Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se said, “If North Korea’s rice and food shortages do not improve, it might reach a critical point where residents’ dissatisfaction grows.” He said this while referring to the situation in North Korea, which is currently suffering from severe food shortages. Minister Kwon said, “(The food crisis) is not yet at the level of threatening the regime,” but also said, “When a desperate situation comes, North Korea has no choice but to change its course.”
In an interview with Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, which was reported on the 22nd, Minister Kwon said, “North Korea has recently changed its food policy, cutting off food supply through the market and changing the way the government buys all food and distributes or sells it at designated places.” said. “It seems to be intended to strengthen control of residents, but in the process of strongly pushing for change, there was a problem with the food supply chain,” he stressed. However, it added that large-scale food imports from China have been taking place recently.
Regarding North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, Minister Kwon said, “We are taking advantage of changes in the international situation, such as the confrontation between the US and China and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and raising it to a level that can be called an ‘international threat’.” Regarding the reason for North Korea’s strengthening of nuclear development, he said, “I think it is closer to maintaining internal solidarity and regime rather than defending once morest actual security threats.” In addition, he observed regarding the timing of the 7th nuclear test, “It is difficult to predict, but it will definitely happen.”
Regarding Chairman Kim Jong-un accompanying his daughter Joo-ae to official events, he said, “The purpose seems to be to raise international interest in nuclear development and internally emphasize that nuclear weapons guarantee the safety of future generations.” “There is no big problem, and there are doubts regarding whether a female leader will be accepted in the patriarchal North Korean society.”
zoom inUnification Minister Kwon Young-se is taking questions from reporters before leaving for Japan at Gimpo International Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. news 1Minister Kwon left for Japan via Gimpo International Airport that followingnoon. According to the Ministerial-level invitation program of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they visited Tokyo for 3 nights and 4 days, including government figures such as Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, as well as political figures such as Fukushiro Nukaga, president of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians League, and Toshimitsu Motegi, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party. There will also be interviews with key personnel. In addition, it plans to explain pending issues in inter-Korean relations and the unification policy of the Yoon Seok-yeol government to Korean residents in Japan and collect their opinions.
Minister Kwon met with reporters before departing at Gimpo Airport that followingnoon and said, “I will discuss the issue of inter-Korean relations with Japan, which has gone down the same path.” He said, “Cooperation with Japan is very important, but there is something that has been lacking in cooperation. It is very meaningful that Korea-Japan relations were completely restored through the Korea-Japan summit,” he said. “It is important to start going down the same path. said.
Minister Kwon said, “In the North Korean issue, not only immediate denuclearization but also human rights issues are very important.” As this is our first meeting, we will listen carefully and try to find out what we can cooperate with.”
The visit by the Minister of Unification to Japan is the first in 18 years since then-Minister Chung Dong-young visited Japan as a presidential envoy in 2005, and it is the first visit by the Japanese government. The Ministry of Unification said, “It will contribute to developing the level of cooperation between South Korea and Japan in relation to unification North Korea policy to a higher level.”
Excited Reporter journari@donga.com
