un regime from that of the previous Moon Jae-in government. He reaffirmed the government will push for "practical and flexible dialogue" with the North in a "responsible" manner, as he urged it to accept Seoul's offer of talks. (Photo from tellerreport) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] SEOUL: South Korea's unification minister on Friday warned North Korea not to continue provocative acts, saying it has nothing to gain from brinkmanship that would only lead to tougher sanctions.
Kwon Young-se, who is in charge of inter-Korean affairs, was delivering a keynote speech at an annual symposium, co-hosted by Yonhap News Agency and his ministry. It was held under the main theme of "U.S.-China-Russia Competition for Hegemony in the President Yoon Suk-yeol Era," bringing together senior government officials and national security experts. It was meant to pool their wisdom on ways to deal with multiple challenges facing the Korean Peninsula, ranging from Pyongyang's unrelenting saber-rattling to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and a growing rivalry between the United States and China. "North Korea has refused to engage in dialogue, repeating provocations. But there is nothing it can gain from the provocations," the minister emphasized.
If Pyongyang is seeking to raise its bargaining power and create more favorable conditions through provocative acts, it is a "very wrong" idea, he added. The second session set the stage for discussions on the Yoon administration's strategies on inter-Korean relations and the Seoul-Washington alliance, and how to bring the North back to the negotiating table.
