Lee Jae-joung, South Korea's new point man on North Korea, vowed on Monday to take unfazed efforts toward peaceful unification with communist North Korea, calling it the most important objective of his country.
"Unification is our foremost objective provided by the Constitution, and it is a value that can never be fazed," Lee said in a speech marking his assumption of office as the country's 33rd unification minister.
"We must always protect our basic principles and goals without rest."
The remarks came shortly after his predecessor Lee Jong-seok called for continued efforts to improve inter-Korean relations despite the prolonged stalemate in international negotiations over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
"Although the North Korean nuclear issue has become the most crucial issue, the problem of confrontation between the North and South Korea will remain even after the nuclear issue is resolved," the former minister said at a ceremony marking his departure earlier in the day.
"We must never give up dialogue with North Korea no matter how difficult the current situation is," Lee added.
The new unification minister refused to respond when asked whether he had any immediate plans to restore Seoul's official dialogue with Pyongyang, which has been suspended since a July meeting following the North's missile tests earlier that month.
Lee's appointment comes at a time when inter-Korean relations are believed to be at their lowest ebb following the North's nuclear weapon test on Oct. 9.
But the appointment also comes amid strong objections from the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP), which has refused to give consent to Lee's appointment, claiming the former ruling party legislator advocates pro-Pyongyang views.
Parliamentary approval is not required for appointment of new cabinet members, except the prime minister, but is for administrative policies, especially those of the Unification Ministry, which deals with sensitive inter-Korean relations.
The opposition party has threatened to push for a parliamentary resolution for the ouster of the new unification minister if he is formally appointed.
"Such a resolution is one of the available options we can consider," GNP floor leader Kim Hyong-o said in an interview with a local radio station last month.
As the new unification minister, the 62-year-old Lee would wield some 1.3 trillion won (US$1.4 billion) worth of leverage, mostly in the form of food aid and other humanitarian assistance, over North Korea.
The minister also heads delegations to high-profile ministerial talks between the divided Koreas.
Seoul, Dec. 11 (Yonhap News)
New unification minister calls for principles in dealing with N. Korea |
