Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks to the press during a briefing marking his first year in office on Thursday. Photo by Yonhap
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Thursday the government has shifted away from a policy focused on the denuclearization of North Korea, instead pointing to peace as a precondition to resuming stalled talks with Pyongyang.
Chung's remarks come as Pyongyang has been doubling down on its nuclear and missile programs, while seeking to have its status as a nuclear state recognized by other world powers, notably China and Russia.
"For the past year, the Lee Jae Myung government has practically abolished the previous government's stance centered on achieving denuclearization first, or its complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) policy, and shifted toward a 'peace-first' policy," Chung said at a press briefing marking his one year in office. Chung took office as the first unification minister under the Lee administration on July 25, 2025.
Chung said the government was currently working to specify a strategy to offer reciprocal benefits in the event the North halts the manufacturing of new nuclear arsenals.
