In the face of an apparent policy mismatch between the foreign ministry and the unification ministry, President Lee Jae Myung says it would be helpful for each ministry to have a distinct position on North Korea. 

According to presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-joon on Friday, Lee said during a closed-door policy briefing that this could also expand the government’s options in selecting foreign policy.

The spokesperson said there was an in-depth debate on diplomatic and security policies, including policies on summit diplomacy and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

After the briefings, the president directed the establishment of a ministerial meeting on security that will involve both ministries, as well as the defense ministry.

The spokesperson said these instructions align with the president’s view that the public stands to benefit from an environment conducive to the active exchange of opinions in policymaking, one that allows sufficient deliberation and debate to mitigate discord.