SEOUL: South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on North Korea on Thursday said that the incoming US government will reaffirm its long-standing goal of denuclearising the Korean Peninsula, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.
The remarks by the Unification Minister came after both the Democratic and Republican parties omitted the long-elusive denuclearisation goal from their platforms, raising questions about how the new administration might handle North Korea's nuclear threats and whether this signals any potential shift in policy focus, Yonhap news agency reported.
"Regardless of which party takes power, I believe the incoming administration will reassess its North Korea policy early on, " Kim said during a press conference with foreign correspondents in Seoul.
"I expect that they will reaffirm their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea, and our government will also continue to work in that direction, " the minister said.
The omission of denuclearisation in party platforms has also sparked concerns that Pyongyang could misinterpret it as an opportunity to seek US acknowledgement of North Korea as a de facto nuclear power and shift negotiations toward arms control rather than denuclearisation.
Reiterating Seoul's commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, the minister emphasised the importance of strengthening deterrence against North Korea's provocations and illegal acts.
Kim, a former conservative professor, is known for his hard-line stance toward North Korea and his strong advocacy for human rights.
"I once again emphasise the importance of complete denuclearisation of North Korea by actively protecting the NPT (Non-proliferation Treaty) regime through cooperation, " Kim said.
Kim also reiterated his hope that North Korea would respond to South Korea's recent offer for an official dialogue channel, emphasising that the agenda for the long-stalled talks could cover any topic.
President Yoon Suk Yeol proposed that South and North Korea establish a working-level dialogue channel earlier this month, during a Liberation Day speech marking the 79th anniversary of independence from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.
"I hope (North Korea) will respond to our proposal for a dialogue channel, " Kim said.
The proposal comes amid heightened tensions after North Korea sent balloons filled with trash across the border in retaliation for South Korean civic groups sending balloons carrying propaganda leaflets critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
North Korea has been erasing references to unification since its leader Kim defined inter-Korean relations as those between "two hostile states" and labelled South Korea as his country's "invariable principal enemy."
Some critics have argued that Yoon's unification vision lacks an initiative for mutual respect between the two countries' political systems. This concept was a key element of South Korea's official unification formula unveiled in 1994 under the liberal Kim Young-sam administration.
However, the Unification Minister asserted that North Korea is the one disregarding South Korea's political system, urging the reclusive regime to explain its recent hostile rhetoric.
Yoon used his speech to unveil a blueprint for unification and extend new outreach to Pyongyang, following the South Korean government's recent offer to provide relief supplies for flood damage in the isolated regime, which is suspected to have suffered significant damage in its northern border areas.
Yoon also proposed the establishment of a working group between the two Koreas to discuss ways to ease tensions, resume economic cooperation, and increase exchanges.