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| Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon |
In a policy briefing to the National Assembly, the Ministry of Unification said it would keep building an environment where the two Koreas can proceed with the joint projects, such as the early resumption of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and tourism to Mount Geumgang.
The announcement came amid growing uncertainty in denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang. The inter-Korean economic cooperation cannot be made possible without a lifting of sanctions on Pyongyang, so it is crucial for the regime to sign a deal with the U.S. in their ongoing nuclear negotiations.
But with the recent summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ending in failure, North Korea is showing signs of going back to its previous hostile stance by threatening to resume nuclear armament.
Despite the lingering security uncertainty on the Korean Peninsula, the unification ministry said the inter-Korean projects will help bring the North to the dialogue table.
"Such inter-Korean projects can play a role in urging the North to change its stance," Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told lawmakers during the briefing at the Assembly in Seoul.
He also said there is still a high chance Kim may give up nuclear weapons despite the breakdown of the summit and the uncertain outlook in relations between Washington and Pyongyang.
"(In recent months) Kim has reiterated his firm determination to focus on the regime's economic development by giving up the nuclear weapons and receiving sanctions relief from the global society," Cho said. That is why South Korea remains optimistic regarding the North's denuclearization, according to the minister.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who also joined the briefing, said the ministry would put top priority on keeping the rare Washington-Pyongyang dialogue momentum on track and managing the situation in a stable way.
The ministry added it would also make utmost efforts in joining hands with the international society to urge the North to make a wise decision on its nuclear talks with the U.S.
"We are going to keep a close watch on the North's movements to restore its Tongchang-ri missile test site and call for the regime to make sound judgment," Kang said.
When asked about the outcome of the second summit between Trump and Kim last month, she said there is still a positive side to the meeting even if no clear outcomes have been made.
"Regarding the breakdown of the summit, it is hard for us to lay the responsibility on a certain side between Washington and Pyongyang," she said. "But one positive side of the Trump-Kim meeting is that both sides deepened their understanding of each other."
She also said there is still the possibility for the resumption in talks between Washington and Pyongyang, and toward the end, the ministry will continue coming up with a series of diplomatic options as a facilitator for the Trump-Kim dialogue.
"We need to keep analyzing the current diplomatic status quo where Washington and Pyongyang continues to express their positions (in the wake of their second summit)," she said.
