South Korea vows to replace hostility with peaceful coexistence
· UPIJune 15 (Asia Today) -- South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday that Seoul would seek to transform its "two hostile states" relationship with North Korea into one based on peaceful coexistence.
Chung issued the message on the 26th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration, the landmark agreement adopted at the first inter-Korean summit in 2000.
"The Lee Jae-myung administration has devoted the past year to proactive efforts for peace, including halting leaflet launches and loudspeaker broadcasts, but what came back was an extremely heavy and cold silence," Chung wrote on social media.
"Even so, we cannot let go of the thread of dialogue or stop moving toward peace," he said.
Chung said the spirit of the June 15 declaration demonstrated by former President Kim Dae-jung was to continue working until a breakthrough was found.
He also referred to the Buddhist philosopher Wonhyo's concept of "neither one nor two," which emphasizes that apparently opposing sides can be distinct without being completely separate.
"As those responsible for the fate of the Korean Peninsula, we must not become exhausted first," Chung said. "We must ultimately prepare a path to peace for the next generation."
Chung cited the announcement of an agreement between the United States and Iran to end their war as evidence that a path to peace can eventually open even during severe conflict.
"We will patiently remove hostility and open a path to prosperity on the foundation of peaceful coexistence," he said.
South Korea's Unification Ministry also reaffirmed its policy of respecting North Korea's political system and not pursuing hostile acts against Pyongyang.
Ministry spokesman Yoon Min-ho said during a regular briefing at the government complex in Seoul that the administration had demonstrated its commitment to peaceful coexistence through concrete actions.
He cited the suspension of anti-North Korean leaflet launches and loudspeaker broadcasts, the government's expression of regret over a drone infiltration incident and its pledge to prevent a recurrence.
The government is also working to revise related laws, Yoon said.
His comments followed criticism of President Lee Jae-myung issued Saturday by a spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry's Department 10.
Yoon noted that Lee pledged during a special Mass for peace and solidarity Sunday to do everything possible to prevent accidental clashes between the two Koreas, restore military trust and establish a sustainable peace regime.
"The Unification Ministry will consistently implement measures capable of rebuilding trust between South and North Korea in support of the president's commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula," Yoon said.
The June 15 Joint Declaration was signed by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il following their summit in Pyongyang in 2000.
It committed the two sides to pursue reconciliation, exchanges and eventual reunification, but inter-Korean dialogue has remained suspended amid North Korea's weapons programs and its rejection of South Korea as a partner for unification.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260615010004930