ⓒYONHAP News

During his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Unification Minister nominee Kim Yeon-chul apologized for some of the controversial remarks he made as a career scholar and columnist.

"Faced with criticism and concerns since my nomination as unification minister, I critically looked back on my past. Regardless of my [true] intentions, I would like to offer my deep apologies to those I have hurt."

Opposition lawmakers raised issue with Kim's 2010 magazine column, in which he called the 2008 shooting death of a South Korean tourist at North Korea's Mt. Geumgang resort a "rite of passage."

 

The nominee tried to highlight his plans for Seoul-Washington collaboration as lawmakers recalled that Kim argued against U.S.-led UN sanctions on North Korea in a newspaper column just last year.

"Cooperating with the international community is very important. I will seek solutions for denuclearization through close consultation between South Korea and the U.S. and spread global support for improving inter-Korean relations and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula."

He told opposition lawmakers that the South Korean government has in mind the so called "early harvest" plan under which some of the sanctions can be lifted while Washington and Pyongyang are moving towards denuclearization. He also stressed that it is noteworthy that Trump at the Hanoi talks had been flexible about easing sanctions provided a 'snapback' clause was added.  Kim vowed to seek creative ways to bring the U.S. and North Korea back to the negotiating table.

"The North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi ended without an agreement, but fortunately both sides recognize the need for dialogue. What's most important now is to resume North Korea-U.S. negotiations in order to maintain the momentum for denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula. Our role is very important in this regard. If I am appointed as Unification Minister, I will exert my best efforts not to waste the historic opportunity to make substantial progress in solving the nuclear problem and to institutionalize peace on the peninsula. I will seek creative solutions for North Korea and the U.S. to meet in the near future and find common ground."

 

The nominee headed the government-funded think tank Korea Institute for National Unification. Among President Moon Jae-in's seven new cabinet minister nominations, Kim's is the only one that the main opposition Liberty Korea Party has officially called for a cancellation of.

Conservative parties believe he is too pro-North Korea to lead a government ministry.