South Korea has allowed its citizens to freely interact with North Korean citizens, but such interactions must be declared in advance. This was announced by Unification Minister Jeon Dong-yeon, informs Yonhap News Agency.
Jeong Dong-yong informed that he signed the order to cancel the ministerial instructions, which regulated the mandatory declaration of such contacts. In the past, these restrictions allowed the government to reject such applications, effectively leading to the near-total collapse of private inter-Korean exchanges in recent years.
The changes provide for the ability of South Korean citizens to freely communicate with North Korean residents, provided that the ministry is informed in advance, given that the two countries remain formally at war.
“This makes it possible to maintain full-fledged contacts on a private level. Free contacts between peoples enable mutual understanding, which can lead to coexistence.” – explained the minister.
It is also reported that a meeting of South Korea’s National Security Council scheduled for August 6 will consider holding a large-scale joint exercise with the US, the Ulchi Freedom Shield, as part of efforts to improve inter-Korean relations.
