Yoon Proposes Consultative Body with North Korea

In a Liberation Day speech, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol proposed establishing a working-level consultative body with North Korea to ease tensions and resume economic and cultural cooperation. Yoon emphasized the importance of unification based on freedom and democracy, pledging to launch a 'North Korean Freedom and Human Rights Fund' to counter Pyongyang's propaganda and support private sector information dissemination. He reiterated offers of humanitarian aid despite recent rejections from the North and called for expanded access to information for North Koreans. Amid strained inter-Korean relations, marked by North Korea labeling the South as its greatest enemy and advancing its nuclear capabilities, Yoon left the door open for dialogue and cooperation if North Korea takes steps toward denuclearization. The speech also highlighted Yoon's intent to improve human rights in North Korea and foster people-to-people exchanges to support unification efforts.