The first official schedule for the new Unification Minister Chung Dong-young was to visit the inter-Korean border area of Panmunjom, signaling a strong commitment to restoring communication channels between the two Koreas and an intention to prevent accidental military clashes.
Chung traveled to Panmunjom in Paju, Gyeonggi, on July 25, immediately after receiving presidential approval for his appointment from President Lee Jae Myung.
At the site, he emphasized the urgency of resuming inter-Korean dialogue and restoring trust, stating, “The top priority is to restore the severed communication channels between the two Koreas.”
Chung also toured key facilities at the Joint Security Area, including Freedom House and Peace House, accompanied by officials from the United Nations Command, to inspect the current state of the long-disconnected inter-Korean communication channels.
Panmunjom has hosted over 370 rounds of talks since the first Red Cross talks in 1971, including the 2018 inter-Korean summit.
![Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young is seen during his visit to the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom on July 25, in his first official act since taking office. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/25/2ead821b-9bc2-4db5-8362-ae9f7c329e8c.jpg)
Experts interpreted Chung’s decision to make Panmunjom his first stop as a symbolic gesture of his intent to end hostility on the Korean Peninsula and create momentum for renewed dialogue.
Last month, shortly after being nominated as the Lee administration’s first unification minister, Chung told reporters at the Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, that restoring inter-Korean communication channels was essential to easing tensions and restarting cooperation.
“We must resolve conflicts to move from confrontation and hostility back to an era of reconciliation and cooperation,” Chung said.
“In the future, I will do my best to make Panmunjom a space of connection and cooperation, not a place of disconnection and tension, through close cooperation between relevant organizations such as the United Nations Command,” said Chung.
BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]