Jeong Dongyoung Responds to Cho Hyun's 'Idealism' Remark: "Ideals Are Needed to Change Reality... We Must Cooperate"

Jeong Dongyoung, Minister of Unification, stated on August 6 that “aspirations are necessary to change reality” in response to remarks by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who referred to the Unification Ministry’s vision of a Korean Peninsula peace regime as being ‘idealistic’. This has been interpreted as a reflection of the differing perspectives on North Korea policy that surfaced during the previous day’s work briefings by the foreign affairs and security ministries.

Jeong Dongyoung, Minister of Unification, is arriving at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on August 6, 2026. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Speaking with reporters on his way to work at the Government Seoul Office that morning, Minister Jeong said, “I believe that effective cooperation is what will benefit the government,” when asked about the issue.

In a post-briefing the day prior, following the Foreign Ministry’s business report, Minister Cho commented on the Unification Ministry’s proposal of “four-party talks” during the presidential briefing, describing it as “an approach that, while hopeful and rooted in idealism, is still uncoordinated.” He went on to say that “mentioning four-party talks is idealistic because we are not at that stage yet.” Regarding the Unification Ministry’s “Pacemaker Plus” vision, he clarified, “This was not a text discussed and agreed upon through the standing committee of the National Security Council (NSC), and there are no significant changes.” He also drew a line regarding Minister Jeong’s mention of the potential government attendance at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), stating, “That falls under the Foreign Ministry’s jurisdiction.”

On these matters, Minister Jeong reserved further comments, saying he would issue a separate statement. He also expressed that he would respond separately to President Lee Jaemyung’s remarks during the previous day’s business briefing in which the president, addressing the use of North Korea’s official nomenclature, advised a cautious approach: “It is certainly a debatable matter, and while it may be intended as a goodwill gesture for improving relations, didn’t you see not long ago that such comments were met with harsh backlash?”

Nevertheless, Minister Jeong repeatedly stressed the president’s clear commitment to the policy of peaceful coexistence. “Yesterday, the president emphasized that peace is equivalent to existence itself,” Jeong said. “Though it may feel as if the Ministry of Unification is crying out into the void, the president encouraged us to persevere and continue with the peaceful coexistence policy with patience.” He added, “He expressed not only a firm commitment to peaceful coexistence but also gave his encouragement and support.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.