South Korea Abandons Hardline Policy on North Korea’s Nuclear Issue

South Korea abandons hardline policy on North Korea's nuclear issue

July 24

South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho stated on July 23 that the government will abandon its previous policy of only pursuing peace talks after North Korea's complete denuclearization, shifting to a "peace-first" policy.

The minister said that because denuclearization was set as a precondition for starting talks, discussions between North and South Korea have been stalled for seven years.

Under the new policy, in early talks, South Korea will prioritize urging North Korea to temporarily halt its nuclear development, while the long-term goal remains a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

According to some current estimates, North Korea is believed to possess around 60 nuclear warheads and enough nuclear material to produce approximately 90 more nuclear weapons.

Kim Yung-ho said that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has already directly discussed this policy shift with U.S. President Donald Trump.

At the same time, the South Korean government is also planning to change the terminology used to refer to those who have defected from North Korea and settled in South Korea, urging the use of "Bukhanmin" (meaning "people with roots in the northern region") instead of "Talbukmin" (meaning "defectors from North Korea").

Ref & Photo; The Independent

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