Seoul to appoint Korean Peninsula peace envoy

The Ministry of Unification said Friday that it is moving to appoint a special envoy for peace on the Korean Peninsula, as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks new diplomatic channels to revive dialogue with North Korea amid prolonged tensions. The plan was outlined during the ministry’s policy briefing to the president, where officials said the envoy would be tasked with engaging key countries and international partners to explain Seoul’s peace initiatives and explore ways to restart talks. This reflects the government’s intention to play a more proactive role as a direct stakeholder in efforts to ease inter-Korean tensions. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said South Korea should play a more active role in shaping discussions on the Korean Peninsula, emphasizing that Seoul must not remain on the sidelines of diplomacy concerning its own future. “The Korean Peninsula issue is ultimately our own problem, and we need to strengthen our role as a direct party in pushing the process forward,” he said during the briefing. He added that the proposed peace envoy would help to