South Korea’s Unification Minister has stressed the need of “radical and innovative thinking” in improving inter-Korean relations this year. 

Kim Yeon-chul made the remarks in his New Year address to ministry officials on Thursday, while predicting “dim” situations in the near future regarding Seoul-Pyongyang relations given indications of what North Korea’s strategies vis-à-vis the outside world will be like in the new year.

Noting that 2020 will mark the 20th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit, the minister vowed not to squander the year with stalled relations with the North. He said an impasse in the rapidly changing world means a retreat. 

He listed several possible ways of restoring trust between South and North Korea, including cooperation on inter-Korean border zones, projects to link with railroads and roads, exchanges between regional governments and multinational projects involving China or Russia. 

Kim also noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the start of reunions of war-separated families and called for doubled efforts to realize the 2018 inter-Korean agreement to fundamentally resolve the separated family issue.