Unification Minister Chung Dong-young says North Korea has become one of the three powers capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

Chung made the comment at a press conference in Berlin on Monday during his visit to Germany Unity Day and the 2025 Global Korea Forum.

He said North Korea’s “strategic position” is different from what it was at the time of its summit with the U.S. in Singapore seven years ago, appearing to refer to the regime’s advancements in ballistic missiles.

Chung told reporters that recognizing this reality must be the starting point for negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The minister said the discussions surrounding Pyongyang's nuclear program could have been very different had even a “small deal” been reached during the second North Korea-U.S. summit in 2019.

He added that Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump have expressed a willingness to meet again.

But the minister stressed that because Washington has no intention of providing Pyongyang money or other support even if a security deal is reached, the regime's only possible path to reform and openness remains cooperation with Seoul.