Ministry of Unification

Press Release

Toward 2026 as the Inaugural Year of
 Peaceful Coexistence on the Korean Peninsula

- 2026 Ministry of Unification Work Plan - 

December 19, 2025

The Ministry of Unification (Minister Chung Dongyoung) reported its 2026 Work Plan to the President on December 19, 2025. The report, made jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was presented under the title “Toward 2026 as the Inaugural Year of Peaceful Coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.”

Since the new administration came into office, the Ministry of Unification has worked to depart from a policy of hostility and confrontation toward the North and to reestablish peaceful coexistence in inter-Korean relations in line with the three core principles proclaimed by the President in the 80th Liberation Day address. The three core principles are respecting the North’s existing system, not pursuing unification by absorption, and not engaging in hostile acts.

The Ministry ended the vicious cycle of hardline confrontation between the South and the North by implementing preemptive tension-reduction measures, including calls to suspend the distribution of leaflets by civic groups. It also restored inter-Korean dialogue, exchanges and cooperation functions by carrying out an organizational restructuring.

The Ministry further addressed humanitarian issues, including the repatriation of North Korean residents rescued in the East and West Seas, and laid the groundwork for public engagement by establishing the “Public Engagement for a Peaceful Korean Peninsula Bureau” under the direct supervision of the Minister.

Looking ahead, achieving peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula requires strengthening our proactive role as a key stakeholder and advancing efforts to transform the “hostile two-state relationship” into a “peaceful two-state relationship oriented toward unification.”

Accordingly, the Ministry has designated the following five key tasks for 2026, aiming to intensify efforts to create even a narrow opening in the wall of severed inter-Korean relations that has persisted for seven consecutive years. 

Task 1. Resuming U.S.-North Korea and inter-Korean dialogue, institutionalizing peaceful coexistence

➊ Driving the resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue as a “pacemaker”

The ROK Government will enhance ROK-U.S. cooperation for restarting U.S.-North Korea dialogue by appointing a special envoy for peace on the Korean Peninsula to solidify its role as pacemaker, while also emphasizing the need for the United States to designate a special representative for North Korea.

In order to create favorable conditions for peace on the Korean Peninsula, the Government will enhance strategic communication with China, Japan and Russia. It will also undertake proactive efforts to foster an environment conducive to dialogue by preparing a “Korean Peninsula Peace Package” that reflects factors of conern to the North in the political, military and economic spheres.

➋ Restarting inter-Korean dialogue  

The Government will continue to convey consistent messages of peaceful coexistence, propose inter-Korean dialogue when conditions are favorable, and advance measures to ease military tensions and foster trust. At the same time, it will prepare plans for livelihood cooperation, including public health and medical services, and draw up a roadmap for inter-Korean and multilateral economic initiatives.

Priority will be given to restoring inter-Korean communication channels, including the Panmunjeom channel and military hotlines, to prevent accidental clashes and facilitate discussions on pending issues.

Through the establishment and operation of an inter-agency consultative body, the Government will institutionalize the implementation of inter-Korean agreements and prepare for their joint execution. It will also identify and carry out, on a proactive basis, agreements that can be pursued unilaterally by the South.

➌ Preparing for the institutionalization of peaceful coexistence

As efforts proceed to transform the “hostile two-state relationship” into a “peaceful two-state relationship oriented toward unification,” the Government will work to establish a foundation for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. When inter-Korean dialogue resumes, the Government will initiate discussions on concluding an Inter-Korean Basic Agreement that sets forth these principles.

The Government will pursue efforts toward declaring a formal end to the Korean War, and on that basis, begin discussions on establishing a peace regime, including the conclusion of a peace treaty. 

In addition, the Government will push for the enactment of the Framework Act on Building the Foundation for Peaceful Unification to support peaceful coexistence and public participation, strengthen policy coordination with relevant countries on North Korea, and gradually expand partner countries for international cooperation.

Task 2. Exploring creative approaches for new exchanges and cooperation

➊ Implementing peace-oriented exchange projects to enhance the “pacemaker” role

To resume inter-Korean exchanges that have been suspended for more than a decade since the complete shutdown of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in February 2016, the Government will review mutually beneficial, multilateral and innovative cooperation initiatives. 

In this process, it will seek to generate momentum for cooperation and advance it in a phased manner through close communication among the South and the North; between the ROK and China; and between the ROK and the U.S.

Preparatory work will be initiated toward establishing a railway connection among the South, the North and China through multilateral cooperation. As an initial step in 2026, the Government will pursue joint ROK-China research on the harmonization of railway and technical standards and operational systems, while making efforts to encourage the North’s participation within a multilateral framework.

The Government will promote international peace tourism to the North’s Wonsan-Galma area. In 2026, it will first pursue individual tourism in the form of hometown visits by overseas Koreans, and will subsequently explore transit tourism projects between the South, the North and China. Tourism to the North by ROK nationals will also be considered, beginning with separated families. 
Building on past precedents in which sanctions-related issues were addressed in order to expand humanitarian cooperation — such as in the cases of Iraq and Iran — the Government will pursue the establishment of a so-called “New Peace Trade System.” Under this framework, North Korean minerals would potentially be exchanged for South Korean health, medical, and livelihood-related goods through escrow accounts administered by international organizations.

➋ Pursuing pioneering solutions for an era of mutual growth

The Government will put together a package of health and medical cooperation initiatives covering areas such as infectious disease response and the modernization of county-level hospitals, and will pursue the establishment of an international trust fund to mobilize the necessary financial resources. 

The Government will pursue multilateral cooperation frameworks to support the achievement of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by both the South and the North, and advance a satellite-based disaster cooperation program on the Korean Peninsula to enable timely responses to natural disasters.

