Seoul: South Korea has initiated a policy allowing its citizens to engage in contact with North Koreans without restrictions, provided these engagements are declared in advance. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young announced this change, highlighting the government's shift in approach to inter-Korean relations.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Minister Chung shared that he had signed off on the removal of ministry guidelines that previously governed declarations of contacts with North Koreans. These guidelines had historically been used to deny civilians' requests to interact with North Korean nationals, leading to a significant decrease in private-level inter-Korean exchanges.

The updated policy permits South Koreans to freely engage with North Koreans, as long as they inform the ministry beforehand. This requirement is in place due to the technical state of war between the two Koreas, which has persisted since the Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Minister Chung emphasized that such open contacts at the private level can foster mutual understanding and potentially lead to peaceful coexistence.

Additionally, Minister Chung mentioned that an upcoming National Security Council meeting in early August would review possible adjustments to the large-scale South Korea-U.S. military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield. He plans to suggest modifications to this joint exercise, scheduled for mid-August, to President Lee Jae Myung as part of efforts to enhance relations with North Korea.

Furthermore, Minister Chung expressed a desire to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex and apologized for the government's decision in 2016 to close the facility. He made these remarks during a meeting with businesspeople who had previously operated factories in the complex before its closure by former President Park Geun-hye, following North Korea's nuclear and weapons tests.

Minister Chung, who was instrumental in establishing the inter-Korean industrial complex during his tenure as unification minister from 2004-05, acknowledged the impact of the closure and expressed hope that its reopening would positively influence the Korean Peninsula's future. The factory park, once a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation, housed over 120 South Korean plants employing more than 54,300 North Korean workers.