South Korea's Unification Ministry Monitors Calls to Use 'Joseon' for North Korea

Deputy Spokesperson Jang Yoon-jung answers questions on current issues during a regular briefing at the Government Seoul Complex in Jongno, Seoul. [Photo=Yonhap News]

Recently, there have been calls from various sectors, including religious groups, to refer to North Korea as 'Joseon.' In response, South Korea's Unification Ministry emphasized that this reflects a process of building a national consensus on the issue of naming North Korea.
On July 3, Jang Yoon-jung, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, highlighted during a regular briefing at the Government Seoul Complex that they are paying attention to the 'Declaration of Peaceful Coexistence and Mutual Respect on the Korean Peninsula' announced by leaders from seven major religious groups the previous day.
Jang stated, "We are observing the growing consensus across various sectors following the announcement by the religious leaders. We will carefully monitor this process and listen broadly to voices from all walks of life."
The Korean Council of Religious Leaders held a press conference the day before, asserting that respect for each other's names is where peace begins, and called for mutual respect in referring to the official names of both South and North Korea for the sake of peace on the peninsula.
Kang Chang-il, the chief vice-chairman of the Democratic Peace Unification Advisory Council, expressed his agreement in a personal statement, saying, "If North Korea refers to us as 'Republic of Korea,' it is only natural for us to call North Korea 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea.'"
Earlier, Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young used North Korea's official name during a scholarly conference co-hosted by the ministry and the Korea Institute for National Unification in March, discussing 'Korea-Joseon Relations.'
During a special speech at the 11th Ulaanbaatar Northeast Asia Security Dialogue held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on June 4, he also referred to North Korea as 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea.'
Minister Jeong has frequently raised the issue of using the name 'Joseon' in various internal ministry events and media briefings, emphasizing that North Korea refers to South Korea as either Korea or the Republic of Korea.

* This article has been translated by AI.