Unification Minister hints at possibility of lifting May 24 Measures

Posted on : 2015-08-28 16:15 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Hong Yong-pyo also says that Pyongyang’s expression of regret that ended recent crisis could serve as a model for other cases
 South Korean Unification Minister
South Korean Unification Minister

South Korean Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo suggested that it might be possible to talk about lifting the May 24 Measures, provided that North Korea abides by the agreement that the two sides reached during high-level talks on Aug. 25.

While Hong was briefing the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee about current issues on Aug. 27, an opposition party lawmaker asked whether the government was willing to repeal the May 24 Measures. Hong responded that the government still held that it could not repeal the measures until North Korea takes responsibility for the sinking of the Cheonan, but he did not dismiss the possibility altogether.

“If the agreement reached during the inter-Korean talks is implemented without any hitches and trust is established, creating the conditions for discussing bigger issues, I think that we could find ourselves in a situation where such deliberations can be held,” Hong said.

Hong also hinted that the expression of regret that North Korea made in the high-level agreement about the landmine incident in the DMZ could serve as a model for how North Korea could take responsibility for the Cheonan sinking. “The apology that North Korea made in the agreement is the first clear apology that the North has given to the South, and I think that this could become a standard,” Hong said.

After opining that the question of the Cheonan must be settled through talks and cannot be determined in advance, Hong declined to say anything else on the topic.

When asked about the possibility of holding an inter-Korean summit meeting, Hong said, “Currently, this is not under consideration. First, it’s important to create the right conditions by fully implementing the inter-Korean agreement.”

 

By Lee Se-young, staff reporter

 

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