SEOUL– The incoming South Korean administration will push for a “balanced” approach toward North Korea, as the outgoing Moon Jae-in government’s peace initiative has revealed its limit, the nominee to lead the foreign ministry said Monday.
“The Yoon Suk-yeol administration will pursue a balanced policy, based on common sense, toward North Korea,” Park Jin told reporters, as he appeared for the first time at his interim office in central Seoul since being nominated to the post. He is using the office for preparations for the National Assembly’s confirmation hearing, the date of which has yet to set.
“(We) will make efforts for the denuclearization of North Korea, as well as peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, while maintaining policy consistency with pressure and persuasion on North Korea,” he added.
He made clear his commitment to depart from the liberal Moon administration’s Korea peace process and signaled a tougher stance on Pyongyang.
The policy has “revealed its limit despite what has been intended,” he said. “Now, (we) can’t prevent North Korea’s continued provocations only with conciliatory policy. We are at a time when a substantial policy change is needed.”
The nominee condemned Pyongyang for its stated test-firing of a new tactical guided weapon over the weekend. It is an act that runs counter to regional security, peace and stability, he said.
He said the new government will seek to upgrade South Korea-U.S. relations into “a comprehensive and strategic alliance” and raised the need for Seoul to join the Quad working groups first and gradually expand the scope of its role on COVID-19, climate change and new technologies.
Park, who recently made a trip to Washington, D.C. as head of Yoon’s policy consultation delegation, reiterated that Yoon and President Joe Biden need to hold their first summit talks at an early date.
Last week, the president-elect picked the four-term lawmaker of the conservative People Power Party, known for his expertise on diplomatic affairs, as foreign minister.
Source: Yonhap News Agency