The vice chairman of the Presidential Preparatory Committee for Unification says inter-Korean dialogue must begin even if North Korea’s nuclear issue remains unresolved.
 
Vice Chairman Jeong Jong-wook made the remark on Monday during an interview with the official magazine of the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation.
 
Jeong said the North’s nuclear issue must be addressed during the Park Geun-hye administration as the ultimate goal is denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He added, however, that inter-Korean dialogue should still be pursued even if there is no progress in the nuclear issue.
 
On the so-called May 24 sanctions that Seoul slapped on Pyongyang following the North’s sinking of the South’s Cheonan warship in 2010, Jeong said although Seoul is willing to lift them, it first wants to hold comprehensive talks on the matter with the North. He also stressed the need for Pyongyang to state its stance on what led the South to impose the sanctions.
 
Jeong said Seoul plans to unveil a unification charter around August when the nation will mark the 70th anniversary of liberation from Japan’s colonial rule.