Regular Briefing by Spokesperson Koo Byoungsam
Date: Monday,
January 15, 2024
Time: 10:30-10:34 A.M.
1. Minister’s Schedule
On January 16, at 2 P.M., Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho will
attend the cabinet meeting.
On January 17, Minister Kim will visit a subordinate unit of the
Army Fires Brigade in Paju, Gyeonggi Province at 2 P.M. to encourage
the soldiers.
On January 18, Minister Kim will attend and give a lecture at the
“Outreach Book Story Talk Concert” at 10 A.M.
2. Vice Minister’s Schedule
On January 17, Vice Minister Moon Seoung-hyun will attend a
follow-up live interview hosted by KTV at 10:40 A.M.
3. Q&A
Q) Experts on North Korean issues in the U.S. stated in a 38 North
public op-ed on January 11 that Kim Jong Un seems to have made a
strategic decision to go to war. What is the Ministry’s take on this?
A) I’ve seen the reports, but it wouldn’t be appropriate for the
Government to comment on the personal opinions of experts. However, I
would like to make it clear that the Government maintains a robust
deterrence against North Korea in coordination with the U.S.
Q) What is the Ministry of Unification’s stance on North Korea’s
IRBM launch yesterday? Also, a delegation led by North Korean foreign
minister Choe Son Hui is currently visiting Russia. Does the Ministry
have any assessment or comments on this matter?
A) The Government strongly condemns North Korea’s provocation that
have threatened peace on the Korean Peninsula and sought to divide
public opinion of our society since the beginning of the year,
including the suspected mid-range ballistic missile launch on January 14.
The Government calls on North Korea to discard the illusion that
such provocations will protect its regime and instead take the right
path for the well-being of its people and the future of the Korean Peninsula.
The ROK Government will respond firmly and resolutely to any
provocative actions by the North that disregard the international
community’s including the ROK’s, aspirations for peace.
With regard to foreign minister Choe Son Hui’s visit to Russia,
there has been a continuous engagement in illegal cooperation,
including arms trade between the two countries since the Russia-North
Korea summit in September last year, prompting stern warnings from the
international community.
North Korea and Russia should be aware
that their actions are being closely monitored.
Q) Following on Choe Son Hui’s visit to Russia, do you see that such
exchanges between North Korea and Russia might lead to President Putin
visiting North Korea?Also, it seems that North Korea is restructuring
its inter-Korean organizations. How much progress has it made in
restructuring the organizations?
A) President Putin’s visit to North Korea was agreed upon during the
summit last year, but I don’t have information on whether it will be
discussed during foreign minister Choe’s visit to Russia. We will keep
an eye on related developments.Regarding the recent restructuring of
North Korea’s inter-Korean organizations, we have not been receiving
‘Radio Pyongyang’ since last Friday, January 12. North Korea’s key
media outlets targeting South Korea including ‘Uriminzokkiri’,
‘Ryukyong’, ‘DPRK Today’, and ‘Ryomyong’ are also inaccessible. This
is seen as part of the follow-up measures after the North announced
its intention to reorganize agencies related to the South at the end
of last year. However, as there hasn’t been an official statement from
the North we refrain from making premature assumptions and are closely
observing the situation.
Q) There has been various speculations surrounding North Korea’s
missile provocations mentioning factors such as our upcoming general
elections, U.S. presidential election, and the recent results of the
Taiwan election. How does the Ministry perceive the intent behind the provocations?
A) There may be a need for technical testing, and it’s possible that
there is an intention to create social unease. As you mentioned
previously, there is a clear intention to highlight its presence in
the international community. we refrain from making presumptions but
are closely monitoring North Korea’s intentions, while ensuring a
comprehensive and well-prepared response posture.
