SEOUL - The Republic of Korea's Unification Ministry on Wednesday unveiled an initiative for peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, proposing changes to the terminology used for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

ROK Unification Minister Chung Dong-young presented the initiative during a government policy briefing at the presidential office.

The initiative centers on mutual respect and reciprocal cooperation, peaceful conflict resolution and crisis management, and efforts toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and peace in Northeast Asia.

Chung said respecting the differences between the two sides should begin with "calling each other by their names". He also called for replacing "main enemy" and other expressions that encourage confrontation and hostility with less confrontational language.

According to local media reports, the proposal would involve replacing "Bukhan", the Korean-language designation commonly used in the ROK for the DPRK, with the DPRK's official Korean-language name.

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Commenting on the proposal during a discussion following the ministry's report, ROK President Lee Jae-myung said the use of official names of both sides remained controversial.

Lee described it as a well-intentioned effort to improve relations but warned that related wording could be distorted or drawn into partisan disputes. Whether goodwill would produce the intended outcome would depend heavily on the circumstances, he said, calling for careful consideration.

Local media interpreted Lee's remarks as suggesting that an immediate change in terminology would be premature.