김연철, 취임 후 첫 방북 "北, 공동선언 이행 확고한 의지 밝혀"

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul reaffirmed Seoul's commitment towards carrying out inter-Korean deals... during his first visit to the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong since taking office.
Following the visit Kim told reporters that he had briefly met with North Korean officials to whom he asked to relay his greetings to his North Korean counterpart Ri Son-gwon , the Chairman of North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.
"We've also shared a strong will to implement the joint declarations signed by the two Koreas last year... as well as the need to normalize operations at the joint liaison office."
The joint liaison office was set up to bolster cross-border exchanges... but has been effectively idle amid a lack of progress in denuclearization talks between North Korea and the U.S.