▲ Unification Minister Chung Dong-young (R), South Korea's point man on inter-Korean relations, poses for a photo with new Irish Ambassador to South Korea Sean Hoy during their meeting at the government complex in Seoul on Sept. 4, 2026. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Chung Dong-young met with new Irish Ambassador to South Korea Sean Hoy on Friday and discussed ways to advance peace on the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said Friday.

At the meeting, Chung called on Ireland to take a leading role in building Europe's understanding and support for peace on the peninsula, leveraging Ireland's position as the rotating chair of the European Union for the second half of the year.

Pointing to Ireland's long struggle for independence and the eventual settlement of the conflict in Northern Ireland, Chung said the two Koreas could learn from the country's perseverance in pursuing peace.

For his part, Hoy voiced support for Seoul's peace efforts and shared insights from Ireland's own peace process.

Hoy said Ireland is ready to work with any country seeking to learn from its experience, adding that peace is a goal always worth pursuing.

The two affirmed their shared commitment to pursuing peace on the peninsula, rooted in a mutual understanding of the pain of division and the need to restore peace, the ministry said.

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