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South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young meets with US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris at the Central Government Complex in Seoul on Aug. 18. (Yonhap News)

On Aug. 18, South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young said that the operations and function of the South Korea-US working group need to be adjusted and rearranged so that the group can clearly serve to promote the development of inter-Korean relations and a policy of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Lee made the remarks during a meeting with US Ambassador Harry Harris at Lee’s office in the Central Government Complex in Seoul on Tuesday afternoon. “This will help us assuage concerns raised in some quarters that the working group is functioning as a mechanism to restrict inter-Korean relations,” Lee said.

Lee’s chat with Harris on Tuesday was the first in a series of meetings with the ambassadors of major countries following his appointment as unification minister. Lee is planning to sit down with Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming on Aug. 19.

“The South Korea-US working group has been praised as being highly effective in terms of sanctions-related deliberations. But at the same time, I’m afraid to say it has also been criticized for functioning as a mechanism to restrict inter-Korean relations,” Lee told Harris.

Lee made these comments in his introductory remarks at the beginning of the meeting, with reporters present. In effect, Lee publicly asked Harris to adjust the operations and function of the South Korea-US working group.

“Amid the continuing deadlock in inter-Korean relations and in South Korea-US relations, I think we need to improve inter-Korean relations in the larger framework of implementing inter-Korean agreements and carrying out ‘modest trade’ and humanitarian cooperation aimed at feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and reuniting divided families,” Lee said.

“This plan is consistent with the concept of a community of life, peace, and the economy that President Moon spoke of during his speech on Liberation Day, on Aug. 15.”

“American cooperation and support is imperative for making such ideas a reality. There’s a proverb in Korea that a good rain makes the ground firm. We’re asking for the US’ active cooperation in enabling inter-Korean relations to overcome the current deadlock and become firm, just as in the proverb.”

“The US strongly supports inter-Korean cooperation, as well as the idea of using the South Korea-US working group to find ways [to achieve inter-Korean cooperation]. We believe that will be helpful in creating a safer and more stable environment on the Korean Peninsula,” Harris said.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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