President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Sept. 24. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday denounced political figures who have shifted from advocating for Korean unification to supporting the idea of the two Koreas living as separate states, calling such views "unconstitutional."

Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting in an apparent jab at Im Jong-seok, former President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff, who suggested giving up the unification goal. His abrupt departure from the longstanding calls for reunification drew criticism for aligning with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's characterization of the Koreas as two hostile countries.

"I can't understand how those who have devoted their entire lives to the reunification movement and said reunification was their life's goal, suddenly changed their stance when North Korea's proposed the two-state theory," Yoon said.

"How can anyone understand those who once condemned others as anti-unification forces if they didn't support their views making an abrupt pivot overnight? It is an unconstitutional way of thinking," he added.

Im, who played a key role in organizing Moon's 2018 summit with Kim Jong-un, had previously pledged to work toward the reunification of the Koreas before stepping back from politics in 2019.

Yoon argued that the notion of two peaceful Korean states is unrealistic, given North Korea's hostile stance and its ongoing nuclear threats against the South.

"Abandoning the goal of reunification would only heighten tensions and confrontation between the two Koreas, leading to greater security concerns on the Korean Peninsula," he said.

He reiterated the government's commitment to achieving reunification based on liberal democracy, stressing the need for "true peace built on strong power and principles, not empty words and rhetoric." (Yonhap)