Gov't dismisses speculation about inter

Office to remain, but slimmer workforce will maintain communication functions

By Nam Hyun-woo

The Ministry of Unification on Thursday refuted rumors that it is considering abolishing the inter-Korean liaison office as part of the ministry's restructuring plan, saying that the liaison office is not under its authority because it was installed under an agreement between South Korea and North Korea.

The ministry's dismissal comes after media reports that said it is set to downsize the secretariat for the liaison office due to the current stalemate in inter-Korean relations and instead better serve President Yoon Suk Yeol's North Korea policy, which concentrates on human rights issues.

"The ministry is not trying to abolish the inter-Korean liaison office, which was established under the agreement of the two Koreas," an official at the ministry told reporters.

"There is no change in our stance that we will maintain the communication function between South Korea and North Korea."

However, the official said the secretariat for the liaison office was set up by the South Korean government to support the operation of the liaison office. The official did not confirm whether it will be included in its restructuring plan, but stated, "Various restructuring scenarios are under review."

The inter-Korean liaison office was established in Gaeseong, North Korea, in September 2018, following an agreement between then-President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in April of the same year. Since then, staffers from both South and North Korea have worked at the single building, but South Korean officials vacated the premises following the COVID-19 outbreak in January 2020.

In June 2020, the North blew up the building, blaming Seoul's inability to prevent defectors from flying anti-regime propaganda over the border. Then, the liaison office was relocated to Seoul and it has been maintaining contact with North Korea.

Reportedly, the unification ministry is now considering downsizing the liaison office's secretariat into a department under the Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue. Instead, the ministry is reviewing the possibility of scaling up its Humanitarian Cooperation Bureau as an office to enhance functions related to human rights in the North.

South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Tae-yong speaks during a seminar hosted by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea in Washington D.C., Feb. 28 (local time). Yonhap

Human rights are one of the issues that Pyongyang detests, as improved human rights conditions in the state may amplify North Koreans' complaints against the Kim regime.

After Yoon took office in May last year, the South Korean government launched a pan-ministry council on North Korean human rights, and the North spouted emotional comments that the move was an insult to North Korea and "a political provocation by lunatics."

On Feb. 28 (local time), South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Tae-yong attended a seminar hosted by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea in Washington D.C. and said, "The Korean government will increase its efforts to improve human rights in North Korea and this will be the priority of all ministries."

Cho continued that improvements in human rights conditions in the North will accelerate the goal of denuclearization and deter Pyongyang's provocations.

"If only a portion of the basic rights and freedoms that we enjoy is available for North Koreans, the North Korean regime will not be able to employ policies concentrating on nuclear and missile programs," Cho said.