Moon Appoints New Unification Minister Amid Stalemate In Inter-Korean Relations

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th July, 2020) South Korean President Moon Jae-in appointed Lee In-young, a ruling Democratic Party lawmaker, as a new unification minister in a bid to achieve progress in stalled Seoul-Pyongyang relations, the South Korean presidential office said on Monday.

Lee's predecessor, Kim Yeon-chul, resigned in mid-June amid deteriorating inter-Korean relations days after Pyongyang blew up the joint liaison office in the border town of Kaesong.

Kang Min-seok, the spokesman for the presidential office, said that Lee's tenure has begun as of Monday, as cited by the official Yonhap news agency.

The new unification minister was nominated for his role earlier in July. His nomination was approved by the South Korean parliament despite a boycott by the main opposition party, United Future Party (UFP). According to the UFP lawmakers, Lee refused to submit some reference materials for the hearing which were requested by the opposition.