Kang Kyung-wha, the nominee for South Korea's Foreign Minister, said Wednesday that she will adopt a dual approach of sanctions and dialogue towards the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) if she takes office. 

Kang made the remarks during a parliamentary confirmation hearing for her nomination as the country's first female foreign minister. The post does not require parliamentary approval, although the nominee does need to attend a hearing. 

She said in her opening remarks that the DPRK's nuclear program is directly relevant to the survival of the South Korean people and the issue is a priority for peace on the Korean Peninsula. 

Nominee for Foreigh Minister Kang Kyung-wha attends a parliamentary confirmation hearing in Seoul on June 7, 2017. /VCG Photo

While dealing with further provocations from the DPRK, Seoul would actively participate in international cooperation through UN Security Council resolutions to block Pyongyang from advancing its nuclear and missile capability and deterring further provocations, Kang said. 

However Kang said that sanctions and pressure on Pyongyang should only be the means to denuclearize the DPRK and also vowed to make concerted efforts to resume talks with the DPRK. 

Asked about the resumption of a now-closed inter-Korean factory park, Kang said discussions will have to take place with UN Security Council members before it its reopening can be considered.   

The Kaesong Industrial Complex in the DPRK border town of Kaesong, just north of the inter-Korean land border, was shut down by the previous South Korean government following Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January last year. At the time, it was the last remaining inter-Korean economic cooperation project. 

Kang said resuming operations at the park could become the first step towards easing tensions and building trust between the two sides, though she noted that the situation differed now from that when the park launched in 2002. 

Vehicles leave the Kaesong joint industrial zone February 11, 2016. /VCG Photo

Regarding the controversial US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system, Kang said she would consider sending senior-level delegates to China. 

Kang told the hearing that communication between Seoul and Beijing should be maintained through a variety of channels to narrow differences in how to address the THAAD issue. 

The FM nominee said the THAAD deployment lacked open consultation and failed to win public support, reiterating the new government's stance that its continued installation requires a parliamentary debate. 

(Source: Xinhua)