South Korea allows citizens to contact North Koreans

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korea announced on Thursday that all of its citizens will be able to contact North Koreans without restriction if they declare it in advance.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has signed the disposal of ministry guidelines governing declarations of contacts with North Koreans to prevent civilians from contacting North Korean citizens, according to Yonhap News.

"This (permits) full-range contacts at the private level," Chung said.

"Free contacts between the peoples make mutual understanding possible, which can then lead to coexistence," he added.

Chung said the possibility of modifying the large-scale South Korea-US military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, will be discussed at the National Security Council meeting in early August.

As part of efforts to improve relations with North Korea, the unification minister expressed his intention to suggest changes to the joint drills to President Lee Jae Myung earlier this week.

Later on Thursday, Chung expressed a desire to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex, apologizing for the government's 2016 decision to close the inter-Korean industrial park.

The park opened in the North Korean border town of Kaesong in 2004 following the first-ever inter-Korean summit between then-South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung and late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 2000.