Unification minister nominee negative about resuming inter-Korean tour program amid U.N. sanctions

By Yi Wonju and Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, April 21 (Yonhap) -- The nominee to serve as the incoming South Korean administration's point man on North Korea expressed a negative view Thursday about the resumption of the Mount Kumgang tour program, with international sanctions in place against the Kim Jong-un regime.

Kwon Young-se, tapped to lead the unification ministry handling Seoul-Pyongyang affairs, emphasized the need for the government to "clearly" take issue with North Korea's recent dismantlement of South Korean-built facilities in the mountain area on its east coast.

"In the case of (the issue of resuming) Mount Kumgang tours, I don't think it's a desirable idea in the current situation," he told reporters after meeting with U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim. "It won't be easy as it is subject to sanctions."

Furthermore, he pointed out, the North has continued to stage multiple provocations without abandoning its nuclear development.

His remarks marked a contrast to the liberal Moon Jae-in administration's hope and push to use the tour program as a card to help Jumpstart talks with the North. Recently, a senior unification ministry official openly suggested that the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol government strive to restart the joint venture between the two Koreas as a pressing task.

Kwon also raised the need for "clearly pointing out" that the North violated an inter-Korean agreement by unilaterally destroying the Mount Kumgang facilities.

South Korea earlier asked the North to confirm the status of the facilities via inter-Korean liaison lines amid reports of their removal.

But Kwon, formerly Seoul's ambassador to Beijing, stressed the importance of proactively providing humanitarian assistance to the North "within the boundaries of international sanctions," including the shipment of COVID-19 vaccines and efforts to help the impoverished nation address its chronic food shortages through international aid.

He also pledged a "practical approach" to improving inter-Korean relations, saying the new administration will not blindly reject policies of the predecessor highlighted by the now-stalled Korea peace process.

The so-called Anything But Moon Jae-in, or ABM, approach is not the "right way" to deal with inter-Korean issues, he said.

"If we don't think it's the right solution we'll have to leave it behind but we need to accept those that are agreeable, to a certain extent," he said.

In talking with the visiting U.S. nuclear envoy, meanwhile, the nominee emphasized the significance of a robust Seoul-Washington alliance, which would further broaden the scope and room of their North Korea policy, the ministry said in a press release.

julesyi@yna.co.kr

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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