South Korea to flexibly review civilian exchanges with DPRK

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea's unification ministry said Monday it will flexibly review major inter-Korean issues such as civilian exchanges with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), indicating a dialogue mood on the Korean Peninsula.

Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Duk-haeng told a regular briefing that main inter-Korean issues, including civilian exchanges, would be flexibly reviewed within the limits of undamaging the framework of the international community's sanctions on the DPRK.

Lee told reporters that the current severing of the inter-Korean relations was not desirable when considering the goal of stable situations on the peninsula.

President Moon Jae-in is expected to inherit a so-called "sunshine policy" of trying to enhance inter-Korean ties through investment and trade, advocated by liberal presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Dae-jung.

Moon's predecessor Park Geun-hye had championed the continued humanitarian aid to the DPRK regardless of political situations, but the aid has been severed since the DPRK's fourth nuclear test in January 2016.

As President Moon took office, expectations were running high for the resumption of the humanitarian aid and civilian exchanges between the two sides.

About 10 South Korean civic groups were reported to have applied to the unification ministry for humanitarian aid and cultural exchanges.

The spokesman said the ministry will review whether to approve the applications for contacts with and visits to the DPRK.