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| Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se gives a briefing on the ministry's policies for 2015 during a press conference at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul, Monday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
By Kang Seung-woo
Korea plans to seek strategic cooperation with relevant countries including the United States and China as a means of paving a way toward unification as well as to denuclearize North Korea, the foreign ministry announced, Monday.
Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se reported to President Park Geun-hye at Cheong Wa Dae the ministry's policies for 2015 that focus on unification of the Korean Peninsula.
The ministry set out three goals for the year: leading changes in the situations on the Korean Peninsula and surrounding regions; building a "trust" infrastructure for peaceful unification of the peninsula; and strengthening global networks for unification.
"The Korean government will seek to advance its best-ever bilateral relations with the U.S. and China in a harmonious way to contribute to creating an environment conducive for unification," said Yun.
He added that the government will try to renew its relations with Japan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and improve its relations with Russia in a stable manner.
With regard to North Korean issues, including the nuclear weapons program, the South intends to deter nuclear tests and other provocations on the back of preemptive diplomacy and multi-layered pressure.
Yun also said, "The South will lead efforts based on a Korean Formula to restart the stalled six-party talks, while seeking progress on the North's denuclearization and improvements in inter-Korean ties." The formula is about the South's conditions and means it's a prerequisite for a resumption of the denuclearization dialogue.
Later in the day, the foreign minister said Seoul plans to consider holding direct discussion with Pyongyang over denuclearization in a bid to help revive the momentum for the long-stalled six-party talks.
"Progress in inter-Korean dialogue tends to have a positive effect in giving a boost to the denuclearization efforts including the six-party talks," Yun told a press conference.
"At the same time, once the process for North Korea's denuclearization revives, it will also positively affect inter-Korean talks. In that sense, the South plans to consider consultations with the North over denuclearization."
The Park government plans to use multilateral cooperative mechanisms such as the trilateral talks including the U.S., China and Japan, as well.
In order to create a favorable environment for Korean reunification, the South will work with the United Nations (U.N.) as close partners by boosting high-level exchanges; jointly responding to the North's nuclear and missile issues; and jointly seeking to promote human rights in the North by hosting and helping operate the U.N. field-based structure on the issue, the ministry said.
As part of efforts to establish a unification infrastructure, the South will facilitate economic cooperation for unification.
"To that end, it will seek to make the Gaeseong Industrial Complex an international zone by imposing FTA preferential tariffs on its goods, thereby helping induce North Korea to open its economy," said Yun.
With regard to creating the proposed DMZ World Eco-Peace Park, the government will hold a seminar with countries that have similar parks, such as Germany, Finland, Russia, Ecuador and Peru, to learn about their experience, he added.
Lastly, the minister said that the government will enhance strategic cooperation with its major allies to prepare for a unified Korea in order to fortify the global network for unification.
"To that end, we seek more active work of the Peninsula Club and the Peace Club both launched in 2014; work more closely with the Korean-German Advisory Group on the Foreign Policy towards Reunification," he said.
The government also plans to raise awareness on the following benefits for unification in the areas of security, economy and values, while carrying out public diplomacy for unification in a way that befits situations of different regions and countries, the ministry added.
