Ulaanbaatar: Unification Minister Chung Dong-young proposed a four-way dialogue involving South Korea, North Korea, the United States, and China to establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Chung made this proposal during his special address at the opening ceremony of the 11th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue in Mongolia, a platform dedicated to discussing security and peace cooperation in Northeast Asia.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Chung emphasized the necessity for the two Koreas to "rebuild inter-Korean trust and restore peace." He suggested that the four-party talks could eventually expand to include Mongolia, Japan, and Russia. Chung articulated that if rebuilding inter-Korean trust, institutionalizing a peace regime, and advancing multilateral dialogue in Northeast Asia progress collectively, a new peaceful order could be established across the region.
Chung also highlighted the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI), an intergovernmental mechanism aimed at transforming the Tumen River Basin into a regional hub, as a means to realize his vision. He proposed Arctic sea route cooperation and a high-speed rail link between Seoul and Beijing as potential initial projects. Chung urged Pyongyang to rejoin the GTI, asserting that North Korea could benefit significantly from this initiative.
In an interesting shift, Chung referred to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a departure from past practices in Seoul. This change indicates the Lee Jae Myung government's pivot towards peaceful coexistence with the North rather than unification. Although Chung did not directly mention the "peaceful two states" stance during his speech, it aligns with the Lee government's strategy for peaceful coexistence.
Later, Chung is scheduled to meet with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh. He will also engage in talks with Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg and Culture Minister Jokov Alearjavkhlan to explore ways to deepen bilateral ties and cooperation and secure Mongolia's support for South Korea's peace policies. Mongolia, with its diplomatic relationships with both Koreas, is seen as a potential facilitator of dialogue on the Korean Peninsula. The forum, which North Korea last attended in 2018, concludes on Friday, with Chung set to return home on Saturday.