Unification Vice Minister Kim Su Kyeong appears on Yonhap News TV’s “News Watch”

We will do our utmost to achieve a unification where North Korean residents can enjoy freedom and human rights

Unification Vice Minister Kim Su Kyeong appears on Yonhap News TV's "News Watch" (August 2)

On August 2, Unification Vice Minister Kim Su Kyeong made an appearance on Yonhap News TV's "News Watch" to discuss the South Korean government's provision of relief supplies for damage caused by heavy rainfall in North Korea and her aspirations since taking office as the vice minister of Unification.

Vice Minister Kim stated, "The Yoon Suk Yeol administration maintains its stance to seek humanitarian aid for North Korea regardless of the political situation," emphasizing, "This proposal holds great significance as it demonstrates our commitment through actions, not just words."

The vice minister further explained that it is the South Korean government's viewpoint to help North Korea overcome a disaster or calamity from a humanitarian perspective during crises such as floods, expressing "hope that the North Korean authorities would respond positively to the South Korean government's sincere proposal."

Moreover, Vice Minister Kim mentioned that the Ministry of Unification is the "primary government department dedicated to improving inter-Korean relations by promoting dialogue and exchange and cooperation with North Korea." She added that as it would be difficult to improve inter-Korean relations through one-sided courtship alone, the Unification Ministry will do its utmost to achieve unification where North Korean residents can enjoy the same freedom and human rights as our residents from the perspective of building healthy relations.

To this end, the vice minister expressed her commitment to "improving human rights in North Korea, supporting the settlement of North Korean defectors, often referred to as the 'precursor to unification,' and building a consensus across generations by establishing a new unification discourse that reflects the opinions of young people, who often perceive unification as a heavy and difficult topic."