S. Korea revives key N. Korea dialogue office, scales back rights agenda

The Unification Ministry announced a sweeping reorganization on Tuesday, reinstating key offices for inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation that were dismantled under the previous administration, while reducing its focus on human rights initiatives. The move follows the Lee Jae Myung administration’s policy goal of “peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula.” According to the ministry’s restructuring plan, the total workforce will increase from 533 to 600, with the addition of 67 new positions. Around 80 percent of the 81 positions that were cut under the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration will be reinstated. Officials said the overhaul aims to reestablish the ministry’s core role in promoting inter-Korean dialogue and exchanges. At the center of the change is the revival of the inter-Korean dialogue headquarters, a dedicated body that had been effectively sidelined since North Korea unilaterally blew up the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office in June 2020. The headquarters will oversee talks, liaison channels and border entry management between the two KoreWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times