About the Author

Won-Gi Jung
Won-Gi Jung is a reporter based in Seoul. He previously worked for the CSIS Korea Chair and East Asia Institute. Follow him on Twitter: @jungwongida.
Amid a months-long diplomatic dry spell, South Korea is expecting a “positive message of dialogue and cooperation” from North Korea in the near future, Seoul’s unification minister said on Monday.
Speaking at a New Year's address on Jan. 4, South Korean unification minister Lee In-young said he’s hoping for the two Koreas to make progress towards peace in the first half of this year. He pointed to a new White House administration and a rare, high-profile North Korean political event as potential opportunities to extend an olive branch.