Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun (The defense ministry)

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said Wednesday that the "fundamental" solution to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats lies in achieving a free and unified Korean Peninsula. He made the statement during the Seoul Defense Dialogue, an annual security forum in Seoul.

Kim emphasized that "the fundamental solution to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and North Korean human rights issues lies in establishing a free and unified Korean Peninsula." He added that by spreading the value of freedom to the North, South Korea aims to inspire North Koreans to seek freedom-based unification themselves.

His remarks followed President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent vision for unification, which stresses promoting freedom and expanding access to external information within North Korea. This vision comes amid heightened tensions due to North Korea's continued missile launches, with 37 ballistic missiles launched this year alone.

North Korea, under leader Kim Jong-un, has been shifting its stance on inter-Korean relations, increasingly viewing them as hostile relations between two separate states.

This year's Seoul Defense Dialogue is attended by around 900 security officials and experts, including Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair and Adm. Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee. (Yonhap)