South Korea Unification Ministry Responds to Calls for Using North Korea’s Official Name

South Korea's unification ministry said Friday it views growing calls to refer to North Korea by its official name as part of a broader effort to build public consensus on the issue. "The ministry is paying attention to religious leaders' call for the two Koreas to use each other's official names," deputy spokesperson Chang Yoon-jeong said at a regular briefing.

"Since their announcement, we have also noted support from various sectors of society, and we will continue listening to these voices going forward," she added.

The Korean Council of Religious Leaders said Thursday that genuine peace begins with "acknowledging each other as they are," urging both sides to use official names: the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "Respecting each other's name is the first step" toward peaceful coexistence, the group said.

Kang Chang-il, vice chair of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, expressed appreciation for the religious leaders' statement.

South Korea currently uses "North Korea" rather than its official name, "Joson" in Korean, as Seoul does not recognize its ties with North Korea as state-to-state relations under the 1991 inter-Korean Basic Agreement. The debate has gained momentum in recent months, with Unification Minister Chung Dong-young raising the need for Seoul to call North Korea by its official name to achieve peaceful coexistence, Yonhap reported.