The South Korean Ministry of Unification on May 18 released a new white paper, in which it identified the central policy of President Lee Jae Myung's administration as pursuing "peaceful coexistence and co-development on the Korean peninsula".
This is seen as a notable change in Seoul's approach to Pyongyang after a period of tension under the previous administration of Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol.
According to the content of the white paper, the South Korean government has set out 3 main guiding principles in inter-Korean relations. Seoul affirms respect for the North Korean system, does not pursue unification through annexation and does not participate in hostile activities against Pyongyang.
Based on these principles, President Lee Jae Myung's administration aims to build a stable foundation for inter-Korean relations through de-escalation and restoration of trust. A series of measures have been mentioned in the document, including ending the sending of anti-North Korean leaflets across borders and stopping radio broadcasting along the demilitarized zone.
These adjustments mark a clear difference from the previous conservative administration of Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol. The previous government promoted a policy of pressure on North Korea, while strengthening the flow of information from outside into the country to create change.
The new White Paper also mentions the plan to restore the inter-Korean military agreement signed in 2018 between former President Moon Jae In and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un. The South Korean government said it will pursue more bilateral agreements to create a systematic framework for peaceful coexistence on the peninsula.
The change in policy orientation is also reflected in the language used in the white paper. According to published documents, the number of appearances of the words "peace" and "peaceful cohabitation" increased sharply from 29 to 196 times. Phrases related to "meeting" or "dialogue" also increased from 16 to 58 times.
Meanwhile, phrases that are confrontational or emphasize pressure have decreased significantly. The number of mentions of "North Korean defectors" has also decreased sharply from 203 to only 10.
Although Seoul is sending a reconciliation signal, inter-Korean relations are still in a state of near freezing. According to Yonhap, there has been no people-to-people exchange in the past 5 years, and no economic exchange has taken place.
While South Korea is adjusting its policy towards being softer, Pyongyang has taken steps showing that the gap between the two sides is still very large. According to North Korean parliamentary documents accessed by Reuters and Yonhap on May 6, the country has removed all content related to the reunification of the peninsula from the revised constitution.
North Korea's new constitution continues to consider North Korea and South Korea as "two hostile countries", although Pyongyang does not call Seoul the "main enemy". This move reflects a significant change in North Korea's perception of inter-Korean relations, which were previously placed within the framework of national reunification.
In that context, South Korea's new white paper shows that Seoul is trying to shift its focus from confrontation to managing stable relations with North Korea, prioritizing maintaining peace and reducing the risk of escalating tensions on the peninsula.
