UNIFICATION MINISTER STEPS DOWN

[Anchor Lead]

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul stepped down in response to the recent deterioration of inter-Korean relations. The South Korean Ministry expressed its strong regret at North Korea's announcement that it will militarize the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the Mount Kumgang area.

[Pkg]

The nation's Unification Minister made an unexpected appearance at the press room. Kim Yeon-chul was there to announce his resignation. He apologized for not meeting people's expectations for peace and prosperity on the Peninsula. Kim had already told the presidential office of this decision.

[Soundbite] KIM YEON-CHUL(MINISTER OF UNIFICATION) : "There was a time when we could have predicted the current inter-Korean situation. I believe someone has to bear responsibility for it."

The minister took the job immediately after the Pyongyang-Washington summit in Hanoi broke down last year. He faced many difficulties in carrying out cross-border cooperation projects as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe. Kim seems to have decided to resign when inter-Korean relationship deteriorated rapidly in recent days. The last straw seems to be the regime blowing up the joint liaison office, the symbol of reconciliation. The Vice Minister of Unification expressed strong regret at the North Korean military command's warning about stationing troops in the Mount Kumgang area and the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

[Soundbite] SUH HO(VICE MINISTER OF UNIFICATION) : "Today's announcement from Pyongyang essentially takes us back to the days prior to the June 15th Joint Declaration in 2000 and is a clear violation of our people's property rights."

The Ministry mentioned the two sides agreed to normalize the Mount Kumgang tourism project and the Kaesong industrial park in the joint declaration announced in Pyongyang just two years ago. Seoul stressed it has been working hard to set up proper conditions to implement the agreement. The Unification Ministry called on Pyongyang to bear responsibility for the recent developments and urged the regime to stop taking actions that further worsen the situation.