South Korea’s new Minister of Unification was inaugurated on March 16 in Seoul, saying he would employ dialogue and exchange to push for peaceful unification.

Hong Yong-pyo was sworn in on Monday after previously working as one of President Park Geun-hye’s advisors on North Korea in the Blue House.

“Dialogue, exchange and cooperation with North Korea is one of the important tasks for me and the unification ministry,” Hong said in his inauguration speech in comments carried by Yonhap News Agency.

“We will never let go of the string of dialogue, although North Korea is reluctant to hold talks” he