President Lee and Unification Minister Outline New North Korea Policy Amid Domestic Criticism

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Unification Minister Chung Dong-young detailed a policy of peaceful coexistence with North Korea during a briefing at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday. Minister Chung proposed dropping the label of main enemy for North Korea and suggested using the official name of the Democratic People Myung Republic of Korea or the term Joson to build mutual trust. He recommended replacing the term main enemy with a threat, though he noted that the defense ministry opposed this change. The ministry's broader agenda includes reviving the September 19 inter-Korean military tension reduction pact, seeking a freeze-first approach to denuclearization, and restarting construction on the Gyeongwon railway line by next year. President Lee also addressed domestic criticism of these policies, urging government ministries to respond sternly to claims that the administration is pro-Pyongyang or communist. Specifically, Lee defended the Northeast Asia Peace Archive, a facility scheduled to open in 2027, against allegations that it is a North Korean library. Lee noted that the project began under the Moon Jae-in administration and continued through the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, calling the smears malicious disinformation.