➌ Promptly normalizing the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and Mount Geumgang tourism following U.S.-North Korea and inter-Korean dialogue

In anticipation of changes on the Korean Peninsula, the Government will prepare for the development-oriented resumption of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, including proposals to the North for business visits and on-site assessments. It will also pursue the resumption of Mount Geumgang tours in linkage with international peace tours to the North’s Wonsan-Galma area. 

➍ Reviving a civilian-led inter-Korean exchange framework

To promote civilian-led inter-Korean exchanges with government support, the Government will pursue legal and institutional reforms, including liberalizing contact with North Korean residents and streamlining approval procedures for visits to North Korea. It will further elaborate the Future Vision for a Peace Economy on the Korean Peninsula in cooperation with specialized research institutions. 

Task 3. Building peace in border areas and revitalizing local economies

➊ Promoting the peaceful use of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

The Government will advance legislation on the peaceful use of the DMZ in a way that is consistent with the Republic of Korea’s territorial sovereignty and its commitment to peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.

Among the 11 routes of the DMZ Peace Trail, the Government will identify “recommended routes” and promote tourism in border areas by connecting them with local festivals.

To foster public discussion on the peaceful use of the DMZ, the Government will host a DMZ International Forum and enhance the DMZ Peaceful Use Roadmap to deliver tangible benefits to border area residents.

➋ Establishing relief measures for border residents affected by inter-Korean tensions, including loudspeaker broadcasts

The Government will establish a public-private consultative body involving border area residents to closely hear their local perspectives. Through this body, the Government will pursue multifaceted measures to support the well-being of residents, including fact-finding surveys, the development of countermeasures, and the formulation of legal and institutional improvement plans.

➌ Creating Special Economic Zones for Peace 

Based on the Master Plan for Peace Economy Special Zones, the Government will initiate the designation of special zones, aiming to establish approximately four zones between 2026 and 2027. The Government will also enhance institutional frameworks and communication to promote the development of Peace Economy Special Zones, including through the operation of working-level consultative bodies between the central government and local authorities. 

Task 4. Alleviating the pains of division and addressing humanitarian issues

➊ Promoting inter-Korean dialogue to resolve humanitarian matters including the issues of separated families, abductees and detainees

The Government will foster a conducive environment for dialogue by promoting shared understanding of humanitarian issues between the South and the North, and facilitate exchanges at the civilian level.

Upon the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue, the Government will pursue a phased approach to resolving the separated families issue, beginning with confirmation of fate, followed by exchange of letters, and ultimately family reunions. Issues concerning abductees, detainees and prisoners of war will be actively placed on the agenda in future inter-Korean summits.

➋ Identifying practical and feasible options for the repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners

The Government will explore realistic and feasible ways to facilitate the repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners to North Korea, including civil-society-supported arrangements via third countries.

➌ Pursuing inter-Korean human rights cooperation based on mutual respect

Human rights cooperation will be pursued initially in areas concerning persons with disabilities, women and children, where the North’s receptiveness is relatively higher. Leveraging the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), efforts will be made to enhance quality of life across the dimensions of the rights to subsistence, health and development.

➍ Strengthening settlement support systems to assist integration into society

The Government will promote the stable settlement of North Korean defectors as responsible members of society and contribute to reducing suicide rates. It will strengthen self-reliance and self-sufficiency capacities, including through employment and entrepreneurship support, and provide psychological counseling. From a social integration perspective, the Government will pursue changes to the terminology used to refer to North Korean defectors.

Task 5. Enhancing public engagement to foster broader consensus on peace and unification

➊ Expanding participation in social dialogue on peace and unification, and ensuring sustainability
As a “People-Centered Government,” the Government will invigorate social dialogue to ensure the pursuit of a consistent policy toward North Korea and unification grounded in national consensus. In line with the “private-led, government-supported” principle, it will deepen cooperation with civil society and establish a legal basis for sustained social dialogue.

➋ Shifting the paradigm from “unification education” to “peace, unification and democratic citizenship education”

The Government will move away from didactic unification education centered on freedom and security, and transition toward participatory education focused on peaceful coexistence and democratic citizenship.

The Government will revise the Unification Education Support Act to include elementary and secondary school teachers as mandatory participants in unification education. It will also publish a tentatively titled “Guidebook for Peace, Unification and Democratic Citizenship Education,” developed through social dialogue, to foster democratic civic capacities.

➌ Enhancing academic resources to support North Korea and unification policy initiatives

The Government will pursue the transfer of the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) to an affiliate under the Ministry of Unification by enacting the Act on the Korea Institute for National Unification and amending the Act on the Establishment, Operation and Fostering of Government-Funded Research Institutes. Following the transfer, it will strengthen institutional capacity to carry out comprehensive research covering the full range of unification-related fields.

➍ Expanding public access to material produced by the North

The Government will establish a legal basis for expanding public access to North Korea-related materials, including North Korean websites and publications such as Rodong Sinmun. It will do so through amendments to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection and the enactment of the Act on the Management and Use of North Korea-Related Materials. It will also open the National Center for Peace and Unification Archives in 2027 as a central hub for the use of North Korea-related materials.

➎ Establishing the Korean Peninsula Peaceful Coexistence Center (tentative name)

The Government will discontinue the North Korean Human Rights Center project, viewed as a symbol of confrontational policy toward the North, and instead advance plans to establish the Korean Peninsula Peaceful Coexistence Center. The Center will showcase and offer experiential learning on the history of peaceful coexistence, including the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and Mount Geumgang, with planning and permitting to take place between 2026 and 2027.

Minister of Unification Chung Dongyoung noted that “the period leading up to President Trump’s visit to China in April next year will be critical to the success of policy toward North Korea,” and stressed that “the Ministry of Unification will advance proactive and actionable peace-building measures to make 2026 the inaugural year of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.”

*Unofficial translation