Ranking ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Lee In-young, who has been nominated as Seoul’s new Unification Minister, has vowed to focus on restoring inter-Korean dialogue. 

The former DP floor leader shared his thoughts on Friday after he was tapped to the post that has been vacated since former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul stepped down last month following several weeks of threats by North Korea of military action plans against the South. 

Lee said he hopes to work together with 80-million Koreans and pivot the peninsula back to the dream of peace and unification. 

While declining to make detailed comments due to the remaining parliamentary confirmation process, Lee pledged to work with a sense of urgency to reopen the path to peace before it is sealed off and try to follow through on what had been promised between the two Koreas. 

He also urged North Korea to join South Korea in proving that they can walk together on the path toward coexistence and peace. 

Lee’s appointment was made as part of a reshuffle which also saw National Intelligence Service(NIS) Director Suh Hoon’s nomination as the new national security adviser to President Moon Jae-in.

Suh, who helped arrange inter-Korean summits in 2018, noted the importance of securing unwavering international support for Seoul’s North Korea policies. Also stressing close communication with the U.S. and other countries concerned, he vowed to continue efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. 

Former lawmaker Park Jie-won of the minor opposition Party for People's Livelihoods, who was named to replace Suh as NIS chief, thanked President Moon for tapping him and vowed to do his best to reform the spy agency.