The presidential office said on Thursday that it will await North Korea’s positive response to proposals by President Yoon Suk Yeol to promote unification. 

First Deputy Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo issued the position in a press briefing, saying that Yoon’s proposals of setting up an inter-Korean consultative body and providing humanitarian aid require responses from the North. 

Yoon made the proposals when he unveiled the unification doctrine on Thursday in his address marking the 79th anniversary of Liberation Day. 

Kim said that even if there is no immediate response from the North, South Korea can make plans and pursue other measures to promote unification, stressing that unification is a task that requires patience and consistent efforts. 

Kim added that the proposal of an inter-Korean consultative body is not politically motivated, but rather, it seeks to form a dialogue to address various issues including the North’s denuclearization, economic cooperation and humanitarian issues. 

Unveiling the August 15 unification doctrine, Yoon presented three visions and three strategies for a unified, free and democratic nation and seven measures to pursue those visions.