Newly declassified inter-Korean talks reveal Pyongyang’s shifting stance on division

Staying at the Unification Ministry.

Officials there today made public a collection of past cross-border interactions that offers an interesting insight into North Korea's shifting policy toward South Korea.

Our North Korean affairs correspondent Kim Jung-sil explains.

Looking back at history may offer insights into the future, especially when it comes to inter-Korean relations.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Unification released newly declassified records of inter-Korean talks from the mid-1980s to early 1990s, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance public access to information and deepen understanding of North Korea.

One of the most striking revelations from these records is how North Korea's stance on inter-Korean division has dramatically changed—contradicting what it once asserted.

In official transcripts from 1990, Pyongyang condemned South Korea's anti-tank barriers near the military demarcation line, calling them a "symbol of permanent division."

It stated: "It is already heartbreaking that a military demarcation line exists within our nation, but having an artificial barrier built on top of it is nothing short of a national disgrace."

North Korea further demanded the removal of these barriers saying , "The concrete wall in the southern part of the demarcation line must be removed."

Yet fast forward to today, Pyongyang is building its own barriers along the DMZ, demolishing cross-border roads and railways, and rejecting reunification—declaring South Korea a hostile state.

As North Korea reinforces division, the Ministry of Unification is shedding light on the past.

It says these records provide critical insight into Pyongyang's evolving stance on division and inter-Korean relations.

"Through these newly declassified documents, the public can get a vivid look at inter-Korean dialogue in the late 1980s and the records of preliminary meetings held in preparation for high-level talks in the 1990s."

Those interested in reviewing these records can visit the Ministry of Unification's Inter-Korean Relations Management Bureau website or the Information Center on North Korea in Seoul.

Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.