Unification ministry rejects claims of 'submissive' stance toward N. Korea

▲ Unification Minister Chung Dong-young delivers a congratulatory message at a Mass for national reconciliation and unity at Seoul's Myeongdong Cathedral on Feb. 10, 2026, in this photo provided by Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

unification minister-N Korea

Unification ministry rejects claims of 'submissive' stance toward N. Korea

SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry on Wednesday rejected media criticism that it maintains a "submissive" stance toward North Korea after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young made back-to-back remarks expressing regrets over actions that strained ties with the regime.

"Some are portraying the government's peace efforts as a submissive stance toward the North ... but the government is seeking to create conditions for inter-Korean trust in pursuit of peaceful coexistence," the ministry said in a press release.

The media criticism came after Chung expressed regret the previous day over the alleged privately led drone dispatch to North Korea in recent months and Seoul's 2016 shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.

"We need the courage to acknowledge the wrongs we have committed, and in that perspective, the drone dispatch was a clear wrongdoing," the ministry said, adding that such past missteps must be overcome.

The Lee Jae Myung administration has repeatedly extended overtures for dialogue to Pyongyang since taking office last June, although Pyongyang has remained unresponsive.

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