A former unification minister from the Moon Jae-in administration advised the government to keep the name of the ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs, while adjusting its duties.

At an event hosted by the Korea Peace Forum on Tuesday, former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who now chairs the board at the organization, opposed the proposed name change, citing Article 66 Clause 3 in the Constitution.

The clause stipulates that the president shall have the sincere duty to pursue a peaceful unification of the homeland.

Kim, meanwhile, suggested transferring all tasks pertaining to North Korean defectors to the health and interior ministries and the secretariat of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council to the unification ministry for enhanced efficiency and transparency.

Kim urged the Lee Jae Myung administration to publicly state that it does not want unification by absorption, claiming the North's "two states" theory was triggered by the Yoon Suk Yeol government's hostile policies.