Opposition Denounces Unification Ministry for 'Two-State Relationship' Description

Lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) denounced the unification ministry Tuesday for describing South and North Korea as a "two-state relationship" in its latest white paper, calling it a clear violation of the Constitution.

In the annual white paper released Monday, the first such document issued under the Lee Jae Myung administration, the ministry highlighted the need to shift toward a "peace-oriented two-state relationship" aimed at achieving unification, considering the reality that the Koreas exist as de facto two states.

The ministry's reference to the Koreas as two states sparked backlash among opposition lawmakers, who argue that it could be interpreted as effectively recognizing the North as a separate state in violation of Article 3 of the Constitution, which stipulates that the territory of the Republic of Korea consists of the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands.

In late 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared inter-Korean relations as those between "two states hostile to each other."

In a statement, PPP Rep. Park Choong-kwon, a North Korean defector-turned-lawmaker who serves as spokesperson for the party's central election committee, called the latest white paper a "declaration completely abandoning the human rights of 26 million North Korean residents" and a "fatal act of self-harm" that violates the territorial clause in the Constitution and the obligation to pursue peaceful unification as stipulated in the supreme law.

Article 4 of the Constitution mandates that the country pursue unification and establish a peaceful unification policy based on the principles of liberal democracy.

PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok wrote on his Facebook account, "A unification white paper that rejects 'unification' is a clear violation of the Constitution."

"Lee Jae Myung has trampled on the Constitution, destroyed national security and given up on peaceful unification," he said. "He is no longer the president of the Republic of Korea."

Rep. Jang also criticized the white paper for using the term "North Korean-born citizens" to refer to North Korean defectors.

The ministry began using the term "North Korean-born citizens" in March, saying it better reflects the status of the defectors as South Korean nationals with full legal entitlements.

PPP chief spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon accused the government of voluntarily aligning itself with the North Korean leader's "anti-unification" stance.

"It directly conflicts with Article 3 of the Constitution, which defines the country's territory, and Article 4, which mandates the establishment of a peaceful unification policy," she said in her statement.

Another PPP spokesperson, Cho Yong-sool, slammed the white paper for effectively recognizing North Korea as a "normal country," while other party members, including four-term lawmaker Lee Jong-bae, called for the immediate withdrawal of the "two-state" reference and the dismissal of Unification Minister Chung Dong-young.

The unification ministry quickly dismissed the criticism, saying that the "two-state" language does not mean giving up unification efforts.

"It does not at all mean recognizing North Korea as a legal state," a ministry official said, adding that it only highlights the need to pursue a unification policy based on recognition that the two Koreas in fact "effectively exist as two states."

The official also noted that the two-state language did not reflect the official position of the government.