South Korea expects flexible solutions to joint military exercise

Unification Minister Lee In-young speaks during a press conference at the South-North Korea Dialogue Office in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

Unification Minister Lee In-young hoped Monday that South Korea and the United States will find a flexible way to conduct their envisaged combined military exercises to ensure North Korea does not react with tension-stoking provocations.

Lee also said the government will make efforts this year to normalize inter-Korean relations and restore communication channels.

The remarks at a press conference came after the North preemptively protested the annual joint military exercises. Seoul and Washington are now discussing how to configure an upcoming military drill in March.

"We have four things to consider ahead of the exercise and they are COVID-19, the Tokyo Summer Olympics, the U.S.'s new Korean Peninsula policy and the transfer of wartime operational control," Lee told reporters.

"So far, both the U.S. and the North have refrained from taking tension-raising moves, so I expect the allies to find wise and flexible ways to prevent the training from inflaming tensions on the peninsula."

The minister also hoped North Korea will be flexible about the drills, despite the fact that Pyongyang regularly denounces them as the rehearsal for an invasion.

Lee, a long-time advocate of engagement with Pyongyang, also stressed flexibility about sanctions imposed on the North.

"The Joe Biden administration has something in common with the Moon Jae-in administration in terms of North Korea policy," he said.

According to Lee, Biden's remarks during his election campaign, that he would meet the North Korean leader if the latter drew down the regime's nuclear capability, and his emphasis on a combination of strengthening and easing sanctions against the North are similar to the South Korean government's handling of the regime.

"Given that the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be reduced in the second half of the year and there will be sports events on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the two Koreas simultaneously becoming members of the United Nations, possible discussions on the easing of sanctions on the North could help expand room for inter-Korean cooperation," Lee said.

The newly inaugurated Biden administration is currently crafting its approach to the North after reviewing past and present policies; and Lee said the next few months will be a critical period for the South to be able to create an atmosphere for progress.

"It will inevitably take a certain period of time for the new U.S. government to complete its North Korea policy review and sit down with North Korea again" he said. "The next few months from now should be a time for our government to focus our concentration and make last-ditch efforts."

The minister added his ministry will strive to play a leading role rather than taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the changing situation on the peninsula.

Since the Hanoi summit between former U.S. President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader in February 2019 failed to reach a deal, inter-Korean ties have collapsed, as evidenced by the North's unilateral demolition of a joint liaison office last June.

He also said the South Korean government will seek to hold virtual family reunions for the traditional Lunar New Year holiday next month.

"To mark the Lunar New Year, I want family reunions to take place remotely. The U.S. government would be interested in the reunions of separated families from a humanitarian perspective," he said.

"Should the coronavirus be brought under control, we will try to set up the reunions."