Seoul:Unification Minister Chung Dong-young emphasized the increased necessity of achieving "fundamental peace" on the Korean Peninsula after a land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) last month.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Minister Chung addressed a parliamentary audit, referring to the September 21 incident where North Korea-planted land mines injured three South Korean soldiers. He stressed the importance of thorough preparations to prevent such tragic events in the future.
Despite the incident, Chung reiterated the ministry's dedication to pursuing peaceful solutions to inter-Korean issues, emphasizing a commitment to peaceful coexistence and dialogue. The ministry had similarly responded to the military's findings, which attributed the blast to North Korea, by affirming its intention to break the cycle of hostility and promote peace through communication rather than confrontation.
Chung identified ending the prolonged conflict and establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula as the central tasks. He advocated replacing the "unstable" armistice that concluded the 1950-53 Korean War with a stable and continuous peace system.
He assured that the government would make every effort to facilitate dialogue and build a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, positioning itself as a key participant and peacemaker in the process.