In South Korea, the issue of normalizing relations with North Korea has caused open disagreement within the government. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young demonstrated differing stances on how to resume dialogue with Pyongyang.
According to Reuters, during a cabinet meeting attended by President Lee Jae-myung, Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young proposed initiating four-way talks involving South and North Korea, the United States, and China in the second half of the year. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, however, called these initiatives an «idealistic approach,» stating that they had not been sufficiently discussed and agreed upon within the government.
In response, Jeong Dong-young remarked that «ideals are needed to change reality.»
«Peace First» strategy faces a test
After President Lee Jae-myung came to power, Seoul shifted away from its previous «denuclearization first» approach in North Korea policy, prioritizing a «peace first» strategy. Official Seoul is also encouraging US President Donald Trump to hold a new meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and resume dialogue.
However, Pyongyang has so far given almost no positive response to Seoul’s peace gestures.
Experts: Pyongyang will closely watch this disagreement
Analysts believe that the disagreement emerging within the government could weaken South Korea’s diplomatic position.
According to Kyungnam University Professor Lim Eul-chul, internal division could create a perception in North Korea that any agreement reached with Seoul could easily be revoked in the future due to political changes in South Korea or disagreement within the government.
Bilateral relations remain in deep crisis
Relations between the two Koreas sharply deteriorated after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Kim Jong Un announced that North Korea had abandoned its policy of unifying the Korean Peninsula and suspended joint projects being implemented between the two Koreas.
In the first six months of 2026, only 63 North Korean citizens managed to cross to the South. For comparison, in 2019, this figure was 1,047.
Although Seoul in recent months halted certain actions that Pyongyang viewed as hostile, including propaganda broadcast via loudspeakers at the border, North Korea has not responded to these gestures.
Analytical view
This development shows that the Lee Jae-myung administration’s «dialogue and detente» strategy faces not only Pyongyang’s resistance, but also a lack of a unified position within the government. If Seoul fails to form a unified policy line, North Korea could use this as additional leverage in negotiations. The fate of potential new talks involving the US and China will depend on the degree to which this internal coordination can be achieved.