The Ministry of Unification is a branch of the South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

n government that is charged with working toward the reunification of Korea. It was first established in 1969 as the National Unification Board, under the rule of Park Chung-hee

Park Chung-hee

Park Chung-hee was a Republic of Korea Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He seized power in a military coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979. He has been credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...

. It gained its current status in 1998 and has played a major role in promoting inter-Korean dialogues, and exchanges and cooperation.

As of 2009, Hyun In-taek

Hyun In-taek

Hyun In-Taek is the current Minister of Unification of South Korea. As the Minister of Unification, he oversees matters related to South Korea’s policies toward North Korea, inter-Korean affairs, unification of the two Koreas, and public education on unification.Hyun previously served on the...

 serves as Unification Minister. The Ministry consists of one office for planning and coordination; three bureaus for unification policy, inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation, and humanitarian cooperation; one special bureau for the Gaeseong Industrial Complex project; and five affiliated agencies on unification education, inter-Korean dialogue, transit between the South and the North, settlement support for dislocated North Koreans and inter-Korean consultations on exchanges and cooperation.

According to the Ministry website, its major duties are to:

1. Establishing North Korea Policy: The Ministry coordinates the South Korean government's policy toward North Korea and establishes and implements long-term policies for national unification. The Ministry encourages public participation in the overall process. To effectively pursue unification policies, the Ministry analyzes the political, socio-economic and military aspects of North Korea.
2. Coordinating Inter-Korean Dialogue: As the chief government body to communicate with North Korea, the Ministry of Unification coordinates inter-Korean dialogue at all levels in the political, economic, military and humanitarian areas.
3. Pursuing Inter-Korean Cooperation: In addition, the Ministry sets the rules and procedures for inter-Korean economic cooperation including those governing Mt. Geumgang tour, Gaeseong industrial complex and reconnection of inter-Korean roads and railways and various exchange programs in the athletic, cultural and academic areas.
4. Pursuing Inter-Korean Humanitarian Cooperation: The Ministry establishes and implements policies on improving human rights conditions in North Korea and resolving South Korean POW and abductee issues. Also, the Ministry handles humanitarian aid toward North Korea, renuion of separated families, settlement support for dislocated North Koreans and cross-border exchanges of goods and people alongside the inter-Korean roads and railways in the east and west coast.
5. Providing Education Program on Unification: The Ministry serves as the main provider of information on North Korea for the general public and operates various kinds of education program on unification issues.

Official North Korea Policy : The Policy of Mutual Benefits and Common Prosperity

The Ministry has recently announced its North Korea Policy called "the Policy of Mutual Benefits and Common Prosperity." The Lee Myung-bak administration’s North Korea policy is aimed at advancing inter-Korean relations for mutual benefits and common prosperity through pragmatic and result-oriented approaches.

Vision

1. Creating a Community for Peace: It will denuclearize the Korean peninsula, build military trust between South and North Korea and reduce tension on the peninsula.
2. Creating a Community for Common Prosperity: The Lee government will help North Korea develop its economy and participate in the international community and pursue an economic cooperation that will benefit both Koreas.
3. Creating a Community for Happiness: It will enhance the well-being of the 70 million South and North Koreans by resolving humanitarian issues between the two Koreas and raising the quality of life for all Koreans.

Four Guiding Principles

The Lee Myung-bak administration’s North Korea policy will be guided by four principles: pragmatic and result-oriented approaches; strict principles and flexible approaches; national consensus; and balance between inter-Korean cooperation and international cooperation.

1. It will be pragmatic and press for results based on a spirit of reconciliation and cooperation. It will move forward with a North Korea policy that the South Korean people desires; that improves the quality of life for North Koreans; that is cost-effective; that facilitates the economic development of North Korea; and that contributes to peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula.
2. The Lee government will strictly abide by principles but take flexible approaches. It will hold to the principles of achieving the denuclearization of North Korea and pressing for sincere and effective dialogue. Yet, it will be flexible in approaches in dealing with these objectives considering the reality of inter-Korean relations.
3. It will implement North Korea policy in a transparent manner based on a national consensus. It will reflect a wide range of public opinions and seek bipartisan cooperation as well as public articipation in implementing North Korea policy.
4. The government will expand inter-Korean cooperation in harmony with international cooperation. It will pursue a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue through the Six-party talks
   Six-party talks
   The six-party talks aim to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program.There has been a series of meetings with six participating states:* The Democratic People's Republic of Korea ;...
   
    and advance inter-Korean relations in cooperation with the international community.

Five Major Tasks

1. All issues between the two Koreas should be resolved through dialogue. We will engage in productive dialogue with the North to resolve all pending issues with sincerity. The leaders of the two Koreas may meet any time if they do so in good faith with the goal of unification and a better life for all 70 million Koreans.
2. It will continue to encourage North Korea to give up it nuclear programs through the Six-party Talks. The Lee administration will call for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue during inter-Korean dialogue.
3. It will achieve qualitative development of inter-Korean relations through mutually beneficial economic cooperation between the two Koreas. Existing economic cooperation projects will be promoted by removing obstacles. New projects will be pursued according to the four criteria: progress in North Korea’s denuclearization, economic feasibility, our financial capability and national consensus. The Lee administration will implement the Vision 3000: Denuclearization and Openness to create an inter-Korean economic community.
4. Social and cultural exchanges will be expanded to develop a sense of national commonality. An institutional foundation will be laid to ensure a substantial and stable development of social and cultural exchanges.
5. The Lee administration will remain strongly committed to the resolution of the humanitarian issues. We will find fundamental solutions to the separate family issue and give a priority to the resolution of the South Korean POW and abductee issues as they are our citizens whom the government should protect. We will deal with human rights in North Korea as a matter of universal value. The ROK government will provide humanitarian aid to North Korea unconditionally from a humanitarian perspective and in the spirit of brotherhood toward fellow North Koreans.

See also

• Government of South Korea
  Government of South Korea
  The Government of South Korea is divided into executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The executive and judicial branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and...
  
  
• List of Korea-related topics
• Foreign relations of South Korea
  Foreign relations of South Korea
  The foreign relations of South Korea are South Korean relations with other governments.South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with more than 188 countries. The country has also been a member of the United Nations since 1991, when it became a member state at the same time as North Korea...
  
  
• Division of Korea
  Division of Korea
  The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
  
  
• Minister of Intra-German Relations
  Minister of Intra-German Relations
  The Federal Minister of Intra-German Relations was a federal cabinet minister of the Federal Republic of Germany...
  
  

External links

• Official English-language site.