Seoul, Nov 10 South Korea will pursue neither unification by absorption nor any hostile acts toward North Korea, the vice unification minister said Monday, reaffirming the policy of President Lee Jae Myung's government of building peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung made the remarks during a meeting with residents of border areas at Camp Greaves, a former US military base-turned-field-trip site in the western border city of Paju, just below the Demilitarised Zone separating the two Koreas, Yonhap News Agency reported.
"To achieve a peaceful Korean Peninsula without the need for conflict, the Lee Jae Myung government will recognise and respect the North Korean system and will neither pursue unification by absorption nor engage in any forms of hostile acts," Kim said.
The vice minister said inter-Korean relations deteriorated abnormally under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol government, adding that anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns at the border, as well as North Korea's retaliatory release of trash-carrying balloons and blaring of loud noise, have caused damage to border areas during the period.
"The fundamental solution to alleviating the suffering from the division is establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula," Kim said, emphasising that now is a crucial time for the two Koreas to return to dialogue and calling on Pyongyang to respond to Seoul's efforts for peace.
On November 6, South Korea's Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Ji-na said that South Korea is open to reviewing sanctions against North Korea when necessary, following the announcement of fresh US sanctions on North Korean individuals and entities over illicit cyber activities.
"In cases of cryptocurrency theft by Pyongyang, coordination between South Korea and the US is important, as it can be used to fund North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and pose a threat to our digital ecosystem," Kim said during an interview with Yonhap News TV.
"South Korea has been making joint efforts to curb illegal activities, and in that context, we can consider reviewing sanctions as a measure if they are really needed," Kim added.
Her remarks came after Washington said Tuesday (US time) that it has imposed sanctions on eight North Korean individuals and two entities for their involvement in laundering money stolen through illicit cyber activities.
Kim added that the US is currently undergoing internal coordination regarding a joint fact sheet on the outcome of last week's summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump.
"We are waiting as the US side is currently working on adjusting and reviewing the wording," Kim said.
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