Unification minister calls for fresh start in dialogue with N. Korea during meeting with ex-US envoy

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young urged for a fresh start in inter-Korean and Korean-US dialogue during a meeting with former U.S. envoy Stephen Biegun in Seoul on Monday. He called for renewed efforts to advance peace on the Korean Peninsula, noting that North Korea's nuclear capabilities have progressed over the past seven years while the Singapore Agreement between the U.S. and North Korea has deteriorated. Additionally, inter-Korean relations have been severed by hostility and confrontation.

Chung emphasized that the current situation presents an opportunity to "turn the clock forward again" and move forward with political decisions made by previous administrations. He highlighted that former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed interest in reengaging with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year, sparking speculation about the possibility of reviving personal diplomacy that led to three meetings between Trump and Kim during his first term in office